Legal secretary: Georgina Naruses
A legal secretary plays a crucial role in a legal office or law firm, providing essential administrative assistance that ensures the smooth operation of legal practices.By handling a variety of tasks, legal secretaries enable attorneys and other legal professionals to focus on their core responsibilities.
Georgina Naruses exemplifies the role of a legal secretary with her daily responsibilities, which include answering and directing phone calls, organising schedules and calendars and managing documents and files.
Her tasks also involve greeting and welcoming clients and guests, maintaining and procuring office supplies and scheduling meetings and conferences.
"It was important for me to learn about the environment and see if it was right for me before I fully committed," Naruses explained, highlighting her journey to determine if the legal field was a good fit before pursuing a full law degree.
Skills and training
Legal secretaries must be well-versed in legal procedures, terminology and documentation. Due to the demanding nature of lawyers' schedules and the time-sensitive nature of legal work, multitasking and the ability to quickly absorb and understand information are vital skills. Georgina's role requires her to be efficient and organised, ensuring that everything in the office runs seamlessly.
In addition to on-the-job training, having an administrative diploma or certificate can be highly beneficial for a legal secretary. These qualifications provide foundational knowledge and skills that are directly applicable to the legal environment, making it easier to handle the complex and varied tasks that the job entails.
Naruses's background in administration has equipped her with the necessary tools to excel in her role, contributing significantly to the efficiency and effectiveness of her legal practice.
The role of a legal secretary is integral to the success of any legal practice. Professionals like Naruses play a key part in maintaining the order and efficiency of legal operations, allowing lawyers to focus on their primary tasks and deliver top-notch legal services to their clients.