Litigation is a process like no other. A team preparing for or participating in litigation must work together well, anticipate a vast range of potential problems, prepare for many eventualities that may or may not occur, and focus on keeping a client’s information confidential and the flow of the trial moving in the client’s favor.
Because litigation demands particular skills and traits, legal assistants who specialize in litigation need these traits as well. Here are some of the top traits litigation legal assistants need and how to spot them in the recruiting process:
Confidentiality
All areas of law require a sensitivity to confidential information and the maturity not to disclose it. In litigation, however, these traits can be pushed to the limit. Legal assistants must be able to focus their conversations only on those directly connected with the file – a trait that requires the ability not only to identify confidential information, but to recognize that there are places, times, and situations in which confidential client information should not be discussed even with the “right” people.
Behavioral interview questions that focus on confidentiality challenges the candidate has tackled in the past can be a good way to explore a legal assistant candidate’s grasp of this delicate area.
Organization
The best litigation lawyers display an encyclopedic command of the facts in any particular case and a keen understanding of the legal issues that interconnect each of those facts. Behind these courtroom performers, however, stand legal assistants whose pristine organizational skills make it possible for their team members to find any document at a moment’s notice.
To examine a candidate’s organizational skills, specifically ask their references about the candidate’s track record in this area. Remember, however, that “more” organization isn’t always “better”: paradoxically, great organizational skills often produce deceptively simple and intuitive results.
Patience
Whether they’re helping protect a client against potential litigation, preparing for trial, or providing backup during the trial or appeal phase, litigation legal assistants find themselves “in the thick of things.” They need strong communication skills to handle the multiple demands of their co-workers, the lawyers, clients, court staff, and other participants.
Patience and a sense of perspective in dealing with people is key. Behavioral interview questions can help interviewers test a candidate’s ability to maintain perspective in a maelstrom of competing needs.
At Kent Legal, our experienced recruiters know what traits litigation legal assistants need, and we strive to match candidates to the law firm or legal department that fits them best. Contact us today to learn more about our great legal support job opportunities in Toronto and beyond.