Litigation Secretary Job Description

'Certification is not a mandatory requirement to become a litigation secretary, although most firms prefer that job candidates have some formal education or prior work experience. Legal Secretaries are increasingly opting for certifications which has given rise to employment opportunities in this area. The National Association for Legal Professionals (NALS) bestows an ALS designation upon legal secretaries who pass a four-hour, three-part examination. Legal Secretaries can offer their services in various areas like corporate, real estate, banking, litigation, labor, intellectual property, tax, etc. Litigation Secretaries assist lawyers and sometimes paralegals through the performance of various secretarial and clerical duties requiring knowledge of legal terminology and the legal process. They assist the lawyers with typing, filing, working with briefs, motions and pleadings, answering phone calls, and setting up appointments. Litigation secretaries work in a variety of office environments including legal firms, government agencies, courts, companies and legal aid departments. Communicating with clients, law firm partners, judges, judicial workers, court administrators and other law firm staff is an important part of their duty. Strong knowledge of court deadlines for trial is absolutely essential as, missing any of them can cost the attorneys a big time. Excellent organizational and verbal skills, knowledge of court rules, discovery and trial preparation, calendaring and filing procedures, and strong computer skills (Microsoft Office XP, IManage, ProLaw) are required. Typing skills, know how to prepare legal documents and understanding of legal terminology are all required to be successful. Litigation work is often stressful and may require overtime. Litigation Secretaries need to be assertive as they are required to work in an environment where they have to deal with aggressive, high-powered attorneys and work in constant conflict in an adversarial environment. Flexibility is absolutely critical to become a litigation secretary.


Here are a few sample floater litigation secretary job descriptions:

Litigation Secretary

The candidate should have 5+years of experience including both state and federal filing experience. Must have created TOA`s and TOC`s.

Litigation Secretary

The candidate will generate, prepare, and organize documentation and forms, and oversee and coordinate court filings including E-filings. Should have complex document production experience, as well as solid administrative experience including extensive experience working directly with clients.

Litigation Secretary

The candidate will prepare a variety of litigation pleadings; arranging filing and service of documents and electronically filing and serving court documents as required by the court. Will have extensive client contact including handling incoming calls, as well as correspondence and appointments for timekeepers, creation and maintenance of files and e-files and other administrative support. Should have 5+ years of experience.

Litigation Secretary

The candidate should have small firm experience is used to running a small firm, i.e., ordering supplies, answering phone calls, speaking with clients and prospective clients, and other administrative tasks. Must also have solid litigation experience.

Litigation Secretary

The candidate should have administrative experience. Must have solid experience and advanced MS Word and Excel.

Litigation Secretary

The candidate should have 5+ years of experience. Must have a stable work history, heavy document production experience and solid proofreading skills. Must be proficient using MS Office Suite and have strong formatting experience in TOC`s and TOA`s.'