Legal Secretary Resume Examples & Templates

Nilda Melissa Diaz, CPRW
By Nilda Melissa Diaz, CPRW, Career Advice Expert Last Updated: December 29, 2022
  • 30% higher chance of getting a job‡
  • 42% higher response rate from recruiters‡

Don’t let your job search get the best of you. With a stellar resume, you’ll put your best foot forward and walk right into the legal secretary position you’ve been looking for. Your resume is the first impression of how you present yourself to others, so use it to highlight your ability to work with clients and attorneys in a fast-paced legal office. Take note: Certain knowledge and skills are expected from a legal secretary. Emphasize your efficiency, ability to manage a tight schedule, and understanding of policies and procedures. The key to making your resume stand out is an organized resume that includes easily accessed information about your skills that are pertinent to the job. Use our legal secretary resume samples as a guide to assist you in writing a resume that will get positive attention from any employer.

  A top-notch Legal Secretary resume must be accompanied by an equally smashing cover letter. Our Legal Secretary cover letter sample shows you how to write one, quickly and easily.

Legal secretary Resume Questions

1. What goes in the header of a legal secretary resume?

Recruiters spend very little time with each document that crosses their desks, making the first 15 to 20 words the most important. This means you have to get some of your best information into the first third of your document.

Begin the header with your contact information: name, phone number, email address, and website, if you have one. Follow this with a professional summary statement (if you have experience) or an objective statement (if you're just starting out). Check out our legal secretary resume sample for more information.

2. What sections should you include in your legal secretary resume?
There are many job positions in the legal secretary industry, but whether you're applying for a position with a court reporter or judge, the sections will be very similar. After listing your name and contact details, you'll include the professional summary statement or objective statement. The next section should show your professional skills or qualifications.

Your work experience section is next and should contain examples of accomplishments. Avoid creating a list of duties with supporting figures that show your value as an employee. Complete the document with a concise education section. Use our legal secretary resume sample as an excellent example and check out our resume builder tools for help to create a resume in minutes.

3. How do you list references on a legal secretary resume?

As you read through each legal secretary resume sample, you'll notice that references are not included. You have very limited space in this document and should put it to use showing off the skills and accomplishments that make you a promising job applicant. Prepare your references on a separate page so you can hand it to the hiring personnel during an interview.

4. What is the best design for a legal secretary resume?

The best design for your personal document is straightforward and based on a time-tested resume format. One reason for this is that many employers use an Applicant Tracking System. This software filters out applicants who don't have necessary qualifications. However, the ATS will also filter out any applications with spelling errors, formatting that is unusual, and content without the right keywords.

With this in mind, choose a chronological resume or functional resume format. We have a legal secretary resume sample for each of these. The chronological format is most common and lists work history in reverse chronological order. A functional format focuses on skills and accomplishments rather than work history.

5. What do you put on a legal secretary resume for your first job?

As with all resumes, you should stick to a layout that is easy to read with a lot of open space. Add your contact information and a link to a professional profile, even if this is your first job experience. Opt for an objective statement that focuses equally on clear goals and your selling points. If you've recently finished your schooling, you may make references to academic achievements, such as making the dean's list or graduating with honors.

If you don't have much to include in your work experience section, you could position your education before your work history and beef up your document with skills and achievements that are relevant to the position you hope to obtain. Our legal secretary resume sample is an excellent guide.

Resume Text

Janine Hartman

123 Fake Street City,
State, Zip Code Cell: 000-000-0000
email@email.com

Summary
Flexible Legal Secretary skilled at conducting efficient and organized secretarial duties in a fast-paced legal environment. Adept at preparing and organizing correspondences, overseeing and managing scheduling, and processing records. Specialize in data entry and retrieval for case processing.  

Highlights

  • Document preparation
  • Record organization and processing
  • Correspondence and communication
  • Scheduling
  • Data entry
  • Procedural compliance
  • Organized

Work Experience

October 2009 to January 2015
Company Name--City, State
Legal Secretary

  • Reviewed case documents and case citations, assessed documentation for specific projects
  • Prepared pleadings, briefs, and depositions for legal counsel
  • Coordinated with legal counsel, opposing counsel, court personnel, hearing personnel and other legal parties to manage and update scheduling

July 2004 to September 2009
Company Name--City, State
Legal Secretary

  • Drafted, revised, and delivered legal correspondence, monitored incoming mail, email and telephone messages
  • Prepared and dispersed monthly expense reports, review reports and coordinated with counsel
  • Maintained and monitored scheduling, made schedule adjustments and updated attorneys to ensure preparation

June 2000 to May 2004
Company Name--City, State
Legal Secretary

  • Coordinated with legal counsel to determine scheduling and organize documentation
  • Managed legal correspondence, coordinated with clients and communicated with counsel to optimize case preparation
  • Entered case information into internal database, manage and organized database, retrieved information and data when necessary

Education
1999 Texas Central College
AAS in Administrative Assistance

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