How to hire an attorney's assistant

How to hire an attorney's assistant, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your attorney's assistant 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 attorney's assistant 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 attorney's assistant 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 attorney's assistant that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of attorney's assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Attorney's Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Attorney's Assistant	Paralegals and legal assistants do a variety of tasks to support lawyers, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents.	$16-37
   Legal Clerk	A legal clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to legal offices and organizations to ensure smooth legal business operations. Legal clerks sort and distribute documents to the appropriate personnel, update information on the database, schedule appointments, respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, and document meeting objectives... Show more	$11-23
   Bankruptcy Paralegal	A Bankruptcy Paralegal assists lawyers and their clients through the bankruptcy process. Their primary duties include collecting and reviewing paperwork for petitions, drafting pleadings, and preparing all documents required by the bankruptcy court.	$14-49

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Law Firm
   • Litigation
   • Pleadings
   • Legal Research
   • Trial Preparation
   • Expense Reports
   • Real Estate
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Court Hearings
   • Subpoenas
   • Conference Calls
   • Deposition Summaries
   • Discovery Responses
   • Law Enforcement

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage active caseload of labor arbitrations.
   • Assist patent attorneys by managing invention disclosure documentation and relate correspondence with outside counsel and USPTO.
   • Draft jury demands, discovery responses, subpoenas, and closing letters for the attorney's cases.
   • Draft legal complaints, summons and interrogatories.
   • Handle significant criminal, juvenile and probate cases.
   • Experience with presentation of software such as PowerPoint.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your attorney's assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An attorney's assistant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, attorney's assistants' average salary in florida is 47% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level attorney's assistants earn 55% less than senior-level attorney's assistants.
   • Certifications. An attorney's assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an attorney's assistant's salary.

   Average attorney's assistant salary

   $52,855yearly

   $25.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level attorney's assistant salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing an attorney's assistant job description

   An attorney's assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an attorney's assistant job description:

   Attorney's assistant job description example

   Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) announces an immediate opening for two (2) full-time Staff Attorney positions in the Prince George’s County office. This position handles all functions related to legal advocacy with a focus on Children in Need of Assistance (CINA) cases. The staff attorney’s responsibilities range from handling case in the juvenile court, appeals and other related forums. The staff attorney must attend required trainings for the CINA practice and participate in outreach activities and clinics. Participation in CINA Workgroup Court Meetings, Legal Aid Task Forces, and other internal Maryland Legal Aid committees is required. Tasks assigned to staff attorneys may include any or all of, but are not necessarily limited to the following:

   Duties and Responsibilities:

   • Represent clients as assigned by the court and make referrals, as appropriate.
   • Conduct preliminary and subsequent interviews with clients.
   • Conduct factual investigation and analysis as well as legal research.
   • Advise clients of results of investigation and research and counsel clients regarding their options.
   • Draft pleadings to include complaints, answers, and counter-complaints, etc.
   • Draft memoranda of law, briefs, etc.
   • Develop case theory and strategy for the representation of clients.
   • Prepare cases and represent clients during negotiations and in hearings, trials, and appeals.
   • Work with various community groups and accept speaking engagements as assigned by supervisors and chiefs.
   • Continue professional development and education through attendance at trainings and other programs sponsored by the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau.
   • Maintain case records for clients in the LegalServer case management system.
   • Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the essential functions of the position.

   Qualifications:

   Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland, or admitted in another jurisdiction. Strong knowledge of WestLaw Edge research.

   EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find attorney's assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any attorney's assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level attorney's assistants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit attorney's assistants, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 attorney's assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the attorney's assistant 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new attorney's assistant 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.)

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