Understanding Different Legal Support Roles: Which One is Right for You?

Law is not a one-man show. The legal field involves a wide range of professionals who play significant roles in ensuring the efficient delivery of services. Think of Legal Secretaries, for instance, or Document Production Specialists. All of these jobs in law are integral to the provision of legal services. If you want to join the ranks of the legal support staff, knowing these roles is vital for you in order to help define how you would like to shape your career.

Legal Support Roles

1. Legal Secretary

Primary Duties:

• Overseeing lawyers’ schedules and making appointments on their behalf
• Preparation of legal documents and relevant letters
• Performing general office administration such as case filing and organisation

Ideal for: A neat person who can work under pressure and possesses exceptional communication and administrative skills.

2. Paralegal

Primary Duties:

• Compiling and summarising legal research documents for cases
• Preparing and assisting in the preparation of legal documents, including contracts and affidavits
• Accompanying legal representatives in trials and hearings

Ideal for: For people who have a keen eye for detail, who enjoy and can review a legal process.

3. Document Production Specialist

Primary Duties:

• Ability to prepare and edit legal documents alongside their legal formatting codes
• Reliable documentation by ensuring consistency with the content
• Managing document control in terms of revised versions

Ideal for: People whose work is of high quality when viewing and managing documents due to their strong technical abilities.

4. Legal Proofreader

Primary Duties:

• Critically evaluating legal documents for language, syntax, and factual mistakes
• Adhering to/Layout requirements - compliance with legal formatting rules
• Giving the go-ahead for documents to be sent out or enclosed for safekeeping

Ideal for: Those with very keen and sharp eyes suited for the role incredibly well for written communication.

5. Virtual Legal PA (Personal Assistant)

Primary Duties:

• Enabling/Facilitating remote administrative task roles succession for lawyers.
• Maintaining and organising appointments, bookings, and communication wire.
• Connecting and collaborating with customers as well as other legal professionals remotely.

Ideal for: Computer users and, in particular, people who need liberal working hours and can work alone.

How to Choose the Right Legal Support Role for You

Choosing the right legal support role is more than just matching your skills to a job description—it’s about understanding your strengths, passions, and long-term career goals. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make an informed decision:

1. Assess Your Skills and Strengths

Start by identifying what you’re naturally good at.

• Are you highly organized and thrive in managing schedules? Consider roles like Legal Secretary or Virtual Legal PA.
• Do you love research and drafting documents? A Paralegal or Document Production Specialist role could be your calling.
• Is your attention to detail unmatched? You might excel as a Legal Proofreader.

Tip: Make a list of your top skills and match them to the key responsibilities of each role.

2. Understand Your Work Style Preferences

• Do you prefer a structured routine and clear daily tasks? Legal Secretary roles might suit you best.
• Are you comfortable working remotely with independence? Explore opportunities as a Virtual Legal PA.
• Do you enjoy diving deep into legal research? A Paralegal role might offer the challenge you’re looking for.

Knowing whether you prefer collaborative team environments or independent tasks will help narrow down your options.

3. Explore Career Growth Opportunities

Each legal support role offers different paths for growth:

• Legal Secretaries can progress to Executive Assistants or specialize in high-profile legal sectors.
• Paralegals often gain experience and move towards Legal Executive positions.
• Document Specialists and Proofreaders can advance into Document Management Leadership roles.

Think about where you see yourself in five or ten years and choose a role that aligns with your vision.

4. Consider Your Interests in Legal Practice Areas

The legal industry is vast, covering fields like corporate law, family law, intellectual property, and more. Certain legal support roles are more prominent in specific areas. For example:

• Paralegals often specialize in litigation or corporate law.
• Document Specialists are crucial in contract-heavy practices.

If you’re passionate about a particular legal sector, factor that into your decision.

5. Seek Professional Guidance

Sometimes, the best way to find your path is with expert advice. Recruitment agencies like Owen Reed specialize in matching candidates with the right legal support roles. They’ll assess your skills, experience, and career aspirations to guide you toward a role where you can thrive.

6. Try Temporary or Contract Roles

If you're still unsure, consider starting with a temporary or contract legal support role. It’s a great way to gain hands-on experience, test your fit in different positions, and discover what truly excites you.

Begin Your Legal Career in Collaboration with Owen Reed

At Owen Reed, we specialise in linking up self-driven and ambitious lawyers and paralegals to the top law firms in the UK. We do not just focus on filling up vacancies; rather, we try to match the prospective employees’ aspirations, skills, and values to their partner firms’ needs and culture. This way, both employers are served with the right candidates, and employees are placed in the right positions where they can utilise and enhance their skills.

We know that entering a legal support career is not a very easy task, especially in a competitive environment. So, our team adopts a more personal touch to the recruitment process and provides expert assistance, help, and options throughout the process. If you wish to be a legal secretary, paralegal, virtual PA, or document producer or specialise in proofreading, Owen Reed can help you relocate to your new dream job.

Start your career with Owen Reed, and let us guide you to a happy and successful future in the legal support industry. Everyone has a right to dream, and everyone’s dreams deserve the right platform, and we are here to put you on that platform.