30 Legal Assistant Interview Questions & Answers

Great response. Though I made minor grammatical edits, you provided a well-rounded and thoughtful answer.

"I believe a successful legal assistant is a person who possesses strong time management skills, communication, and attention to detail. These qualities are essential to maintain multiple projects at one time and fulfill duties for multiple staff members. A successful assistant is flexible while managing case files and open to lending support to the broader team; they are the glue that enables the team to work smoothly and efficiently."

Well said :)

This is a great start. I would hold off on disclosing the IP units you have yet to complete in school, however. I changed the wording of your response to reflect eagerness to learn.

"Based on my research, your firm specializes in Intellectual Property Law. I have legal assistant experience from my previous legal internship in New York that will be extremely helpful for you and the firm. I am eager to immerse myself in IP Law and expand my knowledge in this specialty."

You have provided a great example for the interviewer. You are calm under pressure, and remain proactive versus reactive when faced with challenging clients. I assisted with some supplemental language. See below.

"At my previous legal internship, I assisted a client who was distraught during a complicated divorce. She feared for her safety and reached out to me several times a day to express concerns. I deescalated her calls by listening intently and nonjudgmentally while offering her practical advice and firm boundaries. I referred her to police authorities and stated that I was not qualified to provide advice on the situation. The client felt heard and assisted, resulting in positive feedback from her and my previous employer. When dealing with a difficult client, I remain proactive versus reactive; I attend to situations calmly and rationally."

This answer contains a great basis for hiring you; however, I would try to answer with more confidence. Also, at the end, use specific traits that are listed in the job posting. Please see an example below.

"I am the best candidate for you because I pride myself in delivering over expectations, and going the extra mile to do things right the first time. My college experience, as well as previous employment, has shaped me into someone reliable, dedicated, communicative, and organized."

Wonderful response. You have created organizational systems that enable you to work efficiently. I supplemented your response to reflect your analytical work style.

"Throughout my career, I have fine-tuned my organizational and time management skills. As an analytical thinker, I have created systems to keep me on-time and accurate. With the use of calendaring applications, I set clear deadlines for each project, and allot time to double-check and cross-reference my work. And, if time allows, I receive third-party feedback as well."

You are definitely expressing resourcefulness and not shying away from things you are unfamiliar with. Thinking quickly on your toes and fully immersing yourself in a new role will be very attractive to the interviewer.

"I manage large-scale projects such as research work by prioritizing each piece and setting clear deadlines. In my previous internship, I had no prior knowledge of New York Law. I quickly acclimated myself to their trademark filing process and the business database to complete all tasks promptly. I worked overtime to account for the learning curve and asked for assistance when needed."

Very honest answer. If you are interviewing for an entry-level role out of school, they likely will not ask this one.

Your response is okay; however, try to position it a bit more positively as it sounds hesitant - as though you are convincing them to want to help you. I have reworded the response below.

"I do my best work in supportive and collaborative environments. I am ready to jump in and help anyone who needs me, and I appreciate the same gesture in return."

Concise, and to the point!

Your answer is not related to the legal field but is still very relevant when it comes to your eye for detail. Good response :)

Very good!

Concise and to the point. You are independent while also being a team player. Well done!

Very practical, real-world response. The interviewer is getting a strong sense of how you time manage and stay calm while having a large workload. The words "prioritise" and "optimise" are often used in your responses. Ensure you are spelling them correctly, and consider alternate wording.

"At my previous legal internship, I would work on multiple urgent legal assignments at one time. I managed the workload by optimizing my time. I utilized the app todoist to prioritize tasks pertaining to each legal assignment and blocked off sections of my schedule to dedicate to research. By doing so, I was not distracted by constantly checking emails or attending to other tasks."

It would be helpful to add how you envision the firm can assist in lessening your weaknesses. Don't harp too long or discuss your weaknesses in length of detail.

"My most notable strength is flexibility. In my previous legal internship, I juggled primary legal assignments, meetings, phone calls, and unforeseen tasks throughout the day; Flexibility, Time Management, and Prioritization were essential in my success. Currently, my greatest weakness is overthinking. I believe the experience I gain at Legal Assistants will allow me to sharpen my skills and provide me more confidence to address my needs to overanalyze."

