How to hire paralegals and legal assistants
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents. • Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases. • Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases. • Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system. • Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits. • Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Associate's degree] • Strong writing, active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, critical thinking and active learning skills • Working knowledge of law and government, English Language, administrative and computers and electronics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $30.24 an hour ($62,890 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for paralegals and legal assistants
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe something important you wrote at work, such as a report, notes or an email. Who read it and what happened next?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What paralegals and legal assistants do
- Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.
- Investigate facts and law of cases and search pertinent sources, such as public records and internet sources, to determine causes of action and to prepare cases.
- Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of cases.
- Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
- Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
- Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for paralegals and legal assistants
- Typical education to start: Associate's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
- Job outlook: -0.3% over ten years, little or no change · about 40,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay paralegals and legal assistants
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $89,750 |
| Washington | $79,400 |
| Colorado | $78,190 |
| Massachusetts | $77,640 |
| California | $77,390 |
| Arkansas | $47,420 |
| Alabama | $47,260 |
| Mississippi | $46,180 |
See paralegals and legal assistants pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- Correspondence Clerks
- Office Clerks, General
- Medical Records Specialists
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.