Top Paralegal Skills: How a Skills Assessment Can Help in Hiring

What is a Paralegal?

A paralegal is a highly trained professional who assists lawyers and attorneys in a variety of tasks, including legal research, document preparation, and case management.

While they cannot provide legal advice or represent clients in court, paralegals are indispensable in supporting the day-to-day operations of a law firm or legal department. 

Spotting high-quality candidates with the right combination of skills, education, experience, and knowledge can be difficult in any industry, but recruiting talented paralegals has a few challenges of its own.

Working as a paralegal typically requires specialized training and expertise in case law, which can be hard to come by outside of higher education.

In addition, the paralegal profession has expanded over the past few decades and now encompasses a range of different positions, according to AgileLaw. As a result, law firms have had to dedicate additional time and resources to verifying whether potential candidates match their specific labor needs.

Evaluating a paralegal candidate’s qualifications is no easy task, which is why many law practices prioritize education and real-world experience when recruiting. However, these credentials do not paint a complete picture of an applicant’s value, so it’s important to incorporate hiring strategies that can help fill in the gaps.

What Paralegal Skills Are Most Important When Hiring?

To excel in their roles, paralegals need a diverse set of skills that span various subjects. Here are some of the most critical skills that a paralegal should have:

Legal Research and Analysis

Paralegals must be adept at conducting thorough legal research, analyzing complex legal documents, and identifying relevant case law and statutes. Whether it’s researching case law or digging into the background of a witness, their super sleuth skills help uncover the facts that will make or break a case.

This skill is fundamental to providing valuable support to attorneys and ensuring that cases are built on solid legal foundations.

Writing and Communication

Effective written and verbal communication skills are essential for paralegals. They must be able to convey complex legal concepts clearly and concisely, both in written documents and during interactions with clients, attorneys, and other legal professionals.

Mighty Multitasking

In the fast-paced world of law, paralegals must have above-average cognitive skills with the ability to juggle multiple tasks with ease. They are true masters of multitasking, able to draft legal documents while scheduling appointments and managing court filings simultaneously. 

Their ability to keep all the plates spinning makes them indispensable members of any legal team.

Organization and Time Management

When the pressure is on, paralegals need to be aces of organization and time management. They must be able to juggle multiple tasks, prioritize deadlines, and maintain meticulous records and case files.

Attention to Detail

Paralegals need to be masters of precision while wading through dense legal jargon and crafting court documents with absolute accuracy. Missing a deadline could spell disaster, and a single mistake could cost your firm millions!

That’s why you should seek out candidates with above-average reading and writing superpowers. A pre-employment test can be your X-ray vision to identify those with the keenest comprehension and communication skills.

Technology Proficiency

In these times of rapid technological change, it’s important for paralegals to stay ahead of the game. They need to be well-versed in various legal software, research databases, and electronic document management systems. 

By mastering these tools, paralegals can easily navigate the digital world, which will make them more efficient and productive overall.

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

Paralegals are frequently faced with complex challenges and unexpected situations. They need strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to navigate these hurdles and provide valuable insights and solutions.

Ethical Conduct and Integrity

As guardians of the legal system, paralegals must uphold the highest ethical standards and maintain unwavering integrity in their work. Their commitment to ethical conduct is essential for ensuring fair and just outcomes.

Best Practices for Hiring Your Next Paralegal

Hiring a qualified and reliable paralegal can be crucial for the smooth operation of your company’s legal practice.

Follow these best practices to increase your chances of finding a competent and trustworthy candidate who can provide valuable support to your legal team.

Define the Specific Role and Responsibilities

Before you begin your search, it’s important to clearly define the specific responsibilities of the paralegal position you’re looking to fill. Are you looking for a paralegal specialist, a generalist paralegal, or a virtual paralegal? 

Consider factors such as the area of law, the level of experience required, and any specialized tasks or duties that the paralegal will be expected to perform. This will help you attract the right candidates and ensure that you’re evaluating them based on what you need.

Connect with Colleges and Trade Schools

Don’t get lost in a sea of resumes; instead, tap into the power of networking and forge alliances with local colleges and trade schools.

You might find some excellent paralegal candidates by connecting with the alumni networks of colleges and trade schools that offer bachelor’s or associate’s degrees.

These educational institutions can be a great source of talent for your legal team, so it’s worth exploring. You’ll have the cream of the crop at your fingertips, ready to help you tackle any paralegal challenge.

Look for Self-Starters

Paralegals often need to work independently on tasks assigned by attorneys. That’s why it’s essential to keep an eye out for self-starters during your hiring process.

Look for candidates with previous roles that involved taking initiative and managing their time wisely. Maybe you’ll find a legal enthusiast with a background in law and a dash of entrepreneurship in their history. Such individuals might just be what you need to keep the productivity level high.

Conduct Thorough Interviews

Paralegal skills assessments provide valuable data, but interviews remain a critical part of the hiring process. Prepare a comprehensive set of questions that dives into a candidate’s experience, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills.

Use situational or behavioral-based questions to assess how they might handle real-life scenarios.

Workable recommends asking these interview questions:

• 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?

Use a Paralegal Skills Assessment

Paralegal skills assessments are designed to measure a wide range of competencies, from legal vocabulary and data entry to writing and communication skills. By analyzing the results of these assessments, your HR team can identify a candidate’s specific strengths and weaknesses. 

Using an expert-created and validated paralegal skills assessment, your HR team can confidently measure candidates’ Microsoft Office skills, attention to detail, and personality profiles.

Paralegal skills assessments can also help streamline the hiring process. By quickly identifying the most qualified candidates, the time and effort spent on interviews and background checks are reduced by removing those who may not be a suitable fit from the candidate pool. 

Verdict Finale 

Paralegals are the backbone of your legal team. With their support, you can conquer the trickiest legal challenges and uphold justice like the true champions you are.

These tips, along with reliable, customizable paralegal skills assessments, will help you build your dream team of paralegal sidekicks who have the skills and expertise necessary to take on any challenge.

Learn more about the skills-based assessments by checking out this comprehensive test list and trying your free sample test today!