The legal industry is in a constant state of evolution. This evolution has resulted in the delivery of legal services to become more varied and sophisticated. And while the typical law firm employs one or more lawyers in its ranks, there are a number of other important positions in the law industry that are not considered legal professions.
Law Firm Administrator
Administrators perform duties at the executive level of a law firm. These positions are manned by highly skilled professionals that are usually not lawyers. At some smaller firms, the position may be maintained by an experienced paralegal or legal secretary.Administrators for law firms manage the business side of the practice. The role requires an individual possessing the ability to strategize, competitive drive, and a wide range of managerial skills.
Chief Financial Officer
A chief financial officer is a financial manager who operates at the highest level. This is a role most often reserved for companies operating on a global level. These major firms sometimes produce revenue of more than a billion dollars on an annual basis. The amount of revenue generated makes it absolutely necessary to secure a savvy financial manager.A skilled CFO will oversee the financial planning, accounting, budgeting, and forecasting for the law firm. CFO's also establish operating policies for the firm, examine potential growth opportunities, and is responsible for decisions that affect the long-term financial future of the company.
Litigation Support
A
litigation support professionalcombines the skill set of a paralegal with that of a tech support specialist. This is a relatively new profession that has developed over the last decade or so but is already an important part of the legal delivery process. These positions are becoming more common with small and mid-sized law firms after once being exclusively linked to larger firms.The position of litigation support professional continues to evolve and at some larger companies, a number of sophisticated and specialized positions exists for these professionals.
Developer
Developers typically work in the technology sector helping to program softwares, websites, and digital tools. However, with technology taking over every industry in the world, developers are now finding themselves working for a wide range of employers. Some of the largest firms are able to afford hiring a full-time developer, but most firms don’t need one. As such, they typically hire a freelance developer to help them build out tools to streamline their processes. They could hire someone to program
a legal document management system, or to build out a new website for a new branch of their firm. There are a lot of possibilities.
Court Runner
Court runners are often referred to as law firm messengers. Runners file documents with the appropriate courts and perform all errands that are needed by lawyers and staff members at a law firm. Court runners are often students of law working part-time to gain experience in the field.
Legal Assistant
In some circles, the position of a legal assistant is interchangeable with the paralegal profession. However, with the continued evolution of professions in the legal world, work as a legal secretary is sometimes considered training to become a paralegal.Related:
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A receptionist acts as a gatekeeper for a law firm. The receptionist will greet clients and guests that enter the firm, schedule conferences, work the main phone line, and perform a variety of other tasks. Smaller firms often ask a legal secretary to double as a receptionist.
Recruiter
The
legal recruiterdoes not work directly for the law firm. Instead, the recruiter is a talent scout of sorts that matches individuals looking for work with a law firm that needs their services.
Final Thoughts
The process of delivering legal services is evolving at a frenzied pace. This has caused many jobs to develop that either did not exist in the not too distant past, or were not widely used. Though operating within the industry of law, many of these professions are not direct legal careers. A number of specialized employment opportunities now exist in the law industry that allows individuals to use a variety of training and skill sets.
