Free template
Paralegal job description
A ready-to-use job description for a law firm paralegal: what the job covers, who to look for, how to measure it and what to ask in the interview. Copy it, fill in the bracketed parts and post it.
The template
Paralegal
[Firm name] is hiring a paralegal to prepare the legal work our attorneys review and sign: drafting from our templates, summarizing records, organizing discovery and preparing filings, under the supervision of [supervising attorney].
What you will do
- Draft [pleadings, discovery, correspondence and demand letters] from our templates for attorney review.
- Summarize medical records, depositions and documents, with page references an attorney can check.
- Organize and track discovery: requests, responses, productions and deadlines.
- Prepare filings and exhibits, and file them [electronically] once an attorney approves.
- Calendar court and agency dates and track every deadline.
- Keep clients informed of case status, as directed by the attorney.
- Research questions the attorney assigns and summarize the sources found.
What you bring
- [Paralegal certificate or degree, or the paralegal qualifications your state requires]
- [Two or more] years as a paralegal in [your practice area]
- Clear, accurate writing, and comfort working from templates and attorney feedback
- Daily use of case management and document management systems
- Knows the limits of the role: no legal advice, and nothing filed or sent without attorney approval
Nice to have
- Experience filing in [your courts or agencies]
- [Spanish and English]
Schedule and pay
[Full-time or part-time], [days, hours and time zone], [in office, hybrid or remote]. Pay: [range], plus [benefits].
How to apply
[How to apply, and what to include]
Text in brackets is yours to fill in or delete.
How to measure the role
Agree on targets with the attorney who oversees the work, and review them weekly for the first 90 days.
- Turnaround on drafts
- Rounds of revision per draft
- Deadlines met
- Summaries an attorney can use without rework
- The size of the open task list
Interview questions
Include at least one work sample. It shows more in ten minutes than an hour of conversation.
1Summarize this short medical record, with page references.
Listen for: A work sample: accurate dates, providers and findings, each with a page cite.
2Draft responses to these three interrogatories from our template.
Listen for: A work sample: follows the template, flags what needs attorney input.
3How do you track discovery deadlines?
Listen for: A system tied to the calendar, with reminders before each date.
4The attorney’s instructions conflict with the template. What do you do?
Listen for: They ask, rather than guess, and note the answer for next time.
5A client asks what their case is worth. What do you say?
Listen for: They do not answer it; they pass the question to the attorney.
Questions
What does a paralegal earn?
BLS groups paralegals with legal assistants. That category had a median of $62,890 a year in the United States and $77,390 in California in 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). With benefits and payroll costs, the U.S. median comes to about $7,487 a month.
Can I use this template as it is?
Yes. Fill in the bracketed parts, remove any that don’t apply, and check it against your state’s employment rules before you post it.
Can I hire a remote paralegal instead?
Yes. A dedicated remote paralegal from Legal Staffing Pros is $2,995–$3,395 a month, full-time, recruited, paid and managed by us, with no setup fee. You interview the shortlist and choose.
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 data (via O*NET OnLine), Paralegals and legal assistants (23-2011). Benefits and payroll costs: wages and salaries were 70.0% of private employers’ compensation costs in June 2026 (BLS), so monthly cost = annual pay ÷ 0.70 ÷ 12.
More templates: legal intake specialist, case manager, legal assistant, legal receptionist.
Tell us who you need. We’ll show you who’s available.
A short call covers the role, the hours, your software and your budget. You interview everyone before anyone starts, and you pay nothing until they do.