Snapshot of a Legal Administrator
Essential Legal Administrator Job Duties Explained
Legal administrators serve as the nexus between the personnel, finance, and technology areas of a law office. As such, they play a critical role in facilitating the functioning of every department. Specific responsibilities vary from one position to another, based on the size and type of law firm or legal department. However, all legal administrator job duties generally include the following:
Human Resources: The LA oversees the hiring of new staff, whether attorneys, paralegals, interns, business assistants, or secretaries. This also includes their training, onboarding, payroll, and benefits administration, along with ongoing performance evaluations.
Budgeting: The general budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year is overseen by the LA, who stays up-to-date on the latest legal management issues and trends affecting the overall financial health of the firm. They are also involved in hiring and termination decisions , new office acquisitions, expansion, and office relocations, along with overall physical plant and fleet issues.
Trust Accounting: Legal administrators delegate and directly supervise staff that handles billing and receivables. They also monitor compliance with ABA Rules of Professional Conduct, as well as state bar accounting rules. Many firms bring in outside services to accomplish this.
Information Technology: Legal administrators stay on top of new technologies and partner with other departments to bring new technology into the firm. This includes training staff on new applications and upgrades, stays abreast of new trends and products, and reviews and selects hardware and software packages for the firm.
Office Management: Legal administrators handle all administrative aspects of firm operations and oversee support staff, including paralegals, legal assistants, investigators, and interpreters. They also hire, fire, and train support personnel and support all office services.
What Legal Administrators Do
One of the key tasks of a legal administrator is overseeing the day-to-day business and office operations of the law firm. These professionals will also be responsible for monitoring and regulating billing procedures among the law firm. Helping administrative staff in effectively using their resources, and coordinating schedules, is also vital to a legal administrator’s job duties.
Essential Skills for Legal Administrators
Delivering, as you might imagine, on the essential skills required of each legal administrator is vital. But what exactly are they?
Well, it’s easy to focus on the ‘administrator’ in legal administrator and forget that there are so many other competencies integral to successful fulfilment of the role.
Indeed, a legal administrator must be highly organised, able to work under pressure and able to take instructions in an understandable way to ensure that all tasks are completed quickly and accurately. Further, strong communication skills are a must, as a legal administrator deals with clients and witnesses at all levels and should be able to converse clearly and comfortably with a range of potentially difficult people.
Legal knowledge is naturally required; although the administrator is unlikely to need a deep understanding of the law – unlike a legal secretary who often works more closely with lawyers on specific matters – some familiarity with the core principles of law is certainly desirable.
Being able to demonstrate discretion in every area of the law, including in legal research and record keeping, is also key. As a legal administrator, you may be privy to confidential information which, by your implication of trust, should never be shared with those outside the office, except on a need to know basis.
And as with any administrative role, familiarity or competence with IT systems is integral and will make you all the more employable in the long run, as it is low cost, high value training that any good employer will be quick to spot.
Daily Activities of a Legal Administrator
The life of a legal administrator is never boring, and varies from day to day. As this position is directly responsible for many different functions within a law firm, a legal administrator handles in-house employee issues, office maintenance, vendor management, human resources, client communications, marketing, billing, budgeting, security, and everything in between. While specific duties depend on the overall size of the firm and the amount of staff, these tasks are commonly handled by legal administrators: Scheduling and communication with both clients and third parties is a large part of a legal administrator’s daily responsibilities. This can include meetings and presentations, both in and out of the office. As the point person within the law firm, a legal administrator coordinates events and ensures that everyone shows up well prepared and on time. A legal administrator also maintains both paper and electronic files to ensure that everything is up to date and accessible. A large aspect of a legal administrator’s job is managing other employees. In this capacity, a legal administrator often deals with personnel problems and employee reviews. As a liaison between staff and leadership, a legal administrator is involved in human resources, training, mentoring, and evaluations. In addition, in larger firms, this position is responsible for hiring, firing, and making sure a law office is properly staffed to meet the needs of clients. Managing finances is another aspect of a legal administrator’s job. This includes budgeting, bookkeeping, accounting, compliance, bill processing and a large range of tax issues. A legal administrator updates and maintains the law office’s equipment and supplies ensuring that everything is in good working order. In a smaller firm, this can include managing budgets and forecast for monthly expenses. However, in a larger firm, a legal administrator is often hired to create and coordinate the budget for the entire firm. A legal administrator is also responsible for keeping the office secure and handling all security issues. This includes all record keeping, including alarm codes, passwords, access, and monitoring using electronic surveillance and/or personnel. They liaise with superiors, vendors, service providers, and internal departments to ensure the seamless operation of the firm. In addition to these tasks, legal administrators are also responsible for the management of contracts. legal administrators are the intermediaries between providers and the law office. This includes strategic planning, legal publications, filing, organizing, training and education, overseeing conferences, trade shows, presentations, and exhibitions. A large part of this role is reporting management information and ensuring compliance is met. Another duty of a legal administrator is to assist with account management. As support staff, legal administrators maintain reporting to ensure accuracy, as well as overseeing all day-to-day operational activities. They ensure that all activities are on track, as well as reporting to management on any issues that arise. They also manage special projects, and assist the owners to determine the development of new policies. These Daily Tasks of a legal administrator give you a little insight to the work that they perform and why it is important to hire the right person.
