Will AI replace legal secretaries?
Updated
Legal secretaries score 56 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 46%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 45% outright, and 9% stays with people.
- 45% AI can do it
- 46% AI helps
- 9% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 86% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 14 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 6 of them today, speeds up 7 and leaves 1 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Draft and type office memos. Memo drafting from notes is an LLM strength; light review. | 78% AI can do it |
| Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses. Billing software and templates generate and send invoices routinely. | 75% AI can do it |
| Schedule and make appointments. Calendar tools and scheduling bots handle booking and reminders. | 75% AI can do it |
| Complete various forms, such as accident reports, trial and courtroom requests, and applications for clients. Forms filled from existing case data; review for accuracy needed. | 70% AI can do it |
| Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements. AI drafts and proofreads templated filings; attorney reviews. | 65% AI can do it |
| Make travel arrangements for attorneys. Booking tools and AI agents handle itineraries; traveler confirms choices. | 65% AI can do it |
| Submit articles and information from searches to attorneys for review and approval for use. AI compiles and summarizes results; attorney approves use. | 55% AI helps |
| Review legal publications and perform database searches to identify laws and court decisions relevant to pending cases. AI searches and summarizes; lawyer verifies citations and relevance. | 55% AI helps |
| Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files. Digital document management AI helps; physical filing still manual. | 45% AI helps |
| Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records. AI drafts records requests; retrieval and follow-up need people. | 45% AI helps |
Show the other 4 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Receive and place telephone calls. AI screens and routes calls; live judgment stays human. | 35% AI helps |
| Attend legal meetings, such as client interviews, hearings, or depositions, and take notes. AI transcribes and drafts notes; person attends and judges relevance. | 35% AI helps |
| Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials. Email and electronic filing automate; couriers stay manual. | 30% AI helps |
| Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter. Physical copier operation; AI adds little beyond scanning. | 12% Needs a person |
How legal secretaries compare
All occupations (923)
Office and administrative support (51)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $55,570 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 156,280 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -5.2% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Proofread AI-drafted motions in Microsoft Word before attorney review
- Check summonses and subpoenas for accuracy against the case file
- Assemble exhibits and filing packets in Adobe Acrobat
- Track case files and records in Microsoft Access
- Reconcile client billing in Intuit QuickBooks and Excel
- Attend client interviews and take notes for attorneys
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about legal secretaries and AI
Will legal secretaries be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 5 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly drafting office memos and preparing invoices. Attorney review, client interviews, and court-facing judgment stay with people.
Which legal secretary tasks is AI taking over?
Drafting office memos scores 78 on exposure, because memo drafting from notes is a strength of language models. Scheduling appointments and preparing invoices both score 75, since calendar tools and billing software already handle booking, reminders, and sending.
Which legal secretary tasks stay human?
Making photocopies scores 12 on exposure, since copier operation stays physical. Attending client interviews, hearings, and depositions scores 35, because a person must be in the room and judge which points matter.
How do legal secretaries stay valuable as AI spreads?
Check AI-drafted summonses and motions in Microsoft Word against the case file, since attorneys still sign off on every filing. Keep case records in Microsoft Access and exhibits in Adobe Acrobat. Learn court e-filing rules so the final check stays with a trained person.
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