Top 25 Legal Assistants Interview Questions
1. What qualities do you feel are most important for a successful legal assistant?
Professional Answer
List of Legal Assistants Interview Questions
- What qualities do you feel are most important for a successful legal assistant?
- Do you enjoy working as part of a team?
- What is your greatest strength? Greatest weakness?
- Which areas of law are you most interested in?
- How do you check your work for accuracy?
- Why are you the best candidate for us?
- How has your college degree prepared you to work in this firm?
- How can you contribute to our firm?
- What are your long and short range career goals and objectives?
- What two or three things are most important to you in a job?
- How would you describe yourself?
- What have you learned from the other attorneys/paralegals you've spoken with today?
- What goals, other than those related to your legal career, have you established for yourself for the next 10 years?
- Are your grades a good indication of your academic achievement?
- Can you give me an example of a situation where you demonstrated an eye for detail?
- What type of work environment would allow you do to your best work?
- What are the main components of a case file and what steps are carried out to file a case?
- Do you understand the impact you, even as a legal assistant, will have on the lives of our clients?
- Why did you leave your last position?
- How do you manage your research work considering there is so much to look through?
- Tell us about a time you had to handle a difficult client.
- How familiar are you with the law we practice at our firm, or the law I specialize in?
- How do you deal with sensitive or confidential information?
- Can you give me an example of a situation where you needed to deal with multiple priorities at once and how you deal with it?
- How has your education prepared you to work for us?
- What subject did you like the most at school? Why?
- Why did you choose to pursue a career as a Legal Assistant?
- What are you doing to better yourself as a Legal Assistant?
- How do you handle stressful situations?
- Do you work well under pressure?
Legal Assistants Information
December 4th, 2014
Although lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, they often delegate many of their tasks to paralegals. In fact, paralegals?also called legal assistants?are continuing to assume new responsibilities in legal offices and perform many of the same tasks as lawyers. Nevertheless, they are explicitly prohibited from carrying out duties considered to be within the scope of practice of law, such as setting legal fees, giving legal advice, and presenting cases in court.
bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm
Although lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, they often delegate many of their tasks to paralegals. In fact, paralegals?also called legal assistants?are continuing to assume new responsibilities in legal offices and perform many of the same tasks as lawyers. Nevertheless, they are explicitly prohibited from carrying out duties considered to be within the scope of practice of law, such as setting legal fees, giving legal advice, and presenting cases in court.
bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm
Legal Assistants User Submitted Interview Answers
Question
1 of 30
1 of 30
What qualities do you feel are most important for a successful legal assistant?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Organization, time-management, having a positive attitude.
2.
Detail orientated, can handle a high work load and short deadlines,
Verbal and written skills, organized, friendly,
Question
2 of 30
2 of 30
Do you enjoy working as part of a team?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Yea I do, I feel that important in the legal field or any field actually.
2.
I do love working as a team. Honestly, I'm a expert at adapting, working in a team or on my own would not slow me down in any way.
Question
3 of 30
3 of 30
What is your greatest strength? Greatest weakness?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
My greatest strength is my attention to detail. My greatest weakness would also be my attention to detail.
2.
Proactive, high energetic person and goal orientated.
Question
4 of 30
4 of 30
Which areas of law are you most interested in?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
When I first was in school I liked landlord tenant board but as I finished I realized I might want to be an administrative paralegal and I am up to any area of law.
2.
For success legal assistant learn with their experience and broad mind and present of mind.
Question
5 of 30
5 of 30
How do you check your work for accuracy?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
By going over each section before I move on to the next section. And then again at the end to make sure I haven't left anything out .
2.
I use the tools provided in the system and I also make sure I am working to the proper process and review work as I go to limit errors. I ask questions and if need ask for a second set of approved eyes to verify accuracy.
Question
6 of 30
6 of 30
Why are you the best candidate for us?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
I have a vast experience in a legal setting and can adapt to the way you run your office.
2.
I'm the best candidate because although I may not have experience in corporate law, I am willing to learn and I am a fast learner, I can pick up a new skill or task very easily.
Question
7 of 30
7 of 30
How has your college degree prepared you to work in this firm?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
My paralegal certificate requires me to obtain continued education in the legal field and in doing so it has taught me the necessary skills needed in the legal field.
2.
Describe a time when you feel you worked well in a team answer.
Question
8 of 30
8 of 30
How can you contribute to our firm?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
By being an honest employee and doing the job that is expected of me.
2.
I can contribute because I am a fast worker, and accurate. Any and all work that is needed to be done will be done by or before the deadline needed. I can help with any other department or employee if they need a hand with their workload. Since I am a fast learner, once I know what I am doing I will ask little amount of questions.
Question
9 of 30
9 of 30
What are your long and short range career goals and objectives?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
To have the opportunity to grow professional and personally with a reputable firm.
2.
My long term careers goals are to attend law school and pursue a career in internation law. My short terms goals are to learn as much about the law as I can. I want to work for a firm where I can gain real life experience and apply the education that I gained from University where I can grow as an employee.
Question
10 of 30
10 of 30
What two or three things are most important to you in a job?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
To satisfy my boss and the client.
2.
Job security, positive job environment, professional growth.
Question
11 of 30
11 of 30
How would you describe yourself?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
A hard worker, team player, keen to learn new things and easily adapts to new environments, not shy.
2.
I am hard worker and reliable and good listener.
