| The traditional secretarial support structure no longer | | | | involvement with a practice area, the secretaries |
| meets the needs of many firms. Multiple reasons have | | | | become integral to its operation. As a team they are |
| attributed to a sea change in support needs: Client and | | | | able to offer all core competencies needed by |
| attorney expectations have changed, with | | | | attorneys and, hopefully, an "expert for everything." |
| administrative assistance, information management and | | | | Secretaries incepted the training initiative implemented |
| client liaison coming to the forefront and the need for | | | | for this position-extensive, ongoing training in |
| traditional typing, filing and phone message services | | | | administrative skills relating to client service, technical |
| reduced by technology; a global 24/7 work | | | | applications, and high-end support. The firm understood |
| environment exceeds a secretary's traditional 9 to 5 | | | | to gear the desired training toward sustaining its most |
| work schedule; and the secretarial position itself no | | | | valuable administrative resource. |
| longer attracts and retains talent from the employment | | | | Salary range for Administrative Secretaries is on the |
| pool. The primary reason secretaries give for | | | | high end of the secretarial range. Due to the enhanced |
| terminating employment is simply a lack of challenge. | | | | skill set this group of workers develops, the traditional, |
| Expense is also a problem. An office of three hundred | | | | market-based ceiling can even be moderately raised. |
| New York attorneys has a support payroll of up to | | | | The Secretarial Coordinator and Service Center |
| $8.1 million, or closer to $9 million if real estate, | | | | Secretary positions are located in Secretarial Service |
| equipment and other types of support are included. At | | | | Centers. These are full-service support areas for junior |
| the current attorney-to-secretary ratio of 3 to 1, this is | | | | to mid-level associates and paralegals; each practice |
| $30,000 per lawyer, per year. | | | | floor has a center which, including the Coordinator has |
| At a large New York City law firm, a senior manager | | | | up to four personnel. A secretary is assigned five to |
| noted that tinkering with the existing support structure | | | | eight attorneys/paralegals to assist so that a center |
| did not solve these major issues. At best, it marginally | | | | will provide coverage for up to 32 fee earners. |
| improved productivity, and at worst, it decreased | | | | Besides handling all phone, document production, and |
| employee morale. A decision was made to conduct an | | | | support services for junior fee earners, document |
| interview study with the goal of determining how | | | | overflow for senior associates and partners can be |
| secretarial and other administrative services were | | | | handled there. Ultimately, secretaries benefit from close |
| utilized and what new strategy could be crafted. | | | | supervision in a pooled, high-leverage environment. |
| Secretaries, partners and associates unilaterally | | | | The Floor Coordinator is the single-point contact |
| expressed these deep concerns: | | | | person when an attorney needs service. Coordinators |
| Different support needs. Partners, counsel and senior | | | | supervise a center's work flow, manage staffing, |
| associates needed workers with administrative | | | | attendance and vacation scheduling for the floor, and |
| skills-able to manage information flow, communicate | | | | help prioritize messenger, fax and copy projects; also, |
| with clients, help with marketing presentations and | | | | they handle a portion of the workload. |
| complete billing and research. Junior attorneys needed | | | | Centers recruit at entry-level salaries. There is an |
| document production assistance and clerical help. | | | | established ceiling with further increases possible only |
| Inconsistent support for associates. With secretaries | | | | as one advances beyond the centers. The Floaters, |
| supporting attorneys of widely-varying seniority, junior | | | | as an interim position, also have opportunity for |
| associates in particular received poor service or no | | | | advancement-Floaters provide on-demand support for |
| service. | | | | the centers and the Administrative Secretarial teams. |
| Lack of skill development. A purposive career path | | | | These four positions are the integral part of a |
| was missing, one that would enable secretaries to | | | | carefully-crafted strategy, made to remedy a |
| take on a more challenging and valuable role. | | | | real-world situation. The real-world implementation was |
| "Single point of service" concept. Having a single point | | | | a painstaking process: Detailed job descriptions and |
| of contact when dealing with all support needs was an | | | | performance guides were developed for all staff, |
| apparent gap in overall operational efficiency. | | | | secretarial teams received extensive skills training, and |
| Client-centered support. The hours service was | | | | a pilot program demonstrated what the expectations |
| offered needed to be closer to the global hours it was | | | | should be for Service Centers. Various stakeholders in |
| demanded. | | | | the process were considered as a communications |
| In response to all this input, a new strategy was | | | | plan developed, which was later presented to senior |
| crafted; its implementation took place. | | | | management, partners, practice groups and |
| The strategy created four distinct secretarial positions. | | | | secretaries. The overall goal of all this effort and |
| Each has different roles, assignment structures and | | | | planning was to materially improve service levels. |
| pay scales, thus providing a career track for future | | | | It was a success. Associates now receive high-quality |
| hires: Secretarial Coordinator, Administrative Secretary, | | | | and consistent service offered at all hours of the day. |
| Service Center Secretary and Floater. | | | | The most talented and experienced secretaries are |
| The Administrative Secretary operates on a team that | | | | concentrated and challenged in working for partners |
| supports, within a specific practice area, a specific | | | | and other senior attorneys. As service improved, cost |
| group of partners, counsel and senior attorneys. | | | | savings were achieved-the attorney-to-secretary ratio |
| Teams are compromised of two to three members, | | | | improved to 5 to 1, which, not including savings in real |
| each supporting two to three attorneys-up to 12 | | | | estate, equipment and other support services, has |
| attorneys in total for any team. Through constant | | | | translated into a savings of over $3.2 million per annum. |