A Day in the Life of a Legal Secretary

January 31, 2024

 I finish off getting ready and leave my house. As I support the general office as well as my team, I work from the office every day.

Arrive at the office. I check my emails and add any tasks that I have been sent to my to-do list in my notebook, I also flag the email so I can find it easily as my inbox fills up very quickly. I find that I can organise myself far more effectively with a physical list of things to do on paper rather than everything being online. If I feel like I have extra capacity, I email my team to ask if there is anything additional I can help with. 

I prioritise my tasks for the day and get started. I currently mainly support the Litigation department where I draft court forms, assist in preparing bundles, make courtesy calls, and complete payment request forms with clients. I carry out lots of office admin tasks such as scanning, printing, filing, and preparing letters for both my team and the general office. 

I greet the clients who come into the office and scan any documents they have brought in to upload to our systems, check and verify their identification and answer any queries they may have, ensuring they are happy with our service. I have a list of file closures from across the business that I work on when I feel like I have the capacity to do so.

This task can sometimes take me a while if I am not aware of the facts of the particular matter as I have to read the correspondence to understand what exactly has happened and when. This has allowed me to have a better understanding of practice as I look at the files in detail. I have found that particularly within the Commercial department I have learnt the jargon, acronyms and the names of certain documents and what they mean, just by doing this task.  

 I do lots of file openings where I create the matter and draft the Company Care Letter and Terms of Business to send to the client. If the fee earner requests a meeting with the client to be set up, I will arrange it in the same email. 

As a legal assistant, I carry out research tasks for my team to save them time and to expand my knowledge. I have recently written an article for Bradley Haynes Law’s website which was then shared on social media. This gave me great experience and followed with networking opportunities on LinkedIn

 I shadow a member of my team during a client meeting and take attendance notes. This has allowed me to get a deeper understanding of both the theoretical and practical sides of working in a legal environment. I have also been able to improve my note-taking skills.

 I make a few calls to collect some quotes for the business to enhance its services and pass on the information to the relevant team members. Towards the end of the day, I raise any invoices that can be billed and liaise with the finance team.  

I tidy up my desk ready for the following day and ensure any files that I have used are put away safely. I shut down my computer, say goodbye to my colleagues and head home.