by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Legal Administrative Assistant/Secretary involves the study of Legal Administrative Assistant/secretary. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Serve As Legal Office Managers, Special Assistants, And Legal Secretaries. Includes Instruction In Office Management, Secretarial Science, Principles Of U.s. Or Canadian Law, Legal Terminology And Documentation, Legal Research, Legal Software Applications, Law Office Procedures, Record-Keeping, Billing, Applicable Policies And Regulations, And Professional Standards And Ethics. Read on to learn the essential details every legal administrative assistant/secretary major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering legal administrative assistant/secretary programs.
Nationwide, legal administrative assistant/secretary is a widely-pursued major, with 403 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Legal Administrative Assistant/Secretary Schools ranking analyzes these 47 schools to determine the best overall colleges for legal administrative assistant/secretary students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of legal administrative assistant/secretary programs later in this article.
Studies in Legal Administrative Assistant/Secretary emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations legal administrative assistant/secretary graduates commonly enter.
The skill set developed in a legal administrative assistant/secretary program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a legal administrative assistant/secretary major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several legal administrative assistant/secretary degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 201 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 53 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 149 |
People currently working in careers related to legal administrative assistant/secretary tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 48.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 17.3% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 14.3% |
| Some college courses | 13.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 7% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in legal administrative assistant/secretary careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in legal administrative assistant/secretary prepares you for many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to legal administrative assistant/secretary.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to legal administrative assistant/secretary.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 807,227 | 10.5% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of legal administrative assistant/secretary graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $37,277 |
| 4 years | $37,648 |
| 5 years | $42,965 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for legal administrative assistant/secretary graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers legal administrative assistant/secretary grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $55,524 |
With 47 different legal administrative assistant/secretary programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased legal administrative assistant/secretary school rankings to help you.
Students interested in legal administrative assistant/secretary, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 9,493 |
| Court Reporting and Captioning/Court Reporter | 380 |
| Legal Support Services, Other | 212 |
| Court Interpreter | 2 |
| Scopist | 2 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
