Reasons to Earn a Legal Administrative Assistant Diploma:
If you have an interest in the law and are interested in working in the field then consider earning a Legal Administrative Assistant diploma. It prepares the graduate to work in law offices, government offices, legal aid associations or legal offices of corporations as an assistant to legal professionals. As a bonus, some institutions allow students to take courses in different law specialties such as wills or personal injury. Taking courses such as these will increase your marketability upon graduation or allow you to customize your diploma to suit your interests and career goals. A diploma as a legal administrative assistant is a great start point in becoming a paralegal or even a lawyer.
Career Possibilities
Graduates with a diploma as a legal administrative Assistant may find work as legal secretaries or administrative assistants.
Occupational Outlook
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), www.bls.gov, job prospects for administrative assistants, including legal administrative assistants, is not good. Job opportunities are only expected to increase about 8% during the period 2004-2014. Poor job prospects are due to an increase in office automation and a trend requiring paralegals to do administrative jobs.
Salary Information
BLS reports that legal administrative assistants earned $36,720 in May 2004. The Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development cited that legal secretaries or legal administrative assistants earned $20.43 per hour. But how much one earns depends on duties, experience, responsibility level and education. Having a diploma translates into higher salaries.
Courses offered
The basic courses required for a legal administrative assistant include:
- Business writing
- Business Law
- Accounting
- MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)
- Communications (written and verbal)
- Desktop Publishing
- Legal transcription and terminology
- Computer Applications for the law office
- Practicum (work placement)
The basic courses required for a legal administrative assistant include:
The skills obtained from earning a legal administrative assistant diploma will teach students how to work quickly, professionally, and accurately. Students will learn how to prepare letters, presentations, and also how to use the latest transcription equipment.
- Document preparation (legal)
- Billing skills
- Accounting (accounts receivable/payable) skills
- Organizational skills
- Keyboarding skills
- Ability to use transcribing equipment and transcribe documents
- Legal computer software proficiency
