The number of legal secretaries and other support staff that have been laid off at firms in recent months is in the hundreds. Most first cite the struggling economy as the main reason for the layoffs. Regardless of the circumstances, the layoffs suggest a growing trend of fewer and fewer legal secretaries employed by large firms.
The lawyer-to-secretary staffing ratio used to be 1-to-1. However, technology has made typing and filing less important. Many younger attorneys are taking on their own administrative tasks to cut overhead. Many firms now have a ratio of 2-to-1 or 3-to-1. Legal recruiters are reporting that larger firms have a ratio of 4-to-1.
Firms are laying off more support staff than lawyers, as lawyers calculate their value by billing hours as well as bringing in clients.