If you will be interviewing for a position as a legal secretary, you should arrive prepared to answer questions confidently and clearly. Practicing with the following legal secretary interview questions and answers will help you show up to your interview ready to ‘wow’ your potential employer.
What Will You Bring to the Company?
You will need to show that you understand the type of law that the firm practices and discuss the reasons why your expertise make you the best person for the job. You may choose to answer with something such as “I understand that your firm specializes in criminal law. During college, I took courses in criminal law and I understand the ins and outs. I am very detail oriented, so you can rest assured that each document I prepare will be 100% accurate. I am a very good communicator, so speaking with people over the telephone or even face-to-face is something I enjoy.” Be sure to tailor your answer to the needs of the company based upon the type of law in which it specializes.
Can You Describe a Tough Case in which You Participated?
Even if you do not have work experience as a legal secretary, it is likely that you participated in one or more cases during an internship. If you did not, you have undoubtedly read about many cases. Be honest with your interviewer about your experience, and only discuss cases you have only read about if you do not have any work or internship experience. You might discuss the first case your firm lost, a difficult case that your firm eventually won, or a legal battle that is still ongoing. In either case, be sure to explain how that case shaped you into the legal secretary you are today.
How Well Do You Multitask?
As a legal secretary, you will be asked to answer telephone calls, prepare documents and reports, mail letters and other correspondence, look up legal cases that pertain to the firm’s current cases and much more. You will need to be able to multitask very well in order to get the job done right. “I understand that a law firm can be very busy and that my ability to multitask is crucial. I am capable of performing many tasks at once, but I take the time to focus on each task as I am working toward its completion” is a great way to answer this question. It shows that you can do more than one thing at once but that you will not lose sight of what is important along the way.
How Do You Handle Disgruntled Clients?
Even the best lawyer loses a case from time to time, and this can result in a barrage of letters, emails and telephone calls from upset clients and their families. This can be very discouraging if you are not prepared to handle it. “I understand that people will become frustrated from time to time. The best way to handle the situation is to listen very carefully to the individual’s complaint and then look into the matter further. Providing an explanation of the circumstances that is friendly, empathetic and to-the-point is key” is a great way to start your answer. Be more specific if your interviewer provides you with a specific scenario.
A legal secretary provides a very important service, and a law firm or practice would certainly fail without him or her. When interviewing for this position, be sure to show your familiarity with the specialty of law and put a focus on your administrative skills.
