What a law firm should tell a recruiter before a paralegal or legal assistant search

Describe the practice, not just the title

"Paralegal" covers a lot of ground. A paralegal who spends the day building discovery binders has a different working life from one who handles client intake, calendars and the occasional emergency filing. Two firms can post the same title and want completely different people. So the first thing to give your recruiter is a plain description of what the person will do on a normal Tuesday.

Start with your practice areas and how the work flows. Who hands the paralegal assignments? How many attorneys will they support? Is the pace steady, or does it surge around deadlines? A candidate who thrives in a quiet, detail-heavy practice may be miserable in a fast one, and the reverse is just as true. None of that shows up in a resume.

Be honest about why the seat is open

Recruiters can work around almost any reason a seat is open, but they can't work around one they never heard. If the last person left because the workload doubled, say so. If the role is new because the firm is growing, say that. If you've gone through two people in a short stretch, your recruiter needs to know, because there may be something in the match that needs to change.

This is uncomfortable for some managing partners, who worry it makes the firm look bad. It does the opposite. A recruiter who understands the real situation can describe the job accurately to candidates, and candidates who take the job knowing the truth are far more likely to stay. Surprises are what make new hires leave.

The tools, the supervisors and the unwritten rules

Every firm has its own systems: how files are named, how time gets recorded, which software runs the calendar. If a candidate needs to already know your case management or billing tools, say which ones. If you're happy to train the right person on them, say that too, because it widens the pool considerably.

Then there are the unwritten rules. Does the senior partner expect a call returned within the hour? Is the office formal, or do people eat lunch together? Is the dress code strict? Candidates ask about these things in interviews, and when they hear the answer for the first time from you, it can land badly. Better that the recruiter has already prepared them.

What you need now and what you can teach

Sit down before the search and sort your requirements into two piles. The first holds what the person must already have, the things you can't or won't teach. The second holds what would be nice but isn't a dealbreaker. Firms that skip this step tend to describe a perfect candidate who doesn't exist, then reject real people for missing something minor.

• Experience in a specific practice area, or willingness to learn one.
• Comfort with your document, billing and calendar tools, or openness to training.
• Judgment with confidential material, which no software can supply.
• Writing and proofreading standards, and how much review you'll do yourself.
• Schedule expectations, including how you handle a late filing or a court deadline.
• Whether the role supports one attorney or a whole group.

Rank that list. If you can only have four of the six, which four? A recruiter who knows your priorities can put the right three candidates in front of you instead of ten who each match a different item.

Talk about where the job can go

Good legal support staff think about their future, and the best ones want to know whether the job has somewhere to go. Can a legal assistant grow into a paralegal role at your firm? Do paralegals get more responsibility as they prove themselves? You don't have to promise anything. But if there is a real path, say so, because it changes who applies and how long they stay.

One Google review from a candidate describes being placed at two different positions with lawyers, "both long years of employment and both great places to work and grow." That's the outcome worth aiming for on both sides: a firm that gets someone steady, and a person who gets a place to build a career.

Decide how you'll decide

Before the first interview, settle who makes the call and how many rounds there will be. Law firms are busy places, and candidates get discouraged when a process drags or a decision-maker is unreachable. Good people are usually weighing more than one option, and they won't wait politely forever.

Tell your recruiter your interview calendar, who needs to meet the candidate, and what feedback you'll give afterward. Quick, honest feedback helps the recruiter refine the next round of candidates, and it keeps strong people interested.

Cream City Recruiters places attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants and legal secretaries across the Milwaukee area. If you have a legal support seat to fill, call (414) 739-7299 or use the /contact-us page, and start the conversation with the plain version of what the job is.