Your answer sounds nice and honest; however, it sounds as though you may be okay with job hopping as well. Mentioning a non-profit, returning to school, or mentioning positions (plural) will all be red flags for the interviewer. I have reworded, below.

"My short-range career goal is to help people every day, utilizing the knowledge that I gained while attending college. This goal will fuel me in my long term goals which include leading a team of junior paralegals or even taking additional law coursework in tandem with my full-time job. My ultimate goal is to be with a firm that supports my learning and professional growth."

It would be helpful to provide a new response and sentiment. The question is repetitive, but try to make sure your response is not.

"I am currently immersed in knowledge and concepts that I can directly and actively put into use. I am increasing my knowledge base every day and would build upon my momentum by taking on this role."

Great start. I assisted with refining your response.

"I thoroughly enjoyed studying Contracts, because it helped shape my outlook on agreements. The coursework was structured and practical, which was very helpful."

Great response, and very thorough.

Wonderful response. You see the need to sharpen administrative skills as well as expand your legal knowledge.

"I am currently taking an online course to strengthen my skills in Microsoft Suite as well as planning to take Intellectual Property units to further my understanding of the area. For me, being a strong Legal Assistant requires not only legal knowledge, but proficiency in the proper administrative tools and applications as well."

This is a wonderfully thoughtful response. Be prepared to respond to possible follow-up questions about work-life balance.

"Be prepared to answer questions such as:

"How do you maintain work/life balance?"

"Other than deep breaths, what are other ways you decompress and remain focused through long and stressful workdays?""

Great situational example! Be mindful of spelling errors; I have changed the words "organize" and "prioritize" several times from the UK spelling to the US spelling. I've also elaborated on the philosophy of your approach.

"Yes, I consider myself a person who handles stress and pressure very well. Being organized helps me to remain calm and diligent. I once organized a networking event for the Australia China Youth Association. This particular project was large in scale, with many team members to manage. I was charged with finishing the budget, writing proposals, and contacting company representatives. Despite managing several balls in the air at the same time while trying to come in ahead of our deadlines, with the use of a clear action plan and calendar system I took comfort in breaking that large project into smaller, more easily managed goals giving me the flexibility to comfortably shift priorities where needed. Properly setting yourself up for success eliminates any fear of failure. We fear the unknown. Remove the unknowns from a project and what is there to fear, right?"

Very strong response! I made slight spelling edits.

"I love learning and being able to facilitate and optimize processes. In this role, I would be able to not only contribute my skills to an industry I am passionate about but also know that I am helping shape the entrepreneurial landscape. I have genuinely found a role that fulfills my passions and elevates my skillset."

Once you go through the interview process you will likely have a more specific response dedicated to that firm; however, this one is good for the time being.

This response may leave more questions than answers. How can an employer offer you transparency, for instance? Like, in what way is this important to you? Do they support you in your learning, as you train, in your future career goals? Try being more specific. Please see below.

"The top three things that are most important to me are honesty, support, and transparency. I am seeking an employer who actively encourages employees to be open about their achievements, creating a safe and open workplace for all."

It sounds like you made some very dedicated choices to your educational career! I am sure you already know, but avoid the term 'guys' in a real interview :)

Excellent response. I altered the wording slightly to convey your desire to contribute to their team if given the opportunity.

"My contributions to the firm will include reliability, flexibility, and an unwavering desire to help. I am an extremely determined and passionate person; it gives me great satisfaction to contribute to a strong group of professionals. I will bring fortitude and practical understanding to this role if given this opportunity."

It sounds like your college education prepared you in many ways. You've done an excellent job communicating this.

Good response! I have reworded it simply for the sake of flow. I did remove the final sentence on teamwork as it didn't seem to add any impact to your previous 'about you' statements.

"I would first describe myself as hard-working. I grew up in a household that embraced working hard for what you get, and have always been prepared to do so, from school and into my professional career. I have a genuine interest in the law, human rights, and how the two come together. I would say the topic of human rights is one of my bigger interests when it comes to the law."

This is a way for your interviewer to get to know you outside of the role you are applying for. Your response is a great one!

"In ten years, I would like to be a proud homeowner with the ability to take my family to Japan. This has been a family dream of ours, and we would love to take in the sights and culture."