(PHOENIX, Ariz., Oct. 25, 2004) - Some local firms require them to have up to five years of legal office experience. Others require excellent troubleshooting skills. However, virtually all legal firms in the Valley demand a minimum keyboarding speed of 60 to 80 wpm from their legal secretaries.

If this sounds rather demanding…well, it is.

Today's legal secretaries must be knowledgeable in various areas of law, document preparation, legal office procedures and legal ethics, and be highly proficient in keyboarding, word processing, transcribing and proofreading.

With help from Valley legal professionals, Phoenix College has redesigned its Legal Secretarial Program in an effort to meet the demands of this profession. Representatives from a number of Valley firms including Fennemore Craig and Lewis and Roca, as well as government entities like the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and the U.S. Supreme Court, recently joined forces to assist Phoenix College in this endeavor.

"We've had a Legal Secretarial Program at Phoenix College since the 1970s," said Kathy Green, Phoenix College Applied Business department chair. "After reevaluating the program and the current needs of the industry, we made a few adjustments thanks to the help of our advisory board. These changes will ultimately benefit both students and legal entities throughout Arizona."

Since the restructuring, the Phoenix College Legal Secretarial Program has added an evening cohort program for current professionals, as well as a new 3-credit course entitled: Law Office Procedures. Additionally, they have revised the program prerequisites to meet the industry demands and standards.

"The need for legal secretaries is strong in the Phoenix business community," added Green. "When our students leave the program, they are ready and adequately prepared to jump into the field. "An experienced legal secretary with the right skills can make good money ranging from $28,000 to $40,000 a year."

A full-time student can complete the 36-credit hour certificate program over a nine month period.

Industry professionals are excited about the progress Phoenix College has made.

"On a daily basis, The Morton Group assists law firms and legal corporations with their personnel needs," said Sue Morton, president of The Morton Group. "Over time, I've seen the role of the legal secretary grow and become more versatile. Today's legal secretaries are increasingly more important. Phoenix College recognizes these needs and changes within the legal community by offering a focused Legal Secretary Program."

The newly developed cohort will begin in Fall 2005. However, students can get a jump start on their prerequisites during the summer semester. The program will host an information night with pizza and prizes on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m.

For more information on the program, please call (602) 285-7357 or for advisement, please call (602) 285-7833.

Participating advisory members included representatives from the Arizona Supreme Court, Bonnett Fairbourn, Fennemore Craig, Lewis and Roca, Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Scottsdale City Attorney's Office, Snell and Wilmer, Squire Sanders and Dempsey, The Morton Group, U.S. District Court and Phoenix College.

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