What is a legal assistant? 

A legal assistant is someone who provides administrative support services within a law office or legal setting. The job description of a legal assistant is similar to any other type of administrative assistant. However, they benefit from having some legal knowledge or education in legal studies. This position may resemble the duties of a secretary or executive assistant, but in a legal setting. 

The duties of a legal assistant 

The daily duties of a legal assistant can vary between offices or law firms. In general, you can delegate the following tasks to a legal assistant: 

• Filing paperwork 

• Scheduling meetings and appointments 

• Answering phones

• Responding to email inquiries  

• Transcribing notes 

• Maintaining a calendar for the office/attorneys within the law firm 

• Acting as the first point of contact when a client or attorney arrives at the firm for a meeting 

• Providing and organizing files or documentation for attorneys on staff 

In some cases, legal assistants may be assigned duties similar to those of a paralegal, depending on their level of education and experience. When writing a job description for a legal assistant, consider what tasks you need them to take on at your law office and what qualifications are necessary to meet these demands. 

Education and qualifications of a legal assistant 

Since the job description for a legal assistant is so flexible and varied, there are no official educational requirements for this role. However, if you want to bring in a legal assistant who has knowledge of US law and can perform tasks outside of standard administration, you may want to include some or all of the following educational credits in your job description:

• Two-year Associate’s Degree in Legal Studies 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies or Paralegal Studies 

• Courses or certificates in legal terminology 

• Certificate in business administration 

While the above educational requirements are not always essential to the success of someone being hired in a legal assistant role, there are some critical skills that you should include in a job description for a legal assistant.

Hard skills for legal assistants include a comprehensive understanding of:

• Microsoft Office 

• G-Suite 

• Document management systems such as AbicusLaw, MyCase, Clio or PracticeMaster

• Video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Skype 

• Electronic case filing 

• Legal research skills through services like Westlaw or LexisNexis

In addition to bringing an understanding of these software programs and research abilities to the role, applicants for a legal assistant job should also demonstrate the following soft skills: 

• Organization 

• Strong communication 

• Excellent spelling and grammar

• Attention to detail 

• Self-starter

• Exceptional time management 

• Ability to problem-solve

• Critical thinking 

Depending on the scope of what you want a legal assistant to do at your law office, you can categorize these hard and soft skills in a job posting as “must-haves” (required) and “nice-to-have” (desired) qualities for applicants. 

What is a paralegal?

A paralegal is someone with formal legal training who assists attorneys by helping them prepare for cases. Many of the tasks a paralegal performs would otherwise need to be completed by the attorneys themselves when getting ready to argue a case. Paralegals make an attorney’s life easier by answering basic questions clients might call the office about, or walking clients through the meaning of a legal document. 

Duties of a paralegal

The day-to-day responsibilities of a paralegal can include:

• Interviewing clients 

• Preparing legal documents for court or for client signatures 

• Conducting legal research 

• Investigating evidence (reviewing case files)

While the role of a paralegal means offering immense support to an attorney, or multiple attorneys, at your law firm, it’s important to remember that a paralegal is not a replacement for a licensed attorney. This person is not trained or licensed to represent clients in a court of law or to sign documentation that requires an attorney’s signature. 

Education and qualifications of a paralegal

The educational requirements for a paralegal, as compared to a legal assistant, are often more stringent. Because this position is much more technical and requires knowledge of US law, paralegal job descriptions should clearly state what credentials the individual needs to be qualified for the role. 

This can include a Bachelor’s degree or Associate’s degree in:

• Legal studies 

• Criminology

• Criminal justice 

• Pre-law 

• Civil law

• Paralegal studies

Individuals who have completed degrees other than paralegal studies may need to complete a certificate program in paralegal studies to be licensed for this position. 

Besides having the correct educational qualifications, applicants must possess the necessary hard and soft skills. Hard skills to look for in a paralegal include: 

• Legal research skills using services like Westlaw or LexisNexis

• Knowledge of billing software like PracticePanther Legal Software 

• Document management on software like DropBox, Google Drive etc.

• Digital filing 

• Strong command of legal terminology 

• Knowledge of the area of law your office specializes in (family law, criminal law, civil law etc.)

Soft skills for a paralegal include:

• Organization

• Verbal and written communication 

• Excellent time management 

• Interpersonal skills to deal with clients directly 

Deciding between a legal assistant vs paralegal 

The decision to hire a legal assistant vs paralegal depends primarily on the type of tasks the job description entails.

If you are looking for someone to support attorneys by helping them prepare for cases, answering basic client questions and reviewing legal document meanings with clients, a paralegal is the right title for the job. This person will have a concrete understanding of legal terminology and can help with legal research. However, they cannot provide advice to clients or act in the capacity of legal counsel. 

If you require primarily administrative support at your law office in the form of scheduling, appointment management, document filing and maintaining phone and email correspondence, you are seeking a legal assistant. This person doesn’t need to have a strong command of the law or legal terminology to be successful in this role. They simply need to possess the soft skills associated with administration and secretarial work such as good time management skills, organization and the desire to take initiative and respond to emails or inquiries promptly. 

Salary for paralegal vs legal assistant

Part of your decision to hire a legal assistant vs a paralegal for your office may depend on how much you have in your budget. If the tasks that need completing can be effectively carried out by someone with less formal education, such as a legal assistant, then you can save money. According to Indeed, the average hourly wage for a legal assistant in the United States is $20.49 per hour. However, the hourly average wage for a paralegal is $24.00 per hour. When the tasks the employee will take on are similar, hiring someone for the rate of a legal assistant may be more affordable for your business.