Question
12 of 30
12 of 30
What have you learned from the other attorneys/paralegals you've spoken with today?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
They seem to be part of a team.
2.
I know that keeping a client happy is at the top of your list, no matter how well you did your work if the client is unhappy you won't be getting referrals from that client. And that you can't always win.
Question
13 of 30
13 of 30
What goals, other than those related to your legal career, have you established for yourself for the next 10 years?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
To be healthy through fitness, be a great mother and own my own business.
2.
Achieved good experience in HR
Question
14 of 30
14 of 30
Are your grades a good indication of your academic achievement?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Yes and No. I feel that majority can show you that I was a good student but some not so much because you learn once you make a mistake and you don't get the chance to redo, only not do it next time so you still got the mark for doing it wrong although you now know how to do it write.
2.
I have made mistakes before but I have worked hard to improve and learned from experience.
Question
15 of 30
15 of 30
Can you give me an example of a situation where you demonstrated an eye for detail?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Yes, will getting ready to enter all patrol schedules I noticed wrong dates entered on spread sheet. I reconfirmed with the seargent before entering it into the computer .
2.
In current job the advert placed online had grammatical issues, once checked informed the concerned department to rectify and follow up until sorted.
Question
16 of 30
16 of 30
What type of work environment would allow you do to your best work?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
I do well in all types of environment.
2.
I feel one where the workload is not TOO much but not enough. Say I have 12 things due in the next 2, I will still do my best but I can do my best work when say I have around 6-7 due so I can reAlly focus.
Question
17 of 30
17 of 30
What are the main components of a case file and what steps are carried out to file a case?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
The main components of a case file and steps are to
File a case
Summarize the case
Collect and organize materials for the case
Research the law regarding this situation
Schedule and speak with witnesses and all involved
Team reviews the case.
2.
Main components of a case is statement of claim.
Question
18 of 30
18 of 30
Do you understand the impact you, even as a legal assistant, will have on the lives of our clients?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Yes, I may be the first person at the law firm that the client will talk to so I must make sure to be precessional and friendly with any client even if some may get angry I need to talk to them and help them know that I understand and I am only trying to help.
2.
Not only expensive legal costs but personal such as anxiety, high stress even depression for clients.
Question
19 of 30
19 of 30
Why did you leave your last position?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
My husband had got a job in the UK so I had to relocate with him so I had to leave my previous job.
2.
3 months ago because I undertook 4 subjects at university.
Question
20 of 30
20 of 30
How do you manage your research work considering there is so much to look through?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
I just do it step by step, I know how to research, I make sure I figure out what I am going to research first and I find that then I will go onto the next, I have not done much researching other than in school or my time at JBC
2.
I look up for the key words and read the decision pronounced in the judgment.
Question
21 of 30
21 of 30
Tell us about a time you had to handle a difficult client.
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
A defendant was up set that his case was reset by the state. I always think it's helpful listen before I answer so it lets them know I want to be helpful to their concerns.
2.
In various scenarios the client was under pressure, had made the client calm and understand the situation in detail by convincing them in related issues.
Question
22 of 30
22 of 30
How familiar are you with the law we practice at our firm, or the law I specialize in?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
I am very familiar with commercial litigation.
2.
I am not too far familiar seeing as I went to school for paralegal I did not learn about corporate law, real estate, nor wills and estates but I am happy to jump in and learn as well as researching everything on my on time.
Question
23 of 30
23 of 30
How do you deal with sensitive or confidential information?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
By not talking about it or showing it to any not associated with the case. And also keeping it put up when not working on it.
2.
I believe that it is exactly what it is confidential.
Question
24 of 30
24 of 30
Can you give me an example of a situation where you needed to deal with multiple priorities at once and how you deal with it?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Yes by prioritize the importance of each priority.
2.
According to deadlines. Which deadline comes first would be the one that would demand the priority.
Question
25 of 30
25 of 30
How has your education prepared you to work for us?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
I have studied law so with that knowledge I can contribute my knowledge for the growth of this firm.
2.
Master in IP for the theories and for the practice I did an internship.
Question
26 of 30
26 of 30
What subject did you like the most at school? Why?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Leadership and management.
2.
I enjoyed history the most. It gives a sense of what came before and the capability to learn from errors of the past.
Question
27 of 30
27 of 30
Why did you choose to pursue a career as a Legal Assistant?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Improve knowledge skills in legal.
2.
In high school, I took law in grade 11 and 12 and I loved it, I loved studying and I knew everything on tests. I also loved history but I couldn't see what career I could get with that. I knew I wanted to get into the legal field so I went to college for paralegal and I am not a licensed paralegal I only have the knowledge and I felt that legal assistant was a good way to work in the legal field.
Question
28 of 30
28 of 30
What are you doing to better yourself as a Legal Assistant?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
If the opportunity presents itself. I would take courses.
2.
I try to work better and try to compete with myself.
Question
29 of 30
29 of 30
How do you handle stressful situations?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
I strive to maintain a positive, calm, focused mind while I work on getting the problem solved.
2.
Peacefully and calm going.
Question
30 of 30
30 of 30
Do you work well under pressure?
User Submitted Interview Answers
1.
Yes, some of my best work has been done while under pressure.
2.
Yes, it is very common to work under pressure in a legal environment.
Video
Top 10 Legal Assistant Interview Questions, selected from 30 questions by our visitors. Created on March 1st, 2016