When an attorney is looking for a paralegal, there are a very specific set of attributes that he or she is looking for. Here is a brief overview of what makes a great paralegal in the eyes of most attorneys:

 

1. A hard worker – This one is probably obvious. A paralegal is going to be doing a lot of the legwork that that attorney simply does not have the time to do herself. That means long hours, late nights, and probably having to take on some tasks that the average person would probably avoid doing. The hard worker is the one who calls the job finished only when it actually is finished and when the attorney is happy with the work.

2. Trustworthiness – This is an attribute that every employer is looking for, but it probably even more important to a lawyer than it is to any other employer. An attorney is looking for someone that they can trust, not just to get the work done, but to get it done correctly. They are looking for someone who can be their right hand man, who can act in their stead when they simply do not have the time to take care of something themselves. That requires a huge amount of trust.

3. Autonomy – No attorney has the time to micromanage their paralegal. Most lawyers are not very good at managing people in the first place. They are detail-oriented and will probably try to micromanage their paralegals. The best paralegal is the one who can establish a relationship with that attorney so that the attorney understands that their paralegal does not need to be micromanaged. This means that he or she has a great deal of autonomy—she gets work done, even if no one is standing over his or her shoulder.

4. Prescience – This is probably not an entirely fair term to use. The lawyer will not expect you to read her mind, but he or she is probably looking for someone who is good at anticipating the needs of others. You are able to prioritize tasks so that they are done when the lawyer needs them done. You seek out work, rather than waiting for the lawyer to hand it to you. You can tell when the lawyer is starting to become overwhelmed and you know when to step in. In short, you think ahead.

5. Good with clients – The paralegal will probably be doing a fair bit of herding clients, talking to them, and playing crowd control when the lawyer needs more time to focus on other tasks. As much as most lawyer like to talk, they simply do not have the kind of time that having an in depth discussion with every client, every time they come into the office would require.

6. Problem solving – Lawyers are looking for paralegals that are great at solving problems. Instead of complaining, they get to work, fishing for solutions, instead of furthering or, even worse, just ignoring the problem.

7. Willing to take on the difficult tasks – Just about any lawyer could tell you which tasks they have on their to-do list that they wish would just go away. If you are a person that is willing to take care of those tasks, you can become a definite asset to an attorney that is trying to unload an already heavy plate.

8. A sounding board – Sometimes, in order to organize their ideas or come up with solutions for their clients, a lawyer needs someone they can bounce ideas off of. This requires a degree of honesty—someone has to be willing to say whether or not those ideas are genuinely good, while also just knowing when to listen, without providing unsolicited feedback.

9. Direction follower – One of the best attributes for a paralegal to have is the ability to follow instructions to the letter, without having to be prodded or reminded about those instructions again. Most attorneys usually quickly weed out the applicants that cannot follow instructions, by immediately rejecting anyone who cannot properly follow the application instructions. That said, many attorneys are also looking for someone who is capable of making their own trail, without always needing to be told exactly what to do.

10. Writer – Writing is one of the most important skills that any paralegal can have. You are going to be doing a lot of writing, both when communicating with clients and when communicating with the attorney. While you do not have to be Henry David Thoreau in order to be attractive to lawyers, having this basic communication skill mastered makes you a much better candidate.

Call us today with any questions regarding our paralegal services.   We would be happy to answer your questions.