What Does a Legal Receptionist Do?
Legal receptionists are receptionists that work in a law firm, and as such, they are required to have a bit more specialized knowledge of the legal industry. Unlike typical receptionists, legal receptionists will be working with confidential information frequently, and they must be able to field legal questions when someone calls in. This may include figuring out whether or not a client has an applicable case to their firm, dealing with rude or impatient clients, or taking payments.
A legal receptionist needs to be extremely professional. As they are the first face that most people will see when coming to the law firm, it’s important that legal receptionists have extensive knowledge of their practice, are welcoming, and are able to put a client at ease. Though no legal education is necessary, legal receptionists will need to know basic laws that apply to their law firm’s field of practice.
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National Average Salary
Legal receptionist salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. Click below to explore salaries by local market.
The average national salary for a Legal Receptionist is:
$43,685
Legal Receptionist Job Descriptions
It’s important to include the right content in your job description when hiring a legal receptionist. The following examples can serve as templates for attracting the best available talent for your team.
Example 1
Without successful legal receptionists, we wouldn’t be able to provide clerical support to law office teams as effectively. One of the most important roles a legal receptionist plays is operating the switchboard, responding to and routing all incoming calls to the law office. You do this by keeping a positive and resourceful attitude in the workplace with strong customer-focused communication. [Your Company Name] is hiring experienced legal receptionists. If you have experience in providing support to office staff, this could be the perfect fit.
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Answer, screen, and transfer all incoming phone calls
- Take and relay messages
- Conference room scheduling, set-up, and clean-up
- Data entry
- Assist with filing
Education and experience
This position requires a high school degree or GED and some experience in a legal or office setting.
Required skills and qualifications
- Professional and courteous with a positive can-do attitude
- Skilled at multitasking
- Can work with minimal guidance and oversight
- Proficient in MS Office Suite applications
- Expertise in typing
Preferred qualifications
- Highly organized
- Self-motivated
- Excellent communication skills
Example 2
A fast-paced legal practice seeks a full-time bilingual (English/Spanish speaking) front-desk receptionist for immediate hire.
Responsibilities and duties
- Manage a voluminous calendar for 3 attorneys
- Update practice management software with all client information and case progress
- Excellent customer service required
- Minimal filing with various Courts
- Providing daily support to attorneys by completing urgent tasks
- Organize confidential documents
- Process client payments
Qualifications and skills
- Fluency in both English and Spanish (conversing, reading, and writing)
- Undergraduate degree, High School, or equivalent experience preferred but not required
- 1-2 years of office experience preferred, willing to provide in-office training
- Solid work history
- Strong interest in helping community
- Microsoft Word and Excel: Intermediate/Advanced proficiency
- Strong attention to detail and customer service
- Strong organization, time management, and prioritization skills
- Ability to learn quickly and adapt easily to changing circumstances
Example 3
Legal Receptionist responsibilities
- Welcoming clients and visitors upon arrival at reception
- Answering, screening, and forwarding phone calls in a professional manner
- Assisting clients and visitors with the location of legal staff
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Observing business etiquette, and maintaining a professional appearance
- Directing the flow of mail, faxes, and deliveries to reach the intended recipients
- Ordering and replenishing office supplies
- Managing the maintenance and repair of office equipment
- Assisting with copying, scanning, faxing, emailing, note-taking, and travel bookings
- Preparing meeting facilities, and arranging refreshments, if required
Requirements
- High school diploma or GED
- Formal qualification in office administration, secretarial work, or related training
- Prior experience as a legal receptionist required
- Familiarity with legal terms, legal documents, and filing
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Extensive experience working with word processing, spreadsheets, printers, copiers, scanners, faxes, appointment scheduling, and call forwarding systems
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
Example 4
We are seeking a full time Legal Assistant/Receptionist to become a part of our team. You will provide overall support to attorney’s business needs. Competitive salary based on experience. (Spanish helpful)
Responsibilities
- Answer phones, take clear concise messages, and provide basic company support
- Manage records, review dockets, familiar with e-filing portal, and update and monitor legal calendars with reminders
- Perform general office duties, with knowledge of office computers and software
- Take memos, maintain, and organize files
- Oversee mail deliveries, packages, and couriers
Qualifications
- Professional, courteous, dependable and punctual
- Proficient in word processing software including MS Office/WP knowledge helpful
- Excellent oral and written communication skills (English mandatory with Spanish helpful)
- Ability to prioritize, multitask, and work independently
- Ability to type quickly and accurately
- Deadline and detail oriented
Candidate Certifications to Look For
- Legal Secretary Certificate. This certificate from Purdue University assists soon-to-be legal secretaries by teaching them to prepare legal summonses, motions, and subpoenas so that lawyers and paralegals can focus on preparing cases. Learn all about legal services and policies. It’s an eight-month long course.
