Five Common Paralegal Interview Questions (and Answers)

While they might not always admit, attorneys would be lost without their legal support staff – especially their paralegals.  And so, if attorneys have any hope of offering the best experience and results to their clients, they need to hire the best talent.

If you are a paralegal looking to identify yourself as that top talent, you should be prepared to answer a range of questions meant to test your knowledge, skills, and legal experience.  Here are five of the more common interview questions you are likely to face, as well as some examples on how to best respond.

1.     What areas of the law are you most interested in?

Example Answer: My mother owned a small business when I was growing up, so I would say that I am most interested in civil litigation between small and medium-sized businesses. At my prior firm, my workload focused on reviewing pleadings and briefing in civil disputes involving small businesses. I was even given the opportunity to participate in settlement discussions and document review.  These experiences solidified my interest in civil litigation and my desire to continue growing in this area.

2.     Can you describe your experience with legal research?

Example Answer: I have extensive legal research experience.  In my previous role, the attorneys I supported would frequently have me research particular legal theories and case law for their briefs. While most of my experience was with WestLaw, I do have familiarity with LexisNexis as well. I also have a strong understanding of Shepardizing cases to make sure the law we are citing is still valid.

3.     How do you manage heavy workloads and tight deadlines?

Example Answer: I have worked with several different law firms, so I understand how quickly case work can pile up and the need to manage multiple, competing deadlines.  Obviously, I prioritize deadlines by their urgency and importance.  I am also familiar with a number of different calendaring tools, which I use to set reminders several days out to make sure important filing deadlines are never missed.

4.     What legal software and technology are you proficient in?

Example Answer:  I am familiar and proficient with several different legal software and technologies.  For starters, I am well versed in both LexisNexis and WestLaw.  I am used to NetDocs and iManage for document storage and management.  As for e-discovery, I am very proficient with Relativity.  And finally, while not legal specific, I can comfortably use the entirety of Microsoft Office.

5.     Can you share a time when you had to handle a difficult client?

Example Answer: In an ideal world, all of our clients would be easy to manage. But experience has taught me hat client management is not always simple. I remember one instance when I was speaking with a client who was unhappy with how slowly his case was progressing.  I was able to defuse the situation by explaining how the legal process works, and that while it was not moving as quickly as he would like, I was able to assure him that things were moving as quickly as the system allows.  In my experience, the most important thing to remember when working with clients is to respond promptly to inquiries and manage expectations early.

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