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Legal Assistant Job Description

Our Legal Assistant job description includes the Legal Assistant responsibilities, duties, skills, education, qualifications, and experience.

Legal Assistant Example

Searching for Legal Assistant job description examples and samples? Here is the job description of a Legal Assistant:

What does a Legal Assistant do?

Legal assistants, also known as paralegals, are legal professionals who assist individual lawyers or legal teams by preparing and prioritising legal documents. They perform legal research, compile legal documents and evidence, facilitate interviews, and provide assistance prior to and during court proceedings.

Legal Assistant Role

Our company is recruiting a Legal Assistant to provide support to our legal team and lawyers. As a Legal Assistant, you will be responsible for conducting legal research, drafting legal documents, compiling evidence, and facilitating witness interviews. Your duties will also include interpreting documents and legal regulations, case preparation, record keeping, and preparing court motions, pleas, and opening and closing arguments.

Legal Assistant Duties

  • Preparing, proofreading, and editing legal documents and compiling evidence.
  • Locating and interviewing witnesses.
  • Conducting legal research and interpreting the law and court rulings.
  • Performing legal administration as requested by our lawyers.
  • Preparing case files, including pleas, court motions, and closing and opening arguments.
  • Responding to incoming telephone calls and email correspondence.

Legal Assistant Requirements

  • A Legal Studies, Law, or Paralegal Degree.
  • A Diploma in Law and Practice, Paralegal Practice, or Legal Studies.
  • A National Association of Licenced Paralegals or Institute of Paralegals recognised qualification.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Ability to work under pressure and sustain attention to detail.
  • Excellent computer skills.

How to write a Legal Assistant Job Description

To write a job description, we recommend starting with a job description template from our job description library, which contains examples for 800+ positions and professions. Our job description examples include a job summary with duties and responsibilities and skills and requirements, which can be personalised for your job vacancy.

How to write a Legal Assistant Job Advert

Use our job advert template to write a job advert for posting on job sites and job boards. Our job advertising templates are carefully created to help you reach your audience and beat the competition to the best talent.

Job Description Advice - Guidance on How to Personalise a Legal Assistant Job Specification

The hiring process and recruiting new employees to fill your key roles requires a degree of personalisation if you are to attract the best employees in a competitive employment market. The right person for a crucial role or more senior roles will likely have other employers targeting them. As your job description will be the first point of contact, you need to nail your pitch and provide the best possible service.

Job Description Tips - Help on formatting a Legal Assistant Job Specification

When creating your bespoke description and advert, you should cover and promote these points:

Job title: This should accurately reflect the role and include keywords that top talent might be using to search for jobs.

Job duties: The day to day duties, such as administrative tasks, which vary depending on the company and inform the candidate if they can complete the role.

Technical skills: These are the hard skills required through training, such as proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Soft skills: These include the interpersonal skills and general abilities the right candidates will possess. For example, the competency to prioritise multiple tasks, handle customer queries and customer complaints, work alone, or build a good relationship with coworkers.

The company's culture: Highlighting your company culture and values ensures employees thrive and find outstanding job satisfaction. Candidates that are not the right fit won’t waste their time completing the application process, meaning you can focus on qualified individuals and hire in a more timely manner.

Career progression: Including the career path will entice candidates looking for career growth. 

Training and development programs: Smaller companies may need employees with previous experience or provide educational assistance over internal training offered by larger organisations with more significant resources. 

Employee benefits: Compensation and benefits often fail to appear in job ads and while you may want to hold your cards close to your chest, failing to include them is a mistake. Consider answering common questions, such as working hours and paid leave. Researching the average salary for the role in these early stages will ensure you don’t waste your interviewer’s and the candidate’s time.

Skill gaps: Your company may need to bring in new skills beyond those required to complete the key role and duties. Thinking on an organisational level can be beneficial when contemplating skills diversity.

Legal requirements: Ensure your job advert and description does not ask for inappropriate or discriminatory personal details, such as age, marital status, or religion.

How to Hire a Legal Assistant

Once you have selected your Job Description download it or convert it to a Job Advert. From here you can post/advertise your job across our network of job boards. If you wish to use the job description for a CV Template click through for advice and Convert to a CV

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