How to hire an assistant paralegal

How to hire an assistant paralegal, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant paralegal hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant paralegal job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant paralegal
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post an assistant paralegal job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your assistant paralegal job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an assistant paralegal for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an assistant paralegal to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an assistant paralegal that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of assistant paralegal salaries for various roles:

   Type of Assistant Paralegal	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Paralegal	Paralegals and legal assistants do a variety of tasks to support lawyers, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents.	$14-49
   Legal Administrator	The job of legal administrative assistants is to provide support to lawyers and paralegals. They typically perform legal research, manage schedules, and draft legal-related documents... Show more	$15-31
   Law Internship	A law internship is a program that is designed for law students to give them valuable insight into the professional lives of attorneys and judges. Law interns need to understand and observe what being a lawyer involves... Show more	$11-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Law Firm
   • Litigation
   • Paralegals
   • Status Reports
   • Legal Research
   • Subpoenas
   • Support Letters
   • Management System
   • USCIS
   • Foreign Nationals
   • Proofread
   • I-140
   • Immigration Benefits
   • Citizenship

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead communications with courts, and other regulatory authorities in multiple state jurisdictions to ensure jurisdictional and regulatory compliance in litigation.
   • Assist asbestos supervising attorney in all litigation tasks for product liability suits.
   • Produce innovative bankruptcy PowerPoint marketing presentation
   • Assist in depositions, providing administrative support to prominent law firms and DOJ officials.
   • Analyze and relay intelligence communications of significance to appropriate DOJ officials.
   • Edit and compile legal documents relating to military separations and courts-martial

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your assistant paralegal job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An assistant paralegal can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, assistant paralegals' average salary in south carolina is 51% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level assistant paralegals 71% less than senior-level assistant paralegals.
   • Certifications. An assistant paralegal with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an assistant paralegal's salary.

   Average assistant paralegal salary

   $55,677yearly

   $26.77 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant paralegal salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing an assistant paralegal job description

   A job description for an assistant paralegal role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an assistant paralegal job description:

   Assistant paralegal job description example

   Orlans is seeking forward-thinking Litigation Paralegal to join our dynamic and growing family of law firms and real property focused companies. We strive to hire forward-thinking attorneys that share our firm's values and our focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
   Strive to make an impact:
   
   At Orlans PC you will find that one of our most important values is to be authentic and open, we embrace change and recognize the status quo is ripe for innovation. This position will allow you work with us to improve our processes, client service and business. From our employee led committees, to our many opportunities to provide feedback you matter at Orlans PC.
   
   What you can expect in your role as an Orlans' Litigation Paralegal:
   
   + Responsible for preparing draft correspondence and draft legal documents such as motions, complaints notices, orders and other pleadings in accordance with instructions and prescribed procedures; finalizes and ensures timely filing of legal documents with the courts.
   
   + Maintains proper scanning/uploading of electronic versions of documents in electronic system and indexing and filing of hard copy legal documents and designated correspondence in the litigation/hearing files.
   
   + Responsible for performing research including specifically internet, on-line dockets, people locator services as requested or required.
   
   + Responsible for communicating with clients of our company, court personnel, and opposing/debtors' counsel regarding the status of cases, and ensures that client vendor websites are reviewed and updated daily in accordance with our company and client requirements.
   
   + May be responsible for preparing and sending outgoing communications via appropriate methods, including e-mail, USPS, courier, facsimile, and overnight delivery.
   
   + Responsible for proactively monitoring and timely notification of attorney of scheduled events as noted on the Legal Department Master Calendar and on the Outlook calendar of assigned attorney, including monitoring dockets and court dates, and schedules appointments as requested.
   
   + Responsible for preparing, updating and reviewing task reports daily and ensuring timely completion of assigned tasks.
   
   These are the areas of knowledge and experience we are seeking in a Paralegal?
   
   + File and e-file with courts.
   
   + Real Estate, Foreclosure, default industry experience a plus.
   
   + Bachelor's degree preferred.
   
   + Must have general knowledge of court procedures (VA, MD, DC, DE); experience with local court processes and procedures preferred.
   
   + At least 2 years of law firm experience in litigation.
   
   + Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required; capable of working individually as well as part of a team.
   
   + Excellent telephone etiquette and command of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar required.
   
   + Position requires knowledge of technology, including common software platforms used by the organization. Strong Windows and MS Windows and Office (including Word and Excel) experience required.
   
   Perks of joining Orlans PC:
   
   + Flex time - Flexible work schedules and the ability to work from home.
   
   + Rev Down Time - A progressive time off plan that allows you to request time off when you need. No accruals and no waiting time for the benefit.
   
   + Company provided and paid career training and development
   
   + Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
   
   + 401K/Roth plans with company sponsored match
   
   + Mentorship program with senior leadership
   
   Orlans is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   Qualifications
   
   Education
   
   Required
   
   + High School or better
   
   Preferred
   
   + Bachelors or better
   
   Experience
   
   Required
   
   + 2 years: Law firm experience

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right assistant paralegal for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant paralegal job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant paralegal candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit assistant paralegals, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant paralegal

   Once you have selected a candidate for the assistant paralegal position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new assistant paralegal first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an assistant paralegal?