Paralegal is a term used in many countries to describe non-lawyers who assist lawyers in their legal work. Paralegals are not lawyers. They are not authorized by the government to offer legal services nor are they officers of the court, or even usually subject to government or court-sanctioned rules of conduct.There is hardly any difference in job interview tips for paralegals than those, which are available in general. However, there is a stark difference between the dealings of Paralegals and Lawyers. The former cannot charge fees, offer legal advice, pursue legal careers, or law jobs, whereas the latter can do what the former cannot. As A. Harrison Barnes puts it plainly, Paralegals are mere assistants who are to carry out tasks arising out of a lawyer’s analysis, strategy, and consideration.
The person appearing for an interview for a paralegal has to have a very clear understanding about the work that is going to be provided and the limitations of a paralegal job. The interpretation of the word “Paralegal” and of a paralegal job interview is the point is where the similarities end as mentioned by A. Harrison Barnes.
A candidate appearing for a paralegal career interview needs to have certain qualities. He needs to be methodical, analytical, interactive, and spontaneous to help him or her succeed in the interview.
Methodical: Since the job is that of an assistant, a candidate has to be methodical to be more effective to his or her lawyer with whom they are working. They should be aware about the legal procedures and the law in general.
Interactive: A candidate is frequently asked this question in interviews pertaining to legal careers and paralegal jobs says A. Harrison Barnes. Since on quite a number of occasions it has so happened that the core law team is busy with other cases and hence you have to interact with clients and provide solutions. Here is where your interaction experience counts as it gives a smooth passage to build a better relationship with the clients.
Analytical Skills: Working as a legal assistant or as a paralegal, one has to deal with a huge amount of data. A good analytical mind always helps not only in legal jobs but also helps in the research of the cases the lawyers are dealing in. Since you have to do most of the research work it makes sense to be a good analyzer. Any company will hire a candidate whom they feel is a good analyst.
Education: As per A. Harrison Barnes, a candidate’s preparedness towards legal assistant jobs will be revealed significantly once they are inquired about their training. If a freshman has applied for the position, he or she will provide the details of the trainings they have gone through. However yes, there have been candidates who have no formal training but have on the job exposure towards the work. Quite a number of these paralegals have completed their education while working their way up from the mailroom in a law firm. A. Harrison Barnes informs us that there are Paralegal and Legal Assistant courses of study available at community colleges and private universities as well.
Spontaneous: A candidate has to be spontaneous or must have a presence of mind to bail out of tricky situations, which might hamper the relations with the clients. Spontaneity is also required while conducting research or during interviews. If a candidate has a prior work experience in any particular field or domain, they are asked question relating to their experience, which has to be answered in the smartest way to enable the law firm to make a correct decision of whether to take the particular candidate for the legal assistant job. The personality aspect is also looked at for the profile of paralegal job since working for a law firm demands the candidate to have a good personality. As the legal secretary jobs become monotonous at times, a candidate should be inquired about his motivation towards the work, which would help in determining the right candidate for the legal assistant job.
The average salaries of paralegals and those having legal assistant jobs are US$47,600 in the private sector. However, the salary can range anything from $24,000 annually to over $100,000 annually along with benefits depending on the place you are asked to work. As A. Harrison Barnes mentions in LawCrossing.com, that these are just basic indications however one needs to be formally dressed and be punctual for any interview.
A. Harrison Barnes is the founder and CEO of CareerMission, the parent company of more than 90 job-search websites, employment services, recruiting firms and student loan companies. CareerMission (originally Juriscape) employs several hundred employees in 14 offices throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. These companies were literally started from Harrison’s garage several years ago after Harrison quit his job.