LEGAL SECRETARY 2
Career Family: LEGAL SECRETARY
In New Jersey, Legal Secretary 2 is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
It is the lowest-paid of the 2 Legal Secretary grades, a step below Legal Secretary 1, whose band tops out about $6,374 higher. Qualifying turns on 1 year of relevant experience. The FY 2027 range lands between $46,727 and $67,528, and state payroll currently lists about 100 people in the title, most of them at Office of the Public Defender.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. 2 agencies employ it. We don't track live vacancies.
See all 2 employers and how to apply →Who employs this title
Legal Secretary 2 appears on the State payroll at 2 departments, most of them at Office of Public Defender.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Office of Public Defender | 67 |
| Department of Law & Public Safety | 33 |
Where this title is used
Legal Secretary 2 is a common title, so it is used in both State and local service. The local side is filled by the counties, municipalities, authorities and other employers that have adopted civil service under Title 11A, which set their own pay by ordinance or contract rather than from a State salary schedule.
Check whether an employer is a civil service jurisdiction · How local civil service works
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Pay ladder: Legal Secretary series
- Legal Secretary 2 — $46,727 – $67,528 (this title)
- Legal Secretary 1 — $50,990 – $73,902
Promoting to Legal Secretary 1 raises the top of the band by about $6,374. Its top salary lands around the 11th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY 2027 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 100 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $55,196. The agencies employing the most are:
- Office of the Public Defender (67)
- Law and Public Safety (33)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under supervision of an attorney or other supervisory official in a state department or agency, or local government jurisdiction, transcribes or types legal dictation irrespective of medium; maintains dockets, looks up references, and functions in the capacity of secretary; does other related work.
Examples of work
- Transcribes or types dictation of a legal nature.
- Prepares standard legal forms as required.
- Proofreads legal briefs and other materials, including transcriptions, pleadings, and citations.
- Checks citations and references for accuracy and completeness.
- Prepares correspondence and other materials.
- Maintains confidential case follow-up and other essential legal records and files.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
One (1) year of experience in transcribing or typing legal dictation or documents.
License
Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of office methods, practices, routines, and equipment.
- Knowledge of approved English usage, correct spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing.
- Knowledge of legal terminology, standard legal forms, and law office procedures.
- Ability to proficiently type and/or transcribe.
- Ability to function as a secretary to a legal staff member.
- Ability to learn quickly from oral and written instruction and from explanations.
- Ability to assemble data and complete standard legal forms for approval by a legal staff member.
- Ability to initiate form letters and other routine correspondence.
- Ability to maintain dockets.
- Ability to maintain confidential follow-up, and other legal records and files.
- Ability to learn and utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
Successful completion of a clerical training program with a minimum of 700 classroom training hours or 30 semester hour credits in secretarial science from an accredited college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of the experience indicated above. Course work must include typing skills, methods, and procedures; other courses may include, but not be limited to, office procedures, word processing, and business English.