The Importance of Legal Secretaries to the Practice of Law

Posted by Alan Childress

Anyone who has actually practiced law knows my title is true and not at all patronizing.  I am reminded of a secretary at MoFo during my days there (long ago) who was efficient and accurate in nearly every way.  Even worked from dictation tapes.  I once dictated an 18-page memorandum on the merger agreement at issue in the case.  I got it back nicely typed and with no obvious errors, except for the 30 -odd references to the murder agreement (for which, context was clear, our firm was in full support — even demanding that it be enforced).  One might have thought the secretary would flinch or raise objection — though perhaps not, out of personal fear — but I honestly got the feeling that the secretary was just thinking, “meh, lawyers.”  I never raised the subject.

I was thinking of that today as it occurred to me that lots of Akin Gump attorneys will watch 20/20 tonight in an effort to find out which legal secretary or paralegal there is associated with the D.C. Madam’s escort service, as reported by WSJ Law Blog.  It’s a story in which the firm’s managers likely hope that there was no happy ending.