• Chief Operating Officer: At very large firms, executives must be hired to perform similar duties as required by most corporations. COOs are hired for their extensive business knowledge in finance, HR, management, and marketing. They usually hold MBAs and CPA credentials, and do not need to have a legal background.
• Personnel Manager: This individual may be a former paralegal or lawyer, or a human resources worker with some legal background. They are responsible for supervising teams of legal professionals and overseeing payroll and benefits.

• Bachelor's Degree in Business or Legal Office Administration: 4 years to complete
• Master of Business Administration: 2 years to complete

Employers in the legal office administration industry are looking to hire individuals who have completed at least a bachelor's degree in business or legal office administration. This will take students an average of four years to complete. While seeking out their degree in this field, it is important that individuals consider internships or part-time paralegal jobs in order to build their resume.

Law careers are somewhat unique in that they often require a specific academic background to provide a legal and procedural understanding, but at the same time many aspects of the work can only be learned through experience. Every office runs differently, but it is very important that students gain confidence in their understanding and abilities and then adapt to the way that their company runs. Communication and interpersonal skills are also very important in this field.

There aren't any certification requirements in this field, but individuals have the option of achieving many different types of certifications to show future employers their level of proficiency in their field. Individuals can gain certification from International Association of Administrative Professionals, National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), Inc., and Legal Secretaries International, Inc. These certifications show that qualified individuals have demonstrated the utmost knowledge in their field and may be more likely to get a job in this field over someone who doesn't have similar certifications.

Legal office administrators are specifically trained to help manage busy and complex law offices, which handle high-profile, high-stakes cases. Only elite law firms are able to hire properly trained legal office administrators, so they can be some of the highest paid professionals of all graduates of associate degree programs. Employers expect their candidates to be well trained, having taken classes like criminal justice system overview. Such a course will introduce students to the structure of the system in which they will work.

A legal terminology course will prepare legal office administrators to work within the field, as they need to have the ability to read, interpret, and prepare legal documents. Legal research courses are also essential for future legal office administrators, as one of the most important responsibilities of a legal office administrator is helping attorneys conduct research that will help them with their cases. This research must be presented in a particular way, and students need to learn how to properly cite legal sources.

Office administration courses will focus on secretarial science, meaning students will learn how to operate an office effectively and organize information. Another course that is often included in a legal office administration degree program is leadership. Leadership classes help students find their leadership styles and learn how to apply them to their future careers. 

No, if a student chooses to pursue a legal office administration degree online, he or she will not be required to complete any training on-site. 

The most related career to legal office administration is paralegal work. Paralegals are charged with helping conduct research and write legal briefs, and much of the training they receive will be similar to a legal office administrator. Of course, careers in law -- meaning careers as attorneys -- can also be the ultimate goal of a legal office administrator. Lawyers are required to attend three years of law school, but the experience they gain as legal office administrators can be invaluable in their pursuits.

Furthermore, a career in court reporting can be similar to a legal office administration career because it requires some of the same secretarial skills, legal terminology knowledge, and understanding of the inner workings of the legal system.