What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the U.S. earn more than $55,570 a year — the middle 80% land between $36,500 and $91,730. About 156,280 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Clerical support workers earn about ₹24,252 a month on average — around ₹2.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$55,570typical pay / year
156,280people in this work
$91,730+top 10% earn
₹2.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Sending & sharing2
Answer phones
+Answer the main legal line, take clear caller details and matter ID, screen for urgency, route emergencies to…
Answer phones
+Answer the main legal line, take clear caller details and matter ID, screen for urgency, route emergencies to Counsel on call, log messages in the intake log, and update the follow-up column before the end of shift.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookESCOjob descriptionsO*NET
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Make travel arrangements for attorneys.
+Book flights and hotel for David Kline for the October 12 deposition, keep travel under the approved per…
Make travel arrangements for attorneys.
+Book flights and hotel for David Kline for the October 12 deposition, keep travel under the approved per diem, block return after the 13th evening, and email the itinerary and expense code to finance and David today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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Keeping the record2
Assist lawyers by filing legal documents
+Receive court filing instructions from Sarah Bates, check the required format and signatures, prepare the…
Assist lawyers by filing legal documents
+Receive court filing instructions from Sarah Bates, check the required format and signatures, prepare the filing papers, create a stamped copy for the file, and deliver originals to the court clerk before Tuesday's filing deadline.
The tools that do the workAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Draft and type office memos
+Draft a two-page office memo summarising the court's new discovery order, cite the relevant paragraphs,…
Draft and type office memos
+Draft a two-page office memo summarising the court's new discovery order, cite the relevant paragraphs, circulate to the litigation team, and save the signed final in the central memos folder.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
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Protecting2
Assist with legal research
+Research whether the district's recent precedent on landlord notice applies to our case, pull the three…
Assist with legal research
+Research whether the district's recent precedent on landlord notice applies to our case, pull the three most-cited opinions, summarise holdings and key quotes, and deliver a two-page memo to Priya by tomorrow noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Assist attorneys in collecting information
+Collect medical records, interview notes, and billing statements for the Rivera matter, index each document…
Assist attorneys in collecting information
+Collect medical records, interview notes, and billing statements for the Rivera matter, index each document by Bates number, flag missing items, and deliver a complete indexed bundle to Attorney Lopez by 3pm.
The tools that do the workAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work14
Perform clerical duties
+File and index the client intake forms, docket the new matter under case 2026-457, update the master contact…
Perform clerical duties
+File and index the client intake forms, docket the new matter under case 2026-457, update the master contact list with counsel and opposing counsel phone numbers, and prepare the standard retainer letter for signature by Friday morning.
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Procedural law
+Draft the procedural timetable for motion deadlines and service dates in the pending discovery dispute, cite…
Procedural law
+Draft the procedural timetable for motion deadlines and service dates in the pending discovery dispute, cite the governing local rules and relevant statutes, circulate the timetable to lead counsel and the litigation paralegal, and request a quick call to confirm next steps by Wednesday afternoon.
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Make photocopies of correspondence and documents
+Photocopy the bundled correspondence, pleadings, and exhibits for case 2024-118, collate by document date,…
Make photocopies of correspondence and documents
+Photocopy the bundled correspondence, pleadings, and exhibits for case 2024-118, collate by document date, stamp each copy Confidential, and deliver three sets to Senior Counsel Emma Harris by 4pm today.
The tools that do the workAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsO*NET
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Schedule and make appointments
+Schedule client intake and follow-up consultations for David Nguyen next week, find two 45-minute slots that…
Schedule and make appointments
+Schedule client intake and follow-up consultations for David Nguyen next week, find two 45-minute slots that avoid court hearings, confirm by phone and email, and add both appointments to the matter diary.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
+Prepare invoices for matters 2024-045 and 2024-089 showing time, disbursements, tax, and payment terms, email…
Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
+Prepare invoices for matters 2024-045 and 2024-089 showing time, disbursements, tax, and payment terms, email the bills to clients with copies to Accounts payable, and track outstanding amounts in the ledger.
The tools that do the workIntuit QuickBooksO*NET
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Locate relevant information for cases
+Search the firm records and public filings for prior rulings on breach of contract between 2018–2023, pull…
Locate relevant information for cases
+Search the firm records and public filings for prior rulings on breach of contract between 2018–2023, pull the key excerpts and citations, assemble a research brief, and send it to Advocate Sara Lim by Tuesday morning.
The tools that do the workA1-LawWikipedia
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Work with modern technology in legal tasks
+Implement e-filing and document automation for the corporate team: convert standard forms to editable…
Work with modern technology in legal tasks
+Implement e-filing and document automation for the corporate team: convert standard forms to editable templates, set version control, train two paralegals on use, and report time-savings estimate to Head of Legal.
The tools that do the workAbacusNext HotDocsWikipedia
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Help prepare appeals or motions
+Draft the appellant's motion skeleton for case 2024-201, pull supporting authorities, prepare exhibit list…
Help prepare appeals or motions
+Draft the appellant's motion skeleton for case 2024-201, pull supporting authorities, prepare exhibit list and index, route the draft to Counsel for review, and file the motion by the court deadline next Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordWikipedia
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Carry out the daily administrative activities of firms
+Handle today's administrative round: reconcile client file indices, update the matter register with new…
Carry out the daily administrative activities of firms
+Handle today's administrative round: reconcile client file indices, update the matter register with new engagements and deadlines, scan and attach incoming correspondence to each matter, and flag overdue invoices for follow-up before close of business today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelAdobe AcrobatESCO
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Write mails
+Draft and send to Opposing Counsel a concise email proposing mediation dates, summarise our position in three…
Write mails
+Draft and send to Opposing Counsel a concise email proposing mediation dates, summarise our position in three bullet points, attach the settlement chronology, and request confirmation by Wednesday so I can prepare the brief for counsel.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordESCO
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Type or keyboard documents
+Produce a clean typed engagement letter for Harper & Co on their new probate matter using the firm template,…
Type or keyboard documents
+Produce a clean typed engagement letter for Harper & Co on their new probate matter using the firm template, insert client name, fee structure and deadline dates, then save signed-ready PDF in the client folder.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordAdobe AcrobatESCO
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Legal terminology
+Prepare a one-page glossary of the key terms for the merger file: SPA, closing conditions, holdback, escrow,…
Legal terminology
+Prepare a one-page glossary of the key terms for the merger file: SPA, closing conditions, holdback, escrow, and indemnity remedies, written in plain language for the CFO and attached to the deal brief by noon tomorrow.
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Legal department processes
+Map the firm's intake-to-file workflow for litigation matters: capture each handoff, required documents,…
Legal department processes
+Map the firm's intake-to-file workflow for litigation matters: capture each handoff, required documents, typical deadlines, and the person responsible, then circulate the workflow draft to the litigation partners for comments by Friday.
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Communicate by telephone
+Call the claimant's office, confirm receipt of our directions, note their available times for witness…
Communicate by telephone
+Call the claimant's office, confirm receipt of our directions, note their available times for witness statements this week, record the contact summary in the matter file and email the client a one-paragraph update after the call.
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Says who?
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Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
The rest of the map
Same library, five ways in.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses