Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Machines can already do 50% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 81%. Most of the work is changing now.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 50% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can already do half of its tasks, and 81% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 156,280 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $55,570 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 66% for contact with people.
- Also called: Confidential Secretary, Legal Administrative Assistant (Legal Admin Assistant), Legal Administrator (Legal Admin), Legal Coordinator.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements | 28% | 60% to 90% | |
| Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files | 13% | 20% to 60% | |
| Receive and place telephone calls | 10% | 35% to 65% | |
| Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses | 8% | 70% to 95% | |
| Schedule and make appointments | 8% | 85% to 97% | |
| Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter | 5% | 20% to 60% | |
| Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records | 5% | 55% to 85% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills legal secretaries and administrative assistants use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks77% of tasks by 2035 · US median $48,700
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants71% of tasks by 2035 · US median $62,890
- File Clerks71% of tasks by 2035 · US median $43,600
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators77% of tasks by 2035 · US median $78,000
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants?
Machines can already do half of its tasks. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
Machines can do 50% of the tasks of legal secretaries and administrative assistants today and 81% by 2035. Most of the routine work moves to machines, and the people in the job move to oversight, judgement and client work.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 43-6012.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/legal-secretaries-and-administrative-assistants/