What Does a Legal Administrator Do?

The job of legal administrative assistants is to provide support to lawyers and paralegals. They typically perform legal research, manage schedules, and draft legal-related documents. Other duties include interpreting laws, regulations, and rulings in legal documents, obtaining information from other agencies or organizations, and preparing management and legal reports. In addition, legal administrative assistants are responsible for updating and maintaining databases and ensuring to provide effective administrative assistance. They are also expected to schedule client meetings and court hearings.

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Legal Administrator Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real legal administrator resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Prepare and distribute payroll manage daily office operations and equipment and maintain supplies for office to run effectively.
Provide information regarding the rules and regulations of the DMV.
Proofread legal applications to ensure that all information have been properly submit.
Prepare probate and estate documents, accounting statements, and estate tax returns.
Determine adequacy and propriety of surety bonds to protect the assets of the beneficiary.
Determine a person's eligibility to possess firearms or explosives in accordance with federal law.
Maintain mail run daily, process, proofread documents for spelling errors and sort mail.
Input data for reviews and revisions of customer DMV files, answering customer inquiries by telephone.
Perform independent daily interpretation of criminal records to prevent firearms from being in the hands of prohibit persons.
Review and verify probates, lease agreements, and conveyance documents to ensure accurate and timely distribution of Indian lands.
Organize meetings and events, prepare PowerPoint presentations for seminars.
Respond to subpoenas and other legal request pertaining to shareholder accounts.
Review surety bonds and inform fiduciary of deficient or increase bonds and contact beneficiary.
Improve performance and increase efficiency by overseeing and training legal administrative assistant to process subpoenas and wage garnishments.
Define and implement specifications for recurring and specialize reports to assist in the litigation and administrative operations of the office.

Legal Administrator Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a legal administrator does, you may be wondering, "should I become a legal administrator?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, legal administrators have a growth rate described as "much faster than average" at 12% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of legal administrator opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is 39,000.

On average, the legal administrator annual salary is $47,198 per year, which translates to $22.69 an hour. Generally speaking, legal administrators earn anywhere from $33,000 to $66,000 a year, which means that the top-earning legal administrators make $49,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

It's hard work to become a legal administrator, but even the most dedicated employees consider switching careers from time to time. Whether you're interested in a more challenging position or just looking for a fresh start, we've compiled extensive information on becoming a real estate paralegal, contractor-paralegal, corporate paralegal, and law clerk.

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5 Legal Administrator Resume Examples

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Andrew Watkins Legal Administrator Contact Information Alexandria, VA (790) 555-4486 awatkins@example.com Skills Client Files Privacy Timely Processing Litigation Support Legal Department Internet Telephone Calls Counsel Legal Documents Client Contact Employment History Legal Administrator 2018 - Present U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Alexandria, VA Included customizing the system, notifying outside counsel and providing training for company users. Delivered legal documents for submission and filing to the courts. Ensured legal department design was in place before my departure. Executive Legal Assistant 2017 - 2018 Maguire & Schneider Columbus, OH Establish webinars, video conferences in addition to conference calls, using divisional assigned phone numbers. Published firm data on Internet; created The Marina publication. Executed a variety of administrative tasks and extensive independent research assignments demanding responsible adherence to time constraints. Assisted litigation attorney with preparation of legal documents in a timely manner. Ensured accuracy and due diligence by preparing O.E.M. Litigation Legal Assistant 2016 - 2017 Hahn Loeser & Parks Columbus, OH Utilized Internet to keep track of status of cases: motions, conferences and trials. Supervised office personnel throughout major international securities litigation. Education Bachelor's Degree Business 2008 - 2011 Ohio State University Columbus, OH


Thomas Hunt Legal Administrator Contact Info Baltimore, MD (220) 555-9178 thunt@example.com Skills Legal DocumentsInternational LawFederal AgenciesVeteransCorporate DocumentsPayrollAdministrative LawWord ProcessingDiscovery ResponsesLegal Instruments Employment History Legal Administrator 2014 - Present Social Security Administration Baltimore, MD Make determinations that affect a claimant's ongoing eligibility for Social Security benefits and analyze claimants' benefit payment histories. Corrected inaccuracies in Social Security records. Perform case workup reviewing financial, medical, legal documents, and SSA forms submitted in support of disability claims. Selected for the special task of assembling a training package utilized throughout the Social Security Office of Disability. Paralegal Specialist 2010 - 2014 Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig Largo, FL Draft pleadings, memoranda, and other legal documents in actions before the Court. Reviewed correspondence from the USPTO and foreign counsel; docketed all critical patent deadlines; coordinated same with staff attorneys. Legal Clerk 2008 - 2010 LAW OFFICES OF WINN SIMS Largo, FL Drafted various legal documents including deeds, wills, and motions. Request and follow up for medical records for medical malpractice cases. Gather and arrange evidence and other legal documents for attorney review and case preparation. Drafted legal documents for civil litigation in NYS Supreme & US District Federal Courts. File motions, appeals, and other legal documents with the court ahead of deadlines. Prepared legal documents such as pleadings and affidavits. Education Bachelor's Degree Legal Support Services 2005 - 2008 St. Petersburg College Largo, FL


