Hiring guide · Business & Office
How to Hire a Legal Secretary
Pay benchmarks, qualifications, sourcing, screening and interview questions for hiring legal secretaries, plus a plan to get them productive fast.
Write a clear job description, offer competitive pay (the national median is $55,570), recruit through community college business programs and career centers, verify ALS where applicable, run a structured interview with a practical skills check, and onboard with a 30-60-90 day plan.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
The hiring market for legal secretaries
There are about 157,600 legal secretaries employed in the U.S., with roughly 18,100 openings each year. Employment is projected to change -5.2% from 2025–35 (a projected decline). Most openings come from replacing workers who retire or change careers, so a steady pipeline matters.
Pay benchmarks for offers
| Candidate level | Annual | Hourly* |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th–25th percentile) | $36,500–$44,450 | $17.55–$21.37 |
| Typical / mid-career (median) | $55,570 | $26.72 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $71,970 | $34.60 |
| Top of market (90th percentile) | $91,730 | $44.10 |
*Annual ÷ 2,080 hours except median. National BLS data; adjust for your state and metro area. Many states and cities now require pay ranges in job postings.
What to look for
Must-haves
- High school diploma or equivalent (typical entry level)
- Legal document formatting
- Accuracy
Nice-to-haves
- ALS
- PLS
- Legal secretary certificate
- Experience with microsoft Word
Where to find legal secretaries
- Community college business programs and career centers
- Professional associations (such as SHRM, PMI and state CPA societies)
- LinkedIn and niche job boards
- Internal promotion from front-line roles
- Job postings that use common alternate titles: Legal Administrative Assistant, Legal Assistant, Litigation Secretary, Law Firm Secretary
Screening checklist
- A skills assessment (Excel, writing or role software)
- Credential verification (CPA, PMP, SHRM-CP, paralegal certificate)
- Reference checks focused on reliability and accuracy
- A structured interview with a short work sample
Follow federal, state and local rules on background checks, drug testing and fair-chance hiring, and apply screening consistently to all candidates for the role.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions and score answers on a structured scorecard.
1. “Describe legal experience.”
What a strong answer includes: Share.
2. “How do you track deadlines?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
3. “How fast do you type?”
What a strong answer includes: Share.
4. “What software do you know?”
What a strong answer includes: List.
5. “How do you handle pressure?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
Practical skills checks
A short demonstration beats a perfect resume. Ask candidates to talk you through, or perform under supervision, tasks such as:
- Calendar a Court Deadline Correctly (see the steps)
- E-File a Document with the Court (see the steps)
- Prepare Exhibits for a Hearing (see the steps)
Red flags
- Can’t describe basic safety practices for the role
- Vague or inconsistent work history with no explanation
- Unfamiliar with core terms such as Docket, E-filing, Pleading
- Negative talk about every past employer or coworker
Onboard for retention
The first 90 days decide whether a new hire stays. Use our Legal Secretary 30-60-90 day onboarding plan and give every new hire the same foundation with Legal Secretary training. Show them the path forward: Legal Secretary → Senior Legal Secretary → Paralegal → Office Manager.
Hiring legal secretaries: FAQ
How much should I pay a legal secretary?
The U.S. median wage for legal secretaries is $55,570 per year ($26.72/hour), according to BLS May 2025 data. Entry-level offers often fall near the 25th percentile ($44,450), while experienced hires command closer to the 75th percentile ($71,970). Adjust for your local market.
What qualifications should a legal secretary have?
BLS lists “high school diploma or equivalent” as the typical entry-level education. Look for ALS and PLS where relevant, plus skills such as legal document formatting, court e-filing, and docketing.
How long does it take to train a new legal secretary?
Becoming qualified typically takes Several months on the job. After hire, plan for a structured 30-60-90 day onboarding period; BLS classifies on-the-job training for this occupation as “moderate-term on-the-job training.”