Who's Who in the Law Office

Attorneys (also called lawyers) have graduated from law school and been admitted to the bar in at least one state. Only attorneys may give legal advice, sign pleadings on behalf of clients, set legal fees, and appear in court as counsel. In a law firm, attorneys are usually either partners — owners who share in the firm's profits — or associates, who are employed attorneys working toward partnership.

Paralegals perform substantive legal tasks delegated by attorneys. Legal assistants are, in many offices, the same as paralegals; some organizations use the titles interchangeably while others use 'legal assistant' for a more administrative role. Legal secretaries (sometimes called legal administrative assistants) focus on administrative support: scheduling, correspondence formatting, document production and client reception. Because titles are not standardized, always read the job description to understand what a role actually involves.

A mid-size firm might be organized into practice groups (litigation, real estate, corporate), each led by partners with associates, paralegals and secretaries supporting them. Supporting departments typically include records, billing and accounting, IT, and an office manager or firm administrator. Knowing who handles what saves time: billing questions go to accounting, while a question about a filing deadline goes to the responsible attorney.