Thomas Hunt Legal Administrator Baltimore, MD (220) 555-9178 thunt@example.com Experience Legal Administrator2014 - Present Social Security Administration•Baltimore, MD Make determinations that affect a claimant's ongoing eligibility for Social Security benefits and analyze claimants' benefit payment histories. Corrected inaccuracies in Social Security records. Perform case workup reviewing financial, medical, legal documents, and SSA forms submitted in support of disability claims. Selected for the special task of assembling a training package utilized throughout the Social Security Office of Disability. Paralegal Specialist2010 - 2014 Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig•Largo, FL Draft pleadings, memoranda, and other legal documents in actions before the Court. Reviewed correspondence from the USPTO and foreign counsel; docketed all critical patent deadlines; coordinated same with staff attorneys. Legal Clerk2008 - 2010 LAW OFFICES OF WINN SIMS•Largo, FL Drafted various legal documents including deeds, wills, and motions. Request and follow up for medical records for medical malpractice cases. Gather and arrange evidence and other legal documents for attorney review and case preparation. Drafted legal documents for civil litigation in NYS Supreme & US District Federal Courts. File motions, appeals, and other legal documents with the court ahead of deadlines. Prepared legal documents such as pleadings and affidavits. Skills Legal DocumentsInternational LawFederal AgenciesVeteransCorporate DocumentsPayrollAdministrative LawWord ProcessingDiscovery ResponsesLegal Instruments Education Bachelor's Degree Legal Support Services2005 - 2008 St. Petersburg College•Largo, FL

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Legal Administrator Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 10% of Legal Administrators are proficient in Veterans, Litigation, and PowerPoint. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Computer skills, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Legal Administrators that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Veterans, 10%
Completed, filed required documentation, followed up pending documents and ensure all veterans received exceptional service.
Litigation, 10%
Facilitated responses to customer complaints from borrowers, attorneys, state and federal governmental agencies, resulting in reduced litigation exposure.
PowerPoint, 6%
Updated PowerPoint presentation as needed.
Law Firm, 5%
Provided superior administration of law firm specializing in insurance defense and workers' compensation law.
Legal Research, 5%
Summarized and analyzed legal documents ensuring accuracy - Performed legal research - Prepared reports, correspondence, legal documents and declarations
Management System, 4%
Provide administrative support to Legal Department, including the management of a company-wide contract management system.

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Some of the skills we found on legal administrator resumes included "veterans," "litigation," and "powerpoint." We have detailed the most important legal administrator responsibilities below.

The most important skills for a legal administrator to have in this position are communication skills. In this excerpt that we gathered from a legal administrator resume, you'll understand why: "paralegals must be able to document and present their research and related information to their supervising attorney." According to resumes we found, communication skills can be used by a legal administrator in order to "managed all aspects of daily legal analysis, research and due diligence of now defunct telecommunications company. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many legal administrator duties rely on computer skills. This example from a legal administrator explains why: "paralegals need to be familiar with using computers for legal research and litigation support." This resume example is just one of many ways legal administrators are able to utilize computer skills: "designed and implemented a comprehensive computer case management and tracking system for all litigation and transactional matters. "

Legal administrators are also known for organizational skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a legal administrator resume: "paralegals may be responsible for many cases at one time" We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "developed and maintained administrative and organizational systems essential to sustaining a contingency fee law firm. "

In order for certain legal administrator responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "interpersonal skills." According to a legal administrator resume, "paralegals spend most of their time working with clients and other professionals and must be able to develop good relationships" As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "assist counsel and paralegals legal research attend court hearings and out of court legal proceedings file maintenance interpersonal communication skills with clients"

As part of the legal administrator description, you might find that one of the skills that might be helpful to the job is "research skills." A legal administrator resume included this snippet: "paralegals gather facts of the case and research information on relevant laws and regulations to prepare drafts of legal documents for attorneys and help them prepare for a case." This skill could be useful in this scenario: "researched account records and prepared supporting documentation for court hearings and other litigation matters. "

See the full list of legal administrator skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a legal administrator. We found that 55.2% of legal administrators have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 9.1% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While most legal administrators have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every seven legal administrators were not college graduates.

The legal administrators who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and legal support services, while a small population of legal administrators studied law and criminal justice.

When you're ready to become a legal administrator, you might wonder which companies hire legal administrators. According to our research through legal administrator resumes, legal administrators are mostly hired by Robert Half, AppleOne Employment Services, and Pacific Architects and Engineers. Now is a good time to apply as Robert Half has 9 legal administrators job openings, and there are 5 at AppleOne Employment Services and 3 at Pacific Architects and Engineers.

