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Legal Secretary

Law

Perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents. Prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas. May also assist with legal research.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Law

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files.
  2. 2Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
  3. 3Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
  4. 4Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements.
  5. 5Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter.
  6. 6Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records.
  7. 7Complete various forms, such as accident reports, trial and courtroom requests, and applications for clients.
  8. 8Receive and place telephone calls.
  9. 9Schedule and make appointments.
  10. 10Submit articles and information from searches to attorneys for review and approval for use.
  11. 11Make travel arrangements for attorneys.
  12. 12Draft and type office memos.
  13. 13Attend legal meetings, such as client interviews, hearings, or depositions, and take notes.
  14. 14Review legal publications and perform database searches to identify laws and court decisions relevant to pending cases.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Secretary
  • Legal Admin
  • Law Secretary
  • Legal Secretary
  • Legal Coordinator
  • Legal Receptionist
  • Paralegal Secretary
  • Law Office Assistant
  • Legal Exec Assistant
  • Litigation Secretary

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationAssociate's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Administrative — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
History (Sejarah)Draws directly on Law and Government — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Administrative89%

    Business

  • English Language87%

    English

  • Law and Government84%

    History (Sejarah)

  • Customer and Personal Service79%
  • Computers and Electronics78%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Administration and Management63%

    BusinessEconomics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentOften
  • Time spent sittingMost of the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

52%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org