How to hire an executive legal assistant

How to hire an executive legal assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step executive legal 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 executive legal assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new executive legal assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an executive legal assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The executive legal assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 executive legal 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 executive legal assistant that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of executive legal assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Executive Legal Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive Legal Assistant	Paralegals and legal assistants do a variety of tasks to support lawyers, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents.	$17-36
   Paralegal	Paralegals are law firm or legal department employees who work on cases with lawyers. They handle different activities, usually administrative or clerical, such as organizing and maintaining files, updating records, and managing correspondences, among others... Show more	$16-33
   Contractor-Paralegal	A Contractor-Paralegal works for a law firm or corporate legal department for a specified amount of time, or for a specified task. They can be specialized in the entertainment industry or in providing services to healthcare companies and insurance providers.	$17-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Expense Reports
   • Litigation
   • Law Firm
   • Real Estate
   • Calendar Management
   • Legal Research
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Word Processing
   • SharePoint
   • Conference Calls
   • Telephone Calls
   • Subpoenas
   • Provides Administrative Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage transactions involving the sale or purchase of publicly trade securities, both equity and debt instruments.
   • Manage litigation discovery process, including coordinating electronic and tangible document production, as well as litigation record hold obligations.
   • Provide administrative support to attorneys with mergers and acquisitions and due diligence procedures.
   • Prepare legal documents, assist clients with their legal needs, notary, general office duties
   • Complete & record minutes of meetings, using a variety of shorthand, or machine transcription.
   • Provide notary assistance as requested.

   More executive legal assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your executive legal assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An executive legal assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an executive legal assistant in Wyoming may be lower than in California, and an entry-level executive legal assistant usually earns less than a senior-level executive legal assistant. Additionally, an executive legal assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average executive legal assistant salary

   $53,442yearly

   $25.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level executive legal assistant salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average executive legal assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$72,427	$35
   2	New York	$66,677	$32
   3	Washington	$64,376	$31
   4	New Jersey	$63,684	$31
   5	Oregon	$63,553	$31
   6	District of Columbia	$61,909	$30
   7	Pennsylvania	$59,085	$28
   8	Arizona	$58,397	$28
   9	Utah	$55,836	$27
   10	Connecticut	$55,789	$27
   11	Illinois	$55,554	$27
   12	Massachusetts	$53,839	$26
   13	Colorado	$53,740	$26
   14	Texas	$52,199	$25
   15	Virginia	$51,519	$25
   16	Maryland	$51,339	$25
   17	Georgia	$49,513	$24
   18	Nebraska	$48,986	$24
   19	Michigan	$48,684	$23
   20	Florida	$45,118	$22

   Average executive legal assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PayPal	$76,520	$36.79	8
   2	First Solar	$68,697	$33.03
   3	Ropes & Gray	$67,750	$32.57	9
   4	Morgan Stanley	$64,043	$30.79	9
   5	Arvinas Inc.	$61,589	$29.61
   6	UC Hastings Law	$61,531	$29.58
   7	InterContinental Hotels Group Resources, Inc.	$61,313	$29.48	1
   8	Burns & McDonnell	$60,746	$29.20	2
   9	Amazon	$60,411	$29.04	168
   10	Suffolk Construction	$60,202	$28.94	10
   11	Boeing	$58,936	$28.33	7
   12	AmerisourceBergen	$57,804	$27.79
   13	WestRock	$57,423	$27.61
   14	Carlisle Companies	$56,094	$26.97
   15	Crane Co.	$55,965	$26.91
   16	Evolent Health	$55,776	$26.82
   17	Tory Burch	$55,423	$26.65
   18	RGBSI	$54,628	$26.26
   19	IHG Owners Association	$54,510	$26.21	1
   20	The Walt Disney Company	$54,388	$26.15	25

4. Writing an executive legal assistant job description

   An executive legal 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. To help get you started, here's an example of an executive legal assistant job description:

   Executive legal assistant job description example

   WalkMe pioneered the Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) to empower business leaders to realize the promise of technology in today's overwhelming digital world. Through WalkMe's guidance, engagement, insights, and automation, employees are more efficient, executives have better visibility into digital usage, and organizations maximize the full value of their digital assets to empower digital transformation.
   About the Role
   WalkMe is looking for an Executive Assistant to support two leaders of our organization. The position will report directly to both our General Counsel and the Senior Director of Investor Relations. You will be the right-hand person providing strategical, tactical and operational support for investor relations and the Board. By being process and operationally focused, you will allow the General Counsel to focus on strategic matters within the company.
   
   What You'll OwnBuild relationships across the business and maintaining a comprehensive awareness of the organization Oversee multiple tasks - both large and small and act as project manager to ensure completion of important deliverables Prepare documents and presentations on behalf of the General Counsel for internal, external and Board of Director meetings Organize team activities (staff meetings, all-hands) by preparing agenda, taking notes, and following up on actions with team members Summarize information quickly and translate to/from the General CounselManage events and travel for the General Counsel and Senior Director, Investor RelationsHave fun at work and create a positive environment for team members Provide administrative support to the General Counsel, including meeting/event organization, office space management, legal training development, and department communication Assist clients of the Legal Department with general questions and inquiries relating to existing contracts Manage contract repositories and related resources; maintain corporate books, corporate filings, and records management Manage vendors, Purchase Orders, and budget for the Legal department
   What You Need to SucceedFive or more years as an executive assistant supporting executive leadership or General CounselTwo years of relevant legal operations experience (can be a combination of corporate paralegal experience in a major law firm and an in-house legal department experience) You are process-driven, think several steps ahead, and can create plans and contingencies Project management and calendar experience You know when to share information and when to keep it private You understand how to balance competing urgent priorities You're willing to provide a variety of support, even if it's a new skill for you
   What you will love about us!Comprehensive Health Care Coverage for Medical, Dental, and Vision for our Employees and Families, 401(k) with company matching program, Parental Leave programs, and a vacation policy to encourage a healthy work-life balance.WalkMe offices are open during Covid-19 for those who chose to come (vaccines required) with in-person and virtual social activities to promote positive employee engagement
   At WalkMe, we approach Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) with the same level of collaboration, innovation and accountability that we bring to the rest of our business. We believe in the value of diversity and are committed to ensuring an equitable and inclusive workplace where every employee has an equal opportunity to achieve success.
   
   We've made this commitment not only because it's the right thing to do, but also because we know that having diverse perspectives, experiences and identities on our team helps us to better meet the diverse needs of our global clients. While we're not yet where we want to be, our goal is to create a workplace as fair and inclusive as our business is category defining. And at WalkMe, we achieve our goals.
   
   TO ALL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES: WalkMe does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to WalkMe employees or any other company location. WalkMe is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with the Company for this specific role.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right executive legal assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with executive legal assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit executive legal assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit executive legal assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 executive legal assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the executive legal 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new executive legal 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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