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Legal research assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Chad Smith,
Eric Sader
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical legal research assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for legal research assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.5% of legal research assistant resumes contained proofread as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a legal research assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 legal research assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Proofread

Proofreading simply carefully checking your text for possible errors like typographical errors or mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling before it can be published or shared. This is generally known as the very last stage of any writing process when you need to fix minor spelling and punctuation mistakes, typos, formatting issues,


and inconsistencies.

Here's how legal research assistants use proofread:
  • Proofread, edit, and research various issues related to a forthcoming law review article submission focusing on animal law
  • Proofread and edited sixth edition of Sales textbook- Received an Acknowledgment in Sales textbook

2. Contract Law

Here's how legal research assistants use contract law:
  • Researched, analyzed and summarized contract law issues pertaining to specific language used in contracts and their impact between multiple jurisdictions.
  • Briefed and took notes on legal cases and statutes that relate to sports, tort and contract law.

6. International Law

International law refers to the set of governmental rules and regulations followed by a foreign country. In jobs where collaboration with other countries is required, e.g., in aviation-related jobs or import/exports, international law knowledge is essential. One must respect the country's law they are residing in, visiting, or working together. Most countries are strict about their rules, and if you break international law, the authorities can fine or even charge you.

Here's how legal research assistants use international law:
  • Researched international law and economic policy.
  • Conducted legal research on a range of issues dealing with public international law, with an emphasis on international criminal law

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7. Real Estate

Real estate is land that has buildings on it. This kind of property consists of permanent improvements either natural or man-made, which include, houses, fences, bridges, water trees, and minerals. There are 4 types of real estate namely; residential real estate, commercial real estate, industrial real estate, and vacant land.

Here's how legal research assistants use real estate:
  • Conduct legal research and draft memorandums on legal matters with regard to MA real estate law and environmental regulations.
  • Served as a research clerk to an attorney in a civil practice-centered on real estate/property litigation and business law.

8. Civil Procedure

Here's how legal research assistants use civil procedure:
  • Researched, drafted, edited and prepared text for Illinois Civil Procedure Before Trial, Volumes 3 and 4, 2005.
  • Investigated rules of civil procedure in an appeal as it pertained to the effect of instructional errors to jurors.

9. Intellectual Property

Intellectual properties refer to individuals' intangible or non-physical wealth, which results from their imaginations and intellect.

Here's how legal research assistants use intellectual property:
  • Conducted legal research on labor and environmental law as well as intellectual property; assisted university attorneys.
  • Researched and analyzed current utility and design patent issues for an intellectual property law professor.

10. Court Cases

Here's how legal research assistants use court cases:
  • Researched and developed educational publications on farm legislation, court cases, and agricultural topics.
  • Summarized recent New York court cases involving gender and race, family law, criminal law, and evidence.

11. Law Library

Here's how legal research assistants use law library:
  • Maintained general organization of law library.
  • Conducted legal research on issues as assigned by Professor using periodicals, law library, and online resources.

12. Criminal Law

Here's how legal research assistants use criminal law:
  • Researched the relationship among state, federal, and tribal criminal laws, primarily regarding search and seizure.
  • Practice areas include personal injury, criminal law, family law, business law and estate planning.

14. District Court

Here's how legal research assistants use district court:
  • Observed Trials in Clinton, MA District Court.
  • Research for the GAL Appellate Counsel at the NC Administrative Office of the Courts Reading/summarizing juvenile district court transcripts for appellate review

15. Social Security

Social security is a federal government program that offers benefits to those registered under it when they are retired or can't work because of some sort of disabilities.

Here's how legal research assistants use social security:
  • Draft appellate briefs for claimant's filing for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income benefits.
  • Collaborate with nationwide law firms to assist in appeals of disability benefits to the United States Social Security Administration.
top-skills

What skills help Legal Research Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on legal research assistant resumes?

Chad Smith

Director of Legal Programs, Catholic University of America

For paralegal's skills that stand out particularly in the current market:
-Experience with technology, online platforms, digital/online research (Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law)
-Telework/telecommuting, e-discovery and cloud computing/services, document creation and formatting
-Communication/writing skills and specifically the ability to understand the law and communicate legal matters effectively for court, layman clients, and attorneys
-The ability to write effective legal documents that are clear, concise, and complete
-Organization, efficiency, time management, and case management

I definitely emphasize the requirement of computer skills, as personally, I would not hire any paralegal who is not very competent and comfortable working digitally. Additionally, case management and the ability to juggle many cases at a time is extremely important. It definitely stands out when a paralegal has experience managing a large caseload and can produce quality legal pleadings in a very efficient manner.

What type of skills will young legal research assistants need?

Eric Sader

Lecturer, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University Bloomington

The emphasis on high-level interpersonal skills is expected to continue. More than ever, graduates need to expect the unexpected in a turbulent and changing world. Those employees who best have exemplified leadership, active listening, patience, flexibility, and responsibility during recent months are assuredly ones management will look to for future promotions and advancement opportunities. Absolutely, technology is more important than ever, but what is it about personalities that we often see as "tech-savvy"? Sure, it helps to have grown up in the Internet age, but more broadly these personalities are often those who crave learning and new experiences, who are willing and eager to adapt to new modalities. And these traits are not limited to students of any age, with rewards far beyond the keyboard.

List of legal research assistant skills to add to your resume

Legal research assistant skills

The most important skills for a legal research assistant resume and required skills for a legal research assistant to have include:

  • Proofread
  • Contract Law
  • Legal Issues
  • Legal Memoranda
  • Legal Analysis
  • International Law
  • Real Estate
  • Civil Procedure
  • Intellectual Property
  • Court Cases
  • Law Library
  • Criminal Law
  • Legal Articles
  • District Court
  • Social Security
  • Bluebook
  • Trial Preparation
  • Subpoenas
  • Legal Research
  • Administrative Tasks
  • Client Interviews
  • Client Intake
  • Interrogatories
  • Employment Law
  • Criminal Cases
  • Family Law
  • Administrative Law
  • Legal Cases
  • Legal Arguments
  • Constitutional Law
  • Research Assistance
  • Civil Rights
  • Demand Letters
  • Pacer
  • Arbitration
  • Criminal Defense
  • Domestic Violence
  • Property Law
  • State Statutes
  • Law Firm
  • Estate Planning
  • Legal Briefs
  • Legal Correspondence
  • Employment Discrimination
  • Court Proceedings
  • Appellate Briefs
  • Legal Resources
  • Human Rights

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.