Legal
A legal assistant supports attorneys with document preparation, scheduling, filing and client communication. The role keeps matters organized and deadlines visible so lawyers can spend their time on legal analysis and advice.
Median pay
$62,890a year
Paralegals and legal assistants, U.S. BLS, May 2025
The role
Employers hire legal assistants when attorneys spend too much time on administrative tasks, when caseloads grow, or when a small team needs organized support.
Typical responsibilities
Core skills
Tools and systems
Related titles
Typical background
High school diploma or associate degree, with one to three years of law office experience; a paralegal certificate is helpful.
At a glance
The essentials for planning the hire: level, background, how you can hire and what the role typically pays.
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FAQ
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A legal assistant supports attorneys with document preparation, scheduling, filing and client communication. The role keeps matters organized and deadlines visible so lawyers can spend their time on legal analysis and advice. Typical responsibilities include: prepare and format legal documents, correspondence and filings; manage attorney calendars, appointments and court deadlines; organize case files in paper and electronic systems.
Look for legal terminology, document formatting, calendar management, file organization, client communication and confidentiality. Experience with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Clio, Adobe Acrobat and NetDocuments is common in this role.
Yes. A legal assistant is one of the roles employers most often hire on contract, for projects, busy periods, leave cover and vacancies. Contract-to-hire is also an option if you want to work together before making a permanent offer.
Legal assistants focus on administrative support, scheduling and document preparation. Paralegals perform substantive legal tasks, such as research, drafting and case preparation, under attorney supervision. If your attorneys need help with substance, hire a paralegal; if they need help with logistics, hire an assistant.
Quite important for litigation and fast-moving practices, where deadlines and formatting rules are strict. For a smaller office with simpler work, a strong administrative candidate can learn legal terminology on the job with some supervision.
Related roles
Every role in the practice is recruited by the same specialist team.
