A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE LEGAL SECRETARY

No one day is ever the same in the legal department. However, the following table depicts the duties generally carried out:

TIME / DUTIES / ACCOMPLISHED
8.45am / Open emails, respond/reply / 
9.00am / Admin. (opening mail, filing correspondence, pulling out files, etc.) / 
9.45am / Attending to respond to own correspondence (sap queries, queries from regions, cof departments / 
10.30am / SAP (reconciliations to attorneys, payments, recharges (takes up the most time), wait for releases / 
11.45am / Dictation (wait for signature)
**** / 
3.00pm / SAP grn (make copies, invoice verification. Spreadsheet- send out) / 
3.45pm / Open afternoon correspondence- distribute / 
4.00pm / Attend to correspondence / 
4.30pm / General admin. / 

Timetable for 04.03.200: (an idea of a typical variable day)

1.Emails – responses: (10min.)

2.Typing letter for VM (3min)

3.Quick legal meeting (10min)

4.Travel arrangements – AL (5min)

5.Attending on staff member requesting legal assistance.

Discussed matter with VM, drafted letter, perused by VM, attending on members’ superior to peruse and sign letter (20min)

6.Looked for contract in filing room (5min)

7.Attending to finance - sap /recharge query for marketing (10min)

8.Follow up on collection matter: nn x 2 matters – no response

Letter sent to region requesting further instructions, advising of chances of recovery of debt, costs involved therein, requesting signed mandate if requested to institute legal proceedings (30 min)

9.New instruction to follow up on letter of demand sent by VM (outstanding car loan), called debtors wife, ascertained debtors new contact details + work address, called the debtors work place to verify and confirm, sent letter via express courier placing debtor on terms, sent status report to region advising that if no response from debtor will be instituting legal proceedings (perusing signed mandate from region) (20min)

10.Attending to sort out printer problems – requested IT to install new network point, spoke to Walter (10 min)

11. Indexed archive files for Metrofile – called Metrofile to remove boxes offsite (15min)

12.Sorting out query from vendor – payment not received. Called SSC follow up, prepared letter for vendor to present to his bank, AL to sign, faxed letter (10min)

13.Set up diary:one on ones, performance review, career discussions for AL (10min)

14.Format benchmark document for AL, make copies (15min)

15.Perusing litigation files in filing room – preparing for archiving, setting aside matters that need to be followed up on and closure thereto(90min),

16.Attending on delivery of mock up furniture for the company upgrade – directing same (15min)

17.Obtaining recharges to domain names renewals (back log period from Internet Solutions 2001-2003), addressing email to all brand managers, explaining situation and requesting assistance in recharging to the relevant brand group (15min)

18.Attending on emails from BU’s /regions re: licence extension queries, redirecting to VM (10min)

19.Attending on outstanding accounts – processed on SAP – handed to VM for release.

*The above excludes the ad hoc telephonic queries that are received throughout the day and the time taken to attend to these queries.