The Complete Guide to Becoming a Legal Assistant

Every law firm needs the help of a legal assistant. Legal Assistants carry out various tasks alongside lawyers to keep cases running smoothly. If you want to be part of the legal field yet are eager to spend less time attending law school, then being a legal assistant is the ideal career that awaits you.

The following guide describes what a legal assistant does and the various kinds of skills necessary to pursue this rewarding career.

What is a Legal Assistant’s Role?

Legal assistants fill the “behind-the-scenes” roles in law office operations. The legal assistant’s job is to keep documents filed and the office running smoothly, where they help promptly complete essential tasks. Duties may include:

• Filing legal documents: Legal assistants prepare and file papers needed in court cases.
• Maintenance of case files: As a lawyer needs to handle multiple instances simultaneously, the legal assistants keep records of the documents and evidence concerning those cases.
• Legal research: You will assist the attorneys in finding necessary information about specific laws or previous cases relevant to the case.
• Preparation of court documents: Legal assistants often write essential documents such as contracts, agreements, or court filings.
• Scheduling Meetings: Meetings are scheduled to keep the lawyer’s calendar up-to-date and ensure clients’ meetings run on schedule.
  

What Skills Do You Need?

A legal assistant does not require superpowers to do his or her job, but he or she does want and needs a good set of basic skills. Below are summarized a few of those basic skills.

• Organization: The job requires you to be well organized, as you will be dealing with many documents and files.
• Communication: You are often expected to be articulate with the attorney, the client, and sometimes court staff.
• Attention to Detail: Legal documents should be perfect, as even the slightest mistake may cause issues.
• Time Management: This involves several activities running simultaneously; hence, you should know how to prioritize work.
• Research skills: You are to support the lawyers by researching cases, laws, or legal articles that will help prove their argument.

These skills can be learned through a Legal Assistant Program, a course of study that will prepare you for this position.

A Day in the Life of a Legal Assistant

No two days of work are alike for a legal assistant, but some tasks you may perform daily include:

• Morning: You should start by polishing documents related to pending cases or preparing to go to court.
• Lunchtime: You can help the attorney with research regarding one of the current cases in which you bring in the relevant facts.

• Afternoon: You might be preparing legal documents or writing reports to send to clients or the court.
• Wrap-up: Closing, you will ensure that the schedule is up-to-date and everything is ready for the next day.

Acquiring a legal assistant’s job can sometimes be relatively fast-paced yet rewarding because you are involved in helping make a real difference in other people’s lives through supporting the legal process.

How to Become a Legal Assistant

If this sounds like the job for you, the next step is to get the proper training. You do not have to spend many years in school to become a legal assistant. Instead, you can join a Legal Assistant Program. Through these programs, you are taught all basic legal knowledge, handling essential documents, and the research skills crucial to the job.

• Education: Most programs can be completed in one year and will provide you with the beginnings of a skill set.
• Certification: Although not always, some employers prefer legal assistants with certification. You can get these once you complete your training in this field of professionalism.
  

Benefits of Being a Legal Assistant

There are many reasons to become a legal assistant. Here are just a few of the main benefits:

• Job security: Legal assistants are always in demand because lawyers need someone to help keep their cases on track.
• Varieties of work: Since law deals with many things, including family law, criminal law, business law, and others, you will be exposed to different types of cases.

• Future growth: Over time, advancing into more specialized positions or even returning to college and becoming an attorney is possible.
• Flexibility: While most legal assistants are hired directly by a law firm, you also can work for the government, businesses, and even non-profits.
  

Quick Tips for Success

Smoothen your work as a legal assistant through these quick tips: 

• Be organized: Keep files and paperwork easily accessible. 
• Pay attention to details: Look over your work to ensure no mistakes. 
• Be reliable: Lawyers will need assistants they can depend on, especially in rush times. 

Learn to use the tools. Many law offices use software to manage cases, so it’s essential to be comfortable with computers.

Enroll now at Northwest Career College today!

All you need to do is make that one call to enroll in the Northwest Career College Legal Assistant program to get started. Professionals designed our program to ensure it contains just the right mix of skills and knowledge for a successful legal assistant. The Northwest Career College family has helped thousands of students like you since 1997, and we pride ourselves on providing quality education in a highly supportive environment.