Judicial Clerk

Describe the systems you use to stay organized. How do you prioritize your workload? How do you plan and schedule your work tasks and activities? How do you stay focused and productive despite interruptions and conflicting demands on your time?

This is a good opportunity to highlight the paralegal software you are familiar with such as Lexis/Nexis, Concordance, CaseMap.

☛ Most people are uncomfortable with it, but it’s really a great opportunity to make an impression.

☛ Treat it like an essay in school and think about it before hand.

☛ Draw a correlation between how you describe yourself and the job description, be subtle, but connect your personality with the firm’s work.

☛ “What do you know about our firm?” How can this question be best handled?

☛ If you’re using a recruiter, they will do the necessary research and tell you everything you need to know beforehand.

☛ If not, always do your research. Use the Internet.

☛ Learn about the firm’s philosophy, successes, and history.

☛ Rehearse! Write up practice questions and answers.

☛ Do it in front of the mirror.

☛ Have a friend or relative ask you questions.

☛ Be thoroughly prepared for every possible question. Its better to be over-prepared than to be caught off guard.

☛ Be conscious of the telltale signs of nervous behavior, fidgeting, stammering, saying “you know”

☛ Try to relax, but don’t get too relaxed. Revealing too many personal details, taking off your shoes, or treating the interviewer like one of your pals can make you look like a crazy person.

There was an instance when a client we figured to be lying wanted to make us believe otherwise. It was a sensitive case and we couldn’t be too careful. He would come in to the office and threaten us when the office refused to take his case. He almost made it into a hostage situation when he tried abducting one of the secretaries. I took over the situation and calmly convinced him to leave.

Almost every interviewer will ask this question and, “Because I am the best candidate for the job,” is not the right answer. The interviewer wants to know why you are the best candidate. You will want to talk about your skills and accomplishments as well as what you can can do for the company or firm. You might say, for example, “Because I have the experience you are looking for and my creativity and problem solving abilities can make this company money” or “Because my research and organizational skills, combined with my ability to get things done would make me a valuable asset to this firm.”

☛ Put it behind you.

☛ Don’t let it get you down because everybody has bad interviews.

☛ The most important thing is to always appear enthusiastic. After a bad interview, be sure not to let it show in the next interview. Lawyers need to be “up” when appearing in front of judges or clients, so it is crucial to show that you have an upbeat personality.

☛ Getting rejected after an interview is usually not your fault. Internal firm politics and issues of personal chemistry generally play a very heavy role in employment decision-making.

☛ Clothes aren’t the most important factor, but they can’t be underestimated.

☛ No one ever got a job for dressing nicely, but people have lost out on jobs for not dressing nicely.

☛ Always go for a more conservative style of dress:

☛ Men: suit, tie, leather shoes

☛ Women: business skirt, low-heeled conservative shoes; avoid perfume and flashy jewelry.

☛ Even if the firm is more casual, dress conservative for the interview.

Attorneys and staff bill at different hourly rates, and most attorneys charge their hourly rates against the retainer. Some attorneys bill in quarter-hour increments, and some in 6-minute increments. Some bill for each phone call, email or letter, with a minimum charge. Sometimes attorneys charge a higher rate for going to court. Ask how often you can expect to receive an itemized billing.

I am an individual with high attention to detail. I check and recheck my work continuously and make sure that there are no errors.

Don’t be surprised if the attorney doesn’t have a straight-forward answer for this one, since how long it takes and the cost depends on how cooperative each side is as well the complexities of the case. If there’s a custody battle or complicated business and property issues, a divorce can take a year or longer.

Every lawyer should review with their clients the possibility of a negotiated resolution prior to trial. In criminal matters, for example, you may be able to get a good plea bargain. In civil cases, your lawyer might propose mediation, a settlement negotiation process involving a neutral third-party. Other times, arbitration might be an option. Arbitration— using a private service to adjudicate a dispute—is a less formal, less costly, and faster way of getting a decision in some civil matters.

I am a dedicated paralegal professional with law education and ample experience in the field. I posses all the core competencies needed for the routine legal assistance tasks and am proficient in legal research and report writing as well.

Lawyers should outline the possible ways to handle a case and then explain why they have chosen a particular strategy, including the pros and cons.

I enjoyed my job a lot and it provided me with great opportunities to learn. However it was limited to family law and I wanted to broaden my horizons in the law field.

Find out how much the retainer is, and what it will cover. If you reconcile or change attorneys, will the unused portion of your retainer be refunded to you? Will there be additional retainers be required when the initial retainer is depleted?

Focus on what you can do for the organization - your legal knowledge, abilities, legal experience and skills.

A paralegal needs to use tact and diplomacy when dealing with sensitive and confidential issues and situations. Provide a specific example.

It shows you’re paying attention and capable of critical thinking.

Ask for more details about job responsibilities, how work is assigned, possibilities for advancement, and possibilities for independent decision-making.