An Overview of What A Legal Assistant Does
The legal assistant occupation involves a multitude of tasks, all meant to assist lawyers in the preparation for court cases. The attorney may consult with clients, witnesses, and other parties involved in a case, and with that, they must have detailed notes and records. Legal assistants are responsible for making sure all of these important records are available and organized in a way that will allow the attorney to do their job well .
The following list are some of the daily duties performed by legal assistants: A legal assistant, or paralegal as it is also referred to, may obtain their job through an opportunity with a private law firm or with the legal department of a business. A legal assistant does not need a law license, but rather functions as a legal aide. An individual who has a deep interest in law may find a legal assistant role to be a good entry level position in the field, and use it to further their studies of law.
Essential Abilities for Legal Assistants
In order to become a successful legal assistant, some specific skills and qualifications are required. While the actual requirements can vary from one employer to another, there are certain skills that are almost universally regarded as essential for legal assistants. For example, all legal assistants should and must have excellent written and oral communication skills. Legal assistants also need to be able to pay close attention to detail, work well with others, and communicate effectively and professionally with a diverse range of people. An aptitude for critical thinking, as well as experience with databases and spreadsheets, is also important in many cases.
In the Bay Area, some employers value the following in a legal assistant: A legal assistant with a strong history of experience with document management systems may also be highly coveted in the Bay Area right now. In addition, legal assistants working in emerging practice areas such as data privacy, e-discovery, and information security have an opportunity to create a strong career for themselves in San Francisco. With regard to education, employers routinely prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree, but those with an associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies or a closely related field and with sufficient training and relevant experience may be considered.
Required Education and Certification
When it comes to education and certification, legal assistants in the San Francisco area will find that requirements for a job in a law office are high, but very attainable with the right training. There are no specific licensure requirements for legal assistants the way there are for paralegals. A degree in paralegal studies is recommended, however, for those who plan to work in a law office. Most often, a paralegal degree will be obtained as a two-year associates degree through a community college program.
Certification is also not required in the state of California or the San Francisco area, however, obtaining certification through the National Association of Legal Assistants will give you an edge over the competition and let employers know you take your profession seriously. The procedure for earning certification requires you to take the certification exam (either the PACE test or the PACE Specialist testing program) and pass, and then maintain CE credits of 50 every two years.
Latest Trends in the Legal Assistant Job Market in San Francisco
Despite recent volatility in the tech industry, the San Francisco legal assistant market remains stable and lucrative. According to a Robert Half survey on salary data across the U.S., even administrative assistants to top executives in San Francisco earn around $95,000 annually. Legal assistants with highly coveted skills—including e-discovery, trial support, and corporate paraprofessional—are in high demand even in this tech-heavy climate. Salaries can vary, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reporting that the average legal assistant in San Francisco makes about $76,000.
Overall, the expansion of industries, particularly with respect to healthcare and technology, in the last decade has contributed to a growing demand for legal professionals in the Bay Area. More firms are opening up across the region (according to the State Bar of California, there were 100 new law firms in 2015).
Since 2011, the overall employment rate of legal assistants has increased 13%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Combined with the average unemployment rate of 2%, this means that legal assistants have significantly higher employment rates than other professions. There are multiple opportunities for newcomers.
Leading Law Firms in San Francisco That Are Hiring
Below is a list of prominent law firms often hiring legal assistants in the San Francisco area, and a description of what these firms typically seek in candidates.
Latham & Watkins LLP
Much of Latham & Watkins’ practice as a whole is situated in the Greater Los Angeles Area, but as they have numerous offices in California outside L.A., including in San Francisco as well, it is important to keep an eye on this firm. They consistently hire for most positions as well as for all levels of attorneys and legal staff. Like most law firms, Latham & Watkins prefers to hire legal assistants who have a college degree and relevant work experience for those positions. As a top international firm, they also prefer to hire fluent speakers of languages other than English because it helps them to better serve their diverse clientele.
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a major player among the large and prestigious top law firms hiring in San Francisco. They typically hire legal assistants with at least two years of experience in a law firm, law department, or related environment . They hire for areas outside of the Bay Area, but the fact that they have an operations center in San Francisco means they do almost all hiring for Northern California through this office. Also like most large law firms, their staff recruiting coordinators are in charge of handling outreach to applicants and submission of applications and resumes. The firm also has a preference for paralegals who hold a certificate from an NALA-approved program.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is one of the largest law firms in the United States and among the world’s largest, with numerous offices around the world. Like many of the top law firms hiring in San Francisco, Morgan, Lewis has numerous open positions almost all the time, and in addition to legal assistants, they hire paralegals, technology specialists, and various administrative assistants. They prioritize both legal assistants with legal backgrounds, as well as those who have experience in data analytics or technology. Working at this firm may be a great option for legal assistants with legal experience but no college degree or those with technology experience but no legal experience.
Networking and Continuing Legal Education
The legal assistant profession is one that thrives on connection and expansion. Much of the work these dedicated professionals do is collaborative — providing value to their law firms and legal departments while helping individual attorneys and office professionals grow and learn from each other every day. In the Bay Area, there are a number of organizations and events that facilitate this important work. Now that you understand what legal assistants do, how can you bring value in your first role in the area?
Leverage opportunities to work with and learn from others. Networking opportunities abound when you join the San Francisco Legal Assistants Association — also known as SFLAA. As the home of the Certified Legal Assistant certification exam, the SFLAA is a long-running professional organization dedicated to advancing the profession through excellence and professionalism. By joining the SFLAA, you can gain access to lots of exciting networking opportunities, including events with guest ancillary speakers, holiday parties, social lunches, and more. Additionally, SFLAA members receive access to the quarterly Journal of Legal Assistants, featuring tips, insights and advice on a range of issues related to the profession. There are a ton of other organizations in the Bay Area that focus on legal and related services as well, including:
Keeping up with professional development can certainly help you further your legal assistant career while actively contributing to the legal community at the same time. And performing this duty doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming: Connecting with like-minded legal professionals, such as those aforementioned, can be a good way to establish yourself quickly. At the same time, you can learn a great deal from others who know the ropes better than you.
Career Advancement Opportunities for Legal Assistants
As with paralegals, the path to advancement for many legal assistants involves obtaining further education and certifications. There are many programs offered through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), such as Certified Legal Assistant, and post-baccalaureate certificates in paralegal studies, that can enhance their employment opportunities and earning potential. Legal assistants are more likely to advance into paralegal careers than they are to become lawyers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which notes that in some cases legal assistants take on many of the tasks assigned to entry-level attorneys , provided that they are fully supervised by a licensed attorney.
Some legal assistants move into the managerial roles of practice administrator or manager of legal support. In these positions, they oversee the administrative functions of the law firm, including keeping schedules, managing caseloads and tracking fees. Legal assistant managers may work in-house or specialize and offer their services on a subcontract basis to several law firms. Depending on the size of the firm, legal assistant managers may supervise and delegate work to other legal assistants, paralegals and support staff.