| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Legal and Compliance |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Legal Officer |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | Fresher or up to 3 years in office or legal support |
Legal Assistant job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Legal Assistant
Department: Legal and Compliance
Reports to: Legal Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Legal Assistant supports lawyers with documents, filing, scheduling and coordination so they can focus on the legal work. The role reports to the Legal Officer or Legal Manager. A good legal assistant keeps documents and files in perfect order, prepares and formats legal papers accurately, tracks dates and schedules so nothing is missed, coordinates with courts, clients and vendors, handles legal correspondence, and takes the administrative load off the lawyers so the legal team runs smoothly and never loses a document or a deadline.
Key responsibilities
- Prepare, format and proofread legal documents, agreements and letters.
- Maintain and organise legal files, both physical and digital, in order.
- Track hearing dates, deadlines and appointments for the legal team.
- Coordinate with courts, clients, advocates and vendors on documents and dates.
- Handle legal correspondence, couriers and document dispatch for the team.
- Arrange stamping, notarisation, printing and binding of documents as needed.
- Maintain trackers for matters, contracts and pending tasks for the team.
- Schedule meetings and manage calendars for the lawyers in the team.
- Retrieve documents and records quickly when the team needs them.
- Support billing and expense records for the legal team.
Requirements
- Graduate in any stream, a law diploma an advantage
- Strong computer and document skills
- Good written and spoken communication
- Fresher or up to 3 years in office or legal support
KRAs and KPIs for a Legal Assistant
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Document turnaround | Documents prepared and formatted within the agreed time above target |
| File order | Legal files kept organised and retrievable above the agreed level |
| Date tracking | Deadlines and appointments tracked with no misses |
| Coordination | Court, client and vendor coordination completed on time |
| Accuracy | Formatting and clerical errors in documents kept below target |
| Support | Lawyer support requests handled within the agreed turnaround |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: MS Office, Document management systems, Matter trackers, Scanner and printer, Calendar and email tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Paralegal, Legal Officer, Legal Executive
Interview questions for a Legal Assistant
- How do you keep legal files organised so any document can be found fast?
- How do you track hearing dates and deadlines for a busy team?
- How do you proofread a legal document for errors?
- How do you coordinate stamping and notarisation of documents?
- How do you manage requests from several lawyers at once?
- Why do you want to work in a legal support role?
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What does a Legal Assistant do?
A Legal Assistant supports lawyers with documents, filing, scheduling and coordination. They prepare and format legal papers, keep files in order, track dates and deadlines, coordinate with courts and clients, and handle correspondence. They take the administrative load off the lawyers so the legal team runs smoothly.
What is the difference between a Legal Assistant and a Paralegal?
A Legal Assistant focuses on administrative and document support: formatting, filing, scheduling and coordination. A Paralegal does more substantive legal support such as research, drafting basic documents and case preparation. The assistant keeps the office running; the paralegal helps with the legal work itself.
What qualifications does a Legal Assistant need?
Most roles ask for a graduate degree, with a law diploma an advantage, and strong computer and document skills. Employers value organisation, accuracy and reliability, plus good communication, since the assistant coordinates with courts, clients and lawyers and cannot afford to lose a document or a date.