Paralegal Interview Questions and Answers
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Paralegal Interview Questions
Paralegals are found in a broad range of settings. They may be employed by solo practitioners and by large firms. They may work in law offices or in-house legal departments. Their law expertise also varies. They may specialize in corporate law, labor law, litigation, family law, etc.
Keep an eye out for candidates with a certificate of completion from a credible paralegal program. This is a good idea because some states in the US have strict requirements for hiring paralegals. It’s also a way to weed out candidates who have resorted to embellishing applications in a highly competitive job market.
Consider the following interview questions a starting point for hiring the right paralegal for your firm. These are open-ended and situational questions that will help you evaluate the extent of their paralegal experience. For best results, add your questions based on your specific law specialty.
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Operational and Situational questions
- What interests you about being a paralegal?
- Why did you choose to specialize in this area of law?
- What education and training have prepared you for this role?
- How have you kept up with your continuing education requirements?
- What’s your familiarity with paralegal software? Which ones have you used?
- What kinds of legal documents have you drafted?
- What problems or language would you look for in [standard legal document]?
- In as much detail as possible, describe a time you parsed large volumes of data to prepare a report in the face of tight deadlines.
- Recall a complex legal decision you had to make. Describe the process you used to make your decision.
- If you report to multiple attorneys, how do you decide which assignment to do first?
- How comfortable are you with handling confidential information?
- Some paralegal tasks are repetitive. How do you stay focused?
- Describe a time you worked with a difficult client. How did you handle it?
- Describe a time you turned a negative situation with a client into a positive one.