Legal Secretary CV Example
For legal secretaries providing specialist secretarial and administrative support to solicitors and partners. Demonstrates your legal typing expertise, document production skills, and knowledge of legal procedures.
Recommended template: MinimalPro
Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- Include your typing speed (words per minute) and proficiency with legal transcription equipment.
- Mention the practice areas you have supported and any specialist legal secretary qualifications.
- Highlight your experience with specific case management systems such as iManage, Aderant, or Tikit.
- Demonstrate your ability to work for multiple fee earners simultaneously while maintaining accuracy.
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Upgrade to ProHow to Write Your Legal Secretary CV
A legal secretary CV must demonstrate your specialist secretarial skills, legal knowledge, and ability to support fee earners effectively within a demanding legal environment. Employers need to see that you can produce accurate legal documents at speed, manage administrative tasks efficiently, and maintain confidentiality at all times. Your CV should highlight your typing speed, software proficiency, and experience in specific practice areas.
CV Structure
Use a reverse-chronological format with a profile summarising your experience, typing speed, and key skills. Follow with your career history, qualifications, and a skills section. Each role should describe the practice areas you supported, the number of fee earners you worked with, and the types of documents and tasks you handled. Keep your CV to one or two pages.
CV Format
Choose an elegant, professional template that demonstrates your ability to produce well-formatted documents. Your CV should be impeccably presented with consistent fonts, spacing, and layout, as this serves as a sample of your document production skills. Save as a PDF.
CV Profile Examples
Experienced Legal Secretary
Proficient legal secretary with seven years of experience providing secretarial support to partners and solicitors in commercial property and corporate departments at a leading regional firm. Typing speed of 80 words per minute with excellent audio and copy typing accuracy. Experienced with iManage, Aderant, and the Land Registry Portal. Known for discretion, reliability, and the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple fee earners.
Senior Legal Secretary
Senior legal secretary with ten years of experience supporting up to four fee earners simultaneously in litigation and employment law. Experienced in preparing court bundles, witness statements, and disclosure documents to strict court deadlines. Proficient in Tikit, CE Filing, and Microsoft Office. Line-manages two junior secretaries and coordinates work allocation across the departmental support team.
Junior Legal Secretary
Motivated legal secretary with two years of experience supporting the family law department at a high-street practice. Proficient in typing from audio dictation, preparing court forms, and managing client correspondence. Typing speed of 65 words per minute and currently working towards the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs Advanced Diploma. Committed to developing skills and supporting fee earners to the highest standard.
State your years of experience, the practice areas you have supported, your typing speed, and your proficiency with legal software systems. Mention the number of fee earners you have supported simultaneously and any line management responsibilities.
Key Skills for Your Legal Secretary CV
Legal Document Production
Producing legal documents including contracts, court forms, and correspondence to a high standard of accuracy and professional presentation.
Audio & Copy Typing
Transcribing legal dictation and reproducing manuscript drafts accurately at professional typing speeds using digital dictation equipment.
Case Management Systems
Using legal case management software to manage files, record time, and generate documents efficiently within established workflows.
Court Form Preparation
Completing and filing court forms and applications in accordance with court rules, practice directions, and filing requirements.
Client Liaison
Communicating with clients professionally by telephone and email, providing case updates and arranging appointments on behalf of fee earners.
Billing & Time Recording
Recording fee earner time accurately, preparing client invoices, and processing billing submissions for privately funded and legal aid matters.
Confidentiality
Handling sensitive client information with absolute discretion and in compliance with professional conduct rules and data protection legislation.
Legal Terminology
Understanding and correctly using legal terminology across practice areas, enabling accurate document production and client communication.
Diary Management
Managing complex diaries for multiple fee earners, scheduling hearings, meetings, and deadlines without conflicts.
Work Experience Examples
For each role, describe the firm, the practice areas you supported, and the types of documents and tasks you handled. Include the number of fee earners you supported and any measurable achievements such as accuracy rates, deadline compliance, or awards received. Demonstrate your ability to manage competing priorities in a high-pressure environment.
Legal Secretary — Commercial Property
Chambers & Whitfield LLP
Provided specialist secretarial support to two partners and one associate in the commercial property department of a Top 200 law firm.
Responsibilities
- Typed legal documents, correspondence, and reports from audio dictation and manuscript drafts, maintaining a typing speed of 80 words per minute.
- Prepared completion documents for property transactions including TR1 forms, certificates of title, and completion statements.
- Managed Land Registry applications, search orders, and SDLT returns, ensuring all post-completion steps were completed within required timeframes.
- Coordinated fee earner diaries, arranged client meetings, and managed travel arrangements.
- Maintained the electronic and physical filing system for the department, ensuring all documents were stored in accordance with the firm's records management policy.
Achievements
- Supported the team through a period of record transaction volumes, managing documentation for 120 completions in a single quarter without errors.
- Created a post-completion checklist that was adopted as the department standard, reducing missed deadlines from an average of three per month to zero.
- Received the firm's annual support staff award for outstanding service based on fee earner nominations.
Legal Secretary — Family Law
Harris & Co Solicitors
Provided secretarial support to two solicitors in the family law department, handling divorce, financial remedy, and private children matters.
Responsibilities
- Typed court applications, witness statements, and financial schedules from dictation and templates.
- Filed court documents using CE Filing and managed hearing bundles in accordance with family court practice directions.
- Communicated with clients by telephone and email, providing updates on case progress and appointment arrangements.
- Processed client billing, raised invoices, and maintained accurate time recording for both fee earners.
Achievements
- Managed the preparation of financial disclosure documents for a high-net-worth ancillary relief case that required assembly of over 500 pages of supporting evidence.
- Maintained a 100% accuracy rate for court filing submissions over an 18-month period, with no documents rejected or returned for correction.
Education & Qualifications
List any legal secretary qualifications first, followed by IT certificates and academic qualifications. Include your typing speed and any formal typing or audio transcription certifications. Note any legal courses or CPD activities that demonstrate your continued professional development.
Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs Diploma
A specialist qualification for legal secretaries covering legal procedures, document production, and office management.
Legal Secretary Certificate
A recognised qualification demonstrating competence in legal typing, terminology, and administrative procedures.
Audio Typing Qualification
A certification demonstrating the ability to accurately transcribe audio dictation at professional speeds.
Microsoft Office Specialist
Certification in advanced use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, demonstrating proficiency in the tools used daily in legal practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What typing speed do I need for a legal secretary role?
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