- Legal Secretary Career Diploma. This career diploma offered by Penn Foster will explain interpersonal communication skills, records management, legal terminology, and legal writing.
How to Hire a Legal Receptionist
Consider the following when hiring a legal receptionist:
- Recruiting: Do you have the internal resources and tools to source and recruit for this role successfully?
- Complexity: Do you need a senior professional, or will mid, or even junior-level skills suffice?
- Duration: Is this a one-time project, or an indefinite need?
- Management: Can you effectively direct the work effort?
- Urgency: Are there any deadlines associated with this need?
- Headcount: Do you have the budget and approval for an internal employee, or should you consider alternate options?
Answering these questions will help determine the best course of action for your current hiring need. Fortunately, various great options exist for every scenario, no matter how unique. When hiring a legal receptionist, we recommend the following options:
1. Use 4 Corner Resources (or another professional recruiting firm)
The heavy lifting is done for you when working with a top-tier staffing company like 4 Corner Resources. We source, screen, recruit, and deliver only the most qualified candidate(s), saving you significant time and effort throughout the hiring process while you remain focused on your core business. Understanding your needs and ensuring the right candidate for the position is the key to our success.
This is the best route to take when:
- You need to fill the position quickly
- You want access to a vast talent pool of high-quality, prescreened candidates
- Your position is suited for temporary hiring services, contract staffing, or contract-to-hire recruiting, and you intend to direct the work activity.
- You are hiring an employee as a direct placement but aren’t able to recruit effectively or efficiently with your internal staff.
- You aren’t familiar with current salary rates, market trends, and available skill sets
2. Advertise your opening on a top job board
Your best option may be to advertise your opening on a proven job board. There are many widely used job sites out there that draw visits from qualified candidates. If you have someone internally who can dedicate the time and energy to sort through applications and screen individuals effectively, this can be a great choice.
We recommend using a job board when:
- Your internal recruiting team has the knowledge and experience to assess candidate qualifications
- You are hiring a direct employee and have time to manage the entire recruiting effort
- You have a process for receiving, screening, and tracking all resumes and applications
- You are prepared to respond to all applicants
We recommend CareerBuilder for legal receptionist openings:
CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder has been a trusted source for hiring since 1995. Reach 80+ million unique, diverse U.S. job seekers annually by posting your jobs through their talent acquisition channels. Through CareerBuilder, you can engage candidates and drive them into your sourcing pipeline. We recommend using CareerBuilder for hiring when you have the internal resources and processes to review, screen, and reply to all applicants.
3. Leverage your internal resources
You can utilize your own website, social media, and employees to assist in your search for top candidates.
A company website posting should be the first step in notifying prospective candidates that you are hiring. Social media can also be a powerful tool for spreading the word about your new opening. As far as exposure is concerned, this option can be as good as some job boards when you have a large enough following across various platforms, like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.
Current employees are every organization’s greatest asset. Encourage your internal team to promote job openings to their network by offering cash and other incentives.
We recommend these options when:
- Your brand has great name recognition
- You can consistently monitor and respond to candidate activity through your website and social media accounts
- You have a process in place to quickly and broadly communicate job openings and requirements
- You have an effective employee referral program in place
If you aren’t sure which path is best, schedule a discovery call today with our seasoned recruiting professionals. The 4 Corner team is on standby to help you find the best option for your unique hiring need.
Sample Interview Questions
- Describe your experience with various legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, contracts, etc.
- How have you used technology to streamline administrative tasks? What software programs do you know?
- What do you do to be sure all documents are properly formatted, filed, and organized, as well as that deadlines are met?
- How do you handle unexpected changes or last-minute requests when managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously?
- In your opinion, what skills or attributes are most important for success as a legal secretary, and how do you cultivate them?
- What strategies do you use to maintain positive relationships with clients, other law firms, and court personnel?
- How did you approach a particularly challenging project or assignment you have worked on?
- How do you ensure that all parties are aware of important dates and deadlines when calendaring and scheduling?
- As a legal secretary, how do you uphold confidentiality and ethical standards?