Paralegal vs. Legal Secretary: Which One is Right for You?

If you’re trying to decide whether to hire a paralegal vs legal secretary, it helps to have an understanding of the responsibilities for each role. Once you know what tasks are performed by each position, you can determine which one is the right fit for your law firm.

In the article, we’ll go over the differences and similarities between a paralegal and a legal secretary to help you assess which position you should hire for.

What is a Paralegal?

A paralegal is someone with formal legal training who helps attorneys prepare for cases. Paralegals answer questions from clients and explain legal documents, so the attorneys have more time to get ready for their case.

Paralegal responsibilities can include:

Interviewing clients
Preparing legal documents for court or for client signatures
Conducting legal research
Reviewing case files
Filing appeals with the opposition
Attending legal proceedings
Summarizing testimonies and depositions

Because the position requires knowledge of US law, paralegals are often required to have an associate or bachelor’s degree in:

Legal studies
Criminology
Criminal justice
Pre-law
Another relevant field

Though paralegals have specialized knowledge of legal matters, they aren’t qualified lawyers—which means they can’t offer legal advice or represent clients.

MORE INFO: What is a Paralegal? Responsibilities, Pay & More

What is a Legal Secretary?

A legal secretary is often confused with a legal assistant, but though they sound similar, these roles have different duties. Legal secretaries perform customer service and administrative duties for legal professionals.

Legal secretary responsibilities can include:

Transcribing dictation
Producing and proofreading legal documents and correspondence
Communicating with witnesses and clients to schedule interviews and meetings
Attending court proceedings
Preparing and sending out bills and resolving billing issues
Providing general administrative support like calendar maintenance and travel arrangements
Organizing and maintaining documents in both paper and electronic form

There are no formal education requirements for legal secretaries, though it’s recommended that they have at least an associate’s degree in:

Political science
Public policy
Business
Psychology
English

There are also professional certifications available for legal secretaries, such as Accredited Legal Professional, Professional Legal Secretary, Certified Legal Professional, and Certified Legal Secretary Specialist.

Paralegal vs. Legal Secretary: A Comparison

The roles of paralegal vs legal secretary do have a lot in common, but they also share a few differences. In this section, we’ll go over the similarities and differences of the two positions.

The Similarities

Both legal secretaries and paralegals are there to support the attorneys at the law firm. These positions come into greater contact with clients than attorneys do and focus on the day-to-day of the office so attorneys can focus on cases.

Although neither of these roles are official lawyers, they work alongside legal professionals to support caseloads and perform administrative duties.

The Differences

Paralegals have more to do with the legal aspects of the law profession, while legal secretaries do more administrative work. Paralegals are more involved in court processes and hold more responsibilities since they are highly visible within the law community.

Legal secretaries, on the other hand, play a supportive role through helping with document preparation and other duties. Though they may be present at court proceedings, this has more to do with staying up to date on cases and transcribing them—not to provide input.

Which One Should You Hire?

This really depends on what duties you need help with at your organization. If you’re looking for someone to shoulder more responsibility—like collecting research, conducting interviews, and preparing statements—then hiring a paralegal would be the best choice.

If what you need is organizational and administrative help—such as organizing files, scheduling meetings, and ensuring that the attorneys can focus on their cases without getting bogged down by routine tasks—then you should consider hiring a legal secretary.

Due to the increased responsibilities of paralegals, they do typically receive higher pay than legal secretaries. Keep that in mind as you budget for which position to hire.

Hire for Legal Positions with Insight Global

Now that you’ve gained a deeper understanding of both the paralegal and legal secretary professions, you should have a better idea of which one you need to hire. So, it’s time to get to work!

No matter what type of legal professional you’re looking to hire, Insight Global is here to help. We have experience in sourcing, vetting, and hiring these professionals for practices and firms across the U.S. Contact us today to get started!