If you're interested in companies where legal administrators make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at Ropes & Gray, AARP, and FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. We found that at Ropes & Gray, the average legal administrator salary is $89,548. Whereas at AARP, legal administrators earn roughly $87,159. And at FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, they make an average salary of $78,122.

View more details on legal administrator salaries across the United States.

If you earned a degree from the top 100 educational institutions in the United States, you might want to take a look at Office Of The Public Defender, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation. These three companies have hired a significant number of legal administrators from these institutions.

For the most part, legal administrators make their living in the professional and government industries. Legal administrators tend to make the most in the government industry with an average salary of $54,616. The legal administrator annual salary in the professional and finance industries generally make $53,520 and $49,852 respectively. Additionally, legal administrators who work in the government industry make 21.3% more than legal administrators in the manufacturing Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious legal administrators are:

Robert Half9 Legal Administrators Jobs
AppleOne Employment Services5 Legal Administrators Jobs
Pacific Architects and Engineers3 Legal Administrators Jobs

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What Real Estate Paralegals Do

A Real Estate Paralegal helps real estate lawyers with a variety of tasks, such as offering advice to clients, doing research, and preparing documents. They collaborate with landlords, housing managers, or other real estate personnel.

In this section, we compare the average legal administrator annual salary with that of a real estate paralegal. Typically, real estate paralegals earn a $21,189 higher salary than legal administrators earn annually.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both legal administrators and real estate paralegals positions are skilled in litigation, law firm, and legal research.

As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a legal administrator responsibility requires skills such as "veterans," "powerpoint," "management system," and "data entry." Whereas a real estate paralegal is skilled in "estoppel," "affidavits," "real estate transactions," and "lenders." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

Real estate paralegals receive the highest salaries in the finance industry coming in with an average yearly salary of $72,649. But legal administrators are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $54,616.

The education levels that real estate paralegals earn is a bit different than that of legal administrators. In particular, real estate paralegals are 5.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a legal administrator. Additionally, they're 2.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Contractor-Paralegal?

A Contractor-Paralegal works for a law firm or corporate legal department for a specified amount of time, or for a specified task. They can be specialized in the entertainment industry or in providing services to healthcare companies and insurance providers.

Now we're going to look at the contractor-paralegal profession. On average, contractor-paralegals earn a $13,488 higher salary than legal administrators a year.

A similarity between the two careers of legal administrators and contractor-paralegals are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "litigation," "powerpoint," and "law firm. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, several resumes showed us that legal administrator responsibilities requires skills like "veterans," "management system," "data entry," and "life insurance." But a contractor-paralegal might use skills, such as, "discovery responses," "contract database," "contract review," and "non-disclosure agreements."

It's been discovered that contractor-paralegals earn higher salaries compared to legal administrators, but we wanted to find out where contractor-paralegals earned the most pay. The answer? The finance industry. The average salary in the industry is $79,049. Additionally, legal administrators earn the highest paychecks in the government with an average salary of $54,616.

On the topic of education, contractor-paralegals earn similar levels of education than legal administrators. In general, they're 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Corporate Paralegal Compares

A Corporate Paralegal helps attorneys gather information and materials in preparation for different kinds of cases, hearings, or meetings. They also work in the legal departments of large corporations and for government agencies.

Let's now take a look at the corporate paralegal profession. On average, these workers make higher salaries than legal administrators with a $20,317 difference per year.

By looking over several legal administrators and corporate paralegals resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "litigation," "legal research," and "management system." But beyond that the careers look very different.

As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from legal administrators resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "veterans," "powerpoint," "law firm," and "data entry." But a corporate paralegal might have skills like "corporate governance," "mergers," "securities," and "excellent organizational."

Interestingly enough, corporate paralegals earn the most pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $76,737. As mentioned previously, legal administrators highest annual salary comes from the government industry with an average salary of $54,616.

Corporate paralegals typically study at similar levels compared with legal administrators. For example, they're 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Law Clerk

Law clerks are employees in a legal firm who handle clerical tasks for the office. They handle the office's official phone lines, answering incoming calls, and making outgoing calls. They also field office correspondence, often receiving incoming mail and distributing them to their addressees. They manage office documents and ensure that they are correctly filed and labeled in their respective storage bins. Law clerks help make office life more comfortable because they make sure that the office is running well. They also manage appointments and office calendars.

Law clerks tend to earn a higher pay than legal administrators by about $8,718 per year.

While both legal administrators and law clerks complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like litigation, law firm, and legal research, the two careers also vary in other skills.

Each job requires different skills like "veterans," "powerpoint," "management system," and "data entry," which might show up on a legal administrator resume. Whereas law clerk might include skills like "legal memos," "pre-trial motions," "summary judgment," and "demand letters."

Law clerks earn a higher salary in the professional industry with an average of $98,674. Whereas, legal administrators earn the highest salary in the government industry.

The average resume of law clerks showed that they earn similar levels of education to legal administrators. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 3.6% less. Additionally, they're more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 23.0%.

Updated October 2, 2020