Challenges of Being a Legal Administrator
Despite their critical role, legal administrators are often the unsung heroes of law firms. They manage the backend operations that enable attorneys to focus on their primary responsibility: representing clients to the best of their ability. This crucial role comes with unprecedented challenges that legal administrators must meet and overcome. One of the most significant challenges a legal administrator faces is managing change. Whether it’s a shift in how the firm operates or a significant change in personnel, these professionals are responsible for ensuring smooth transitions. The legal world is also one of the most competitive industries. Legal administrators are expected to keep the firm operating with increasing efficiency, adapting to new technology, and meeting the demands of a growing client base. Those who accomplish this have the potential to rise through the ranks into higher administrative roles or even management positions. On a daily basis, legal administrators must contend with various regulatory and legal changes. Attorneys don’t always have time to research these changes. Legal administrators, however, are charged with knowing the potential implications of these changes and ensuring the firm stays compliant . Compliance isn’t just a matter of knowing what’s legal; it’s also about handling sensitive information. Legal administrators play an essential role in managing client confidentiality. The slightest data breach can be catastrophic, with lasting repercussions for both the firm and its clients. Managing the personal matters of attorneys is also a routine challenge for legal administrators. Scheduling appointments, managing travel, and other demands are an everyday occurrence. They also act as communicators to clients and other legal personnel, and they often have to plan meetings and events that align with everyone’s busy schedules. All the while, legal administrators are responsible for managing the payment of vendors, tracking billable hours, and handling payroll. The ability to multitask and stay organized are crucial to their success. Legal administrators have challenging, but rewarding jobs. The above-noted challenges must be managed carefully to ensure the firm, as well as its lawyers and clients, are not negatively affected. Being aware of these challenges better prepares you to choose and train the perfect administrative candidate for your firm.
Legal Administrators and Client Relationship Management
Managing client relations is a crucial part of a legal administrator’s responsibilities. They act as the primary point of contact for both clients and prospective clients, which requires them to communicate effectively, maintain a professional demeanor, and guide them through the initial stages of their engagement with the firm.
To ensure a smooth working relationship with clients, legal administrators must be proactive in anticipating the client’s needs and responses. They also need to diplomatically resolve any problems clients may encounter with the services provided by the firm.
Maintaining a positive relationship with clients demands regular communication. Legal administrators organize the logistics of in-person meetings or video calls with clients. They are responsible for providing clear instructions on how to access these meetings, ensuring clients know whether they must come to the office or whether remote attendance is possible. They also coordinate the use of video conferencing technologies and make sure that all participants have access to the necessary information before the meeting.
In addition to face-to-face meetings, legal administrators handle communications with clients or prospective clients through e-mail, telephone, or regular mail. To do this, they keep an up-to-date record of all client communications, both on paper and electronically. This system of record keeping allows them to have a complete view of the client’s dealings with the firm for reference when preparing for events such as in-person meetings, video or telephone consultations, and client contact by other team members.
When a client first approaches a legal firm, there is typically much back-and-forth communication required as everyone attempts to clarify the scope of services the client requires. Legal administrators are usually in the best position to effectively process this initial outreach, maintaining a complete record of client communication on the subject. They can then use this information to advise supervisors and colleagues on how to meet the prospective client’s needs.
Legal administrators most often manage client relations after they join the firm. They’re usually the ones putting together the regular meetings between an assigned lawyer and a client, maintaining records and tracking the progress of the client’s file. Clients typically turn to legal administrators when they have questions because they are the liaison between clients and staff members who may not have a complete understanding of the status of the client’s case. They also act as the intermediary when clients have a complaint.
Since legal administrators are responsible for meeting the client’s needs, they have the knowledge and experience required to accurately anticipate those needs. That means that if anything changes, they are the right people to make adjustments to accommodate the client accordingly.
Opportunities for Career Advancement and Professional Development
Legal administrator roles often lay the foundation for much-needed networking connections. An administrative professional can form bonds with attorneys, HR professionals, and clients, leading to an expanded professional reputation within the industry. With enough experience, an administrative professional can step into a higher supervisory role in the firm, such as an office manager. Legal administrators can also lay the groundwork for upward mobility through advanced legal training or certifications. Such legal education broadens horizons , both personally and professionally. Legal administration degree programs provide an overview of legal settings, standards, and procedures, guiding individuals in their employment with a firm. With more opportunities to secure higher-level positions, legal administrators can better provide for their families or establish philanthropic goals, such as education or early retirement.