How To Become A Senior Legal Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior legal assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Patrick Webb Ph.D.

If you are fascinated by and want to work in the legal field, but do not want to be involved in the actual technicalities of the law, then perhaps becoming a legal assistant is the best way. As a senior legal assistant, you will serve the purpose of undertaking broader tasks at a law firm.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will be performing in this capacity are investigating case facts to ensure all relevant information is correct, organizing and compiling information, developing written statements, securing affidavits, supporting attorneys during trials, drafting legal arguments for trials, maintaining financial records, and managing other law office staff. Essential skills required include interpersonal, attention to detail, communication, and teamwork.

A high school diploma or a GED may suffice for the educational requirements for this position. However, having a diploma or a certification as a legal assistant, along with work experience of over three years, would prove advantageous. The average hourly pay for this position is $28.25, which amounts to an average of $58,763 annually. This career is also projected to grow and create new opportunities across the United States in the near future.

What general advice would you give to a senior legal assistant?

Patrick Webb Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Saint Augustine's University

The advice I offer to individuals (regardless of their status) is to 1) assume individual responsibility as a professional within the workplace environment, 2) continue to further your knowledgebase by developing the habit of reading (this includes topics centered around professional and personal growth), 3) commit to becoming an advocate for the truth, especially in the lives of those who are less fortunate than you are, and 4) prioritize relationships over resources.

ScoreSenior Legal AssistantUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,102

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.0

Growth rate 14%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 5.39%

Black or African American 8.26%

Hispanic or Latino 21.79%

Unknown 4.72%

White 59.44%

Gender

female 83.88%

male 16.12%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior legal assistant

Explore senior legal assistant education requirements

Most common senior legal assistant degrees

Bachelor's

54.9 %

Associate

21.0 %

Master's

6.1 %

Start to develop specific senior legal assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Litigation	14.92%
Legal Research	7.31%
Legal Correspondence	6.46%
Legal Support	5.43%
Discovery Responses	5.42%

Complete relevant senior legal assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior legal assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior legal assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior legal assistant resumes.

Research senior legal assistant duties and responsibilities

Perform administrative tasks for managing partner and trial attorney at a medical malpractice litigation firm including daily transcription and stenography.
Handle collections, probate, estate planning, real estate and corporate work.
Interview witnesses, prepare declarations, and draft responses to interrogatories and requests for production.
Prepare lawsuits from complaint through judgment and garnishment for foreclosures, probate, and loss mitigation.

Get senior legal assistant experience

Generally, it takes 6-12 months to become a senior legal assistant. The most common roles before becoming a senior legal assistant include legal assistant, legal secretary team lead and paralegal.

Prepare your senior legal assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior legal assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior legal assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable senior legal assistant resume templates

Build a professional senior legal assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior legal assistant resume.