Legal Office Specialist

1. Demonstrate ability to set priorities, organize work, and sequence tasks appropriately, and consistently complete projects on a schedule.
2. Exhibit effective interpersonal skills and professional attitudes by demonstrating the ability to communicate with authority figures and peers; follow work rules and expectations appropriately; maintain confidentiality; and recognize an appropriate business appearance.
3. Exhibit technical competency in keyboarding.
4. Demonstrate competency in creating business and legal documents using Microsoft Word.
5. Demonstrate technical competency by utilizing a wide range of software applications necessary for business office operations.
6. Demonstrate initiative in learning new technology and office procedures and apply these skills accurately in workplace settings. 
7. Demonstrate the ability to express thoughts clearly, concisely, and appropriately in verbal and written format by consistently using correct mechanics, grammar, format, and message approach (direct, indirect).
8. Communicate effectively with remote technology and recognize appropriate behaviors for virtual meetings.
9. Demonstrate the ability to perform mathematical calculations necessary in business applications including accounting, by working with percentages; decimals and fractions; understanding accounting principles as they are applied to business office bookkeeping; and using formulas for creating spreadsheets and databases.
10. Apply critical thinking skills to analyze and solve business problems by demonstrating the ability to define problems, find relevant information, synthesize and evaluate information, and implement decisions.
11. Demonstrate knowledge of roles and functions of various professionals; collaborate and problem-solve as part of an office team.
12. Develop and evaluate customer service skills by ascertaining the characteristics of a customer service organization and using customer service skills in servicing customers professionally.

As a legal office specialist, you will work for lawyers in private law firms, governmental offices, legal departments of corporations, court houses, legal aid offices, or the offices of county attorneys or public defenders. The legal assistant functions as an assistant to the lawyer or judge.

Duties may include preparing legal documents, billing and accounting, processing correspondence, transcribing,communicating with clients, utilizing a variety of software, and organizing and managing a busy legal practice.

Wage information is available from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Some courses in this program may require a prerequisite. Please see course descriptions for more details.

MnTC General Education Requirements

This program requires completion of the following twenty-two credits of general education from at least three goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC).

Program Sequence

Students can choose to complete the Legal Office Specialist programs part-time. Part-time students will take longer to complete their program than students who follow the full-time sequence listed on the official program guides. Because every course may not be offered each semester, it is important for part-time students to reach out to their faculty advisor for help in planning their long-term, part-time course sequence.

Below, new students can find the first semester part-time course options. After the first semester, work with your faculty advisor to plan future semesters.

First Semester Course Options

ADSC 1003, COMP 1002, INTS 1000

View Course Schedule

Options differ depending on whether you plan to start in the fall or spring semester

Administrative Office Specialist
AAS degree, diploma

Office Communications Specialist
Certificate

Office Software Specialist
Certificate

Supervisory Management
AAS degree