Does your legal secretary resume need a little makeover? Or maybe you're just starting out in this profession and need to write your very first resume? In any case, you're in the right place! 

From file management to scheduling meetings, there are many key responsibilities held by legal secretaries that make employers seek out talented and motivated professionals to fill the position. Follow our guide, packed with best writing tips, resume samples, detailed examples, and sleek templates, and make your resume stand leagues above the competition.

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Legal Secretary Resume Example

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Keep reading to learn how to: 

• Select a resume format that matches your experience level
• Write a compelling resume summary as a legal secretary
• Choose skills that show you are a multi-talented legal secretary 
• Show your strengths as a legal secretary in your work experience section
• Include certifications within your education section
• Access valuable resources for job-seeking legal secretaries

1. Select a resume format that matches your experience level

When writing your resume, the first big decision to make is what format you'll use. Resume formats differ in purpose, with each focusing on a different section or element of the resume. The deciding factor on which format to use often comes down to your experience level. 

The 3 main formatting options and their purposes are as follows:

• Reverse-chronological: The reverse-chronological resume focuses almost entirely on work experience, placing other sections such as education and skills into smaller sections in sidebars or beneath the main work experience section. While this is the standard format expected by most employers, it also requires you to have enough relevant work history to fill out the document. 
• Functional: The functional resume takes the focus off work experience and instead highlights education, skills, and unpaid experience. This resume format is typically used by recent graduates with little to no formal work experience, but have experience gained via academics, volunteer work, and extracurriculars.    
• Hybrid: The hybrid resume combines elements of both of the above formats, spreading the focus of the document more evenly between all sections. This format is well-suited for applicants who have some relevant experience and may be switching career paths or working around large gaps in their employment history. 

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2. Write a compelling resume summary as a legal secretary

Writing a resume summary allows you to provide an employer with the most important details from your resume upfront. This gives you the opportunity to impress them and hook their attention, increasing the likelihood you hear back about an interview. 

Check out this example of a weak summary, followed by a corrected example and explanation:

What's wrong with this example? In this example, the applicant provides very little specificity around their best strengths, areas of expertise, and accomplishments. As you write your resume summary, you should ask yourself what details will help to interest and excite employers.

Why is this better? In this corrected example, the applicant is much more specific regarding their years of experience and specializations. They include the key accomplishment of implementing new software that resulted in an increase in efficiency for multiple firms. The language used is much more engaging, helping the applicant to catch the attention of the reader. 

3. Choose skills that show you are a multi-talented legal secretary 

As a legal secretary, your technical administrative and management skills are highly important. However, it's important to pay attention to your interpersonal abilities as well, as you'll be responsible for a lot of the internal and external communication occurring within a law firm.

With this in mind here are 10 ideas for technical skills and 10 ideas for interpersonal skills that are excellent to include on your resume:

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4. Show your strengths as a legal secretary in your work experience section

When describing your experience gained from past jobs, you want to go beyond simply listing your responsibilities. You should focus on creating a work experience section that highlights your best strengths and any accomplishments you may have achieved. 

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5. Include certifications within your education section

Although having a two- or four-year degree can give you a significant competitive edge, the baseline educational requirement for becoming a legal secretary is a high school diploma or GED. 

No matter what level of education you have, you should always include the name of your certificate or degree, the name of the school or certifying institution, and the date(s) of completion. 

Additionally, if you have completed relevant certification programs outside of your formal education, you should always include these as well. If you have more than 3, you may even want to create a dedicated "Certifications" section. 

6. Valuable job search resources for job-seeking legal secretaries

Venturing into the legal sector can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to job searching. Navigate this fascinating field with more ease using the following online resources:

• Job boards for legal secretaries: There are plenty of websites that specialize in gathering job postings pertaining to legal professions, such as Lawjobs.com, Totally Legal, or ALA’s Job Bank.
• General job search engines: You should also browse through platforms like Glassdoor, SimplyHired, or Indeed to seek out suitable job opportunities. 
• Networking: Many law firms and legal departments use LinkedIn to post job openings for legal secretaries and other legal professionals. You can also utilize LinkedIn's search and networking features to connect with potential employers and explore job opportunities.
• Professional associations: Do you feel that you could use more support? Turn to organizations like the Legal Secretaries, Inc. (LSI), the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), and the Institute of Legal Secretaries (ILSPA) for training programs, networking events, and job listings. 
• Legal publications and journals: Following media like “The Legal Secretary Journal,” and “Legal Assistant Today” can provide legal secretaries with valuable insights into industry trends, case law updates, and best practices. 
• Internal mentorship programs: Some law firms and legal departments offer internal mentorship programs where experienced legal secretaries mentor junior staff members. 

No matter how many job postings you end up responding to, always remember to tailor your legal secretary resume to align as closely as possible with the candidate requirements.