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LawCrossing reports 3,462 Legal Secretary Jobs, Drowning Rumors of the Profession Dying
July 09, 2013
LawCrossing reports 3,462 Legal secretary jobs at a time when news reports claim the job market for legal secretaries in dwindling and they are struggling to find new opportunities. With law firms slashing down their workforce, cutbacks in the legal business aren't just falling on lawyers. Legal secretary jobs have also been challenged. Yet, LawCrossing finds 106 active legal secretary jobs in Los Angeles, 181 in New York City, 130 in Washington, 160 in Chicago and 87 in Huston this quarter. Results are showing that though firms are ushering in a new generation of lawyers capable of conducting business by email and typing their own briefs, there are certain administrative and clerical jobs for which lawyers still depend greatly on legal secretaries. As per the ADP's proprietary private payrolls jobs report, professional/ business services jobs having grown by 40,000 in June 2013. This shows hope in the future for acceleration in legal secretary jobs too. Harrison Barnes, Chief Executive Officer at LawCrossing says, "A number of legal trends observed this year, are forcing law firms to re-evaluate their market position and strategic approach to retain their market share. This is making law firm perform selective hiring to play to their strengths and help guide targeted profitable growth. Law firms are taking cautious steps while hiring legal staff, which includes legal secretaries, given the 'Obamacare law' too. Yet this does not mean that there aren't legal secretary jobs out there." The budgets of most legal clients are flat or shrinking. This is forcing them to become more cost-conscious and selective about the law firms they hire. With due respect "law firms continue to be cautious about bringing in more lawyers than they can confidently keep busy," affirms National Association for Law Placement (NALP). This has spurred hiring of capable legal assistants and secretaries, who can do almost all the work lawyers can, at a lesser pay than that quoted by mid-level and senior lawyers. In fact, this also means that in future "legal secretaries will take on a heavier workload," informs Lee Glick, Legal Secretary who has worked at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, in New York for more than 25 years and still does. According to Allison Friend, Chief Human Resource Officer at Blank Rome LLP , "We are in an environment where there is a lot of pressure on staffing levels." This has resulted in giving an overhaul to the secretarial model in most firms, pushing fewer secretaries to handle greater loads of work. "But, legal secretary jobs," Barnes concludes, "are certainly not dying." About LawCrossing: LawCrossing is an affiliate of Employment Research Institute, a powerful and comprehensive organization dedicated to help professionals, as well as first timers, finds jobs that will enhance their careers. LawCrossing consolidates every legal job opening it can find in one convenient location. LawCrossing has been on the Inc. 500 twice. The website also offers a three-day free trial to new members. CONTACT: Andrew Ostler LawCrossing 626-243-1801 aostler@er.org https://www.lawcrossing.com
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