What are the qualifications for a legal assistant?

The qualifications for a legal assistant include relevant education, training, and certifications. While it is possible for you to find work as a legal assistant without possessing these qualifications, it is highly recommended to obtain them, as it makes you a more strong and more appealing candidate.

Here is a more detailed look at the qualifications for a legal assistant:

• Legal Assistant Education

Many legal assistants obtain at least a two-year associate's degree. The most applicable associate's degree for a legal assistant is paralegal studies.

However, many employers seek candidates for legal assistant positions that have obtained a bachelor's degree in legal or paralegal studies.

These kinds of college programs give aspiring legal assistants the perfect amount of foundational knowledge needed for the profession. They cover areas such as legal writing and different types of law.

It should be noted that any associate's or bachelor's degree can give a prospective legal assistant some of the necessary skills and knowledge.

• Legal Assistant Training

Certain law firms provide on-the-job training for college graduates, individuals that don't have legal experience, or even for ones that don't have any higher education.

Computer-based skills are essential to being a legal assistant. This is an area most candidates should try to obtain some experience in prior to applying for legal assistant jobs. Legal assistants often deal with large computer databases and specific kinds of software used to file and organize court and other legal documents.

• Legal Assistant Certifications

While this is not a requirement to be a legal assistant, some law firms prefer candidates with certifications. If nothing else, certifications increase the likelihood of being selected for a legal assistant role.

A common one is the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) certification. This proves an individual has a high amount of legal knowledge and can perform paralegal tasks.

To become a CLA, a candidate must be able to prove they have taken certain legal or paralegal classes and then must pass an exam through their state's bar association.

The CLA exam tests a candidate's knowledge of a number of topics related to the law and legal work, such as legal research, legal ethics, communication, and judgment.

• Specific Legal Assistant Skills

Legal assistants must have both strong verbal and written communication skills. These are utilized to write up legal documents and give presentations to attorneys.

As previously mentioned, computer skills are essential to being a legal assistant. They often have to be well-versed in organizing electronic information and performing tasks like data entry. Computer skills are also utilized for scheduling, as many legal assistants keep and update schedules for their lawyers or even an entire firm.

Time management skills are very important to a legal assistant. Many work in fast-paced environments that require the ability to stay organized and multitask.