In the courses you must take to obtain a job as a legal admin assistant, you will need to take keyboarding and basic computer skills. A excellent command of the rules of writing, such as grammar and punctuation, is essential as is having interpersonal skills when dealing with clients. You will have to take courses in these areas. Business law, criminal law, the laws of the state where you attend college and how to conduct legal research will also be part of the curriculum for the course. Courses in both legal and medical terminology are also necessary as are courses in various types of software generally used in law offices. It is important that you choose a course that provides you with a legal internship, so you will gain some experience working in a legal administrative position.
There is a critical need in some regions for qualified personnel to work in this type of position. Therefore the job outlook is really good if you want to get a job as a legal admin assistant. Once you do get hired, even if you have advanced qualifications, you should engage in continuing education to ensure you keep the job and be able to advance. One example of this engagement in continuing studies is to voluntarily take the courses leading to certification by the National Association for Legal Professionals. This association offers three different certificates. With one year of experience, you can take an exam for the ALS certificate – Accredited Legal Secretary. The other certifications are the PLS – Professional Legal Secretary and the highest is the CLSS – Certified Legal Secretary Specialist. This certifies you to be able to get a job as a legal admin assistant in specialized areas, such as civil law, probate, real estate law and business law. To obtain the CLSS, you must have at least five years of experience before you can write the exam.
Within the next ten years, it is expected there will be a need for more than 30,000 more legal administrative assistants. This will make it easier for you to get a job as a legal admin assistant. Many law firms regularly contact the colleges offering the programs to recruit employees directly out of college. Therefore, if you do well in your courses and internship you could actually get a job as a legal admin assistant before you graduate. It is also quite common for law firms to hire the interns that gain their practical experience in the office. In fact, many law firms do not take interns unless they know that they have or will have a job opening for them. Thus the internship is almost like a probationary period for the student.
