What are 10 things attorneys look for in a paralegal?
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- Attention to Detail
- Problem-solving
- Technology Skills
- Proactive Mindset
- Professionalism & Accountability
- Time Management
- Research Skills
- A Positive Attitude
- Communication Skills
- Organization Skills
You can watch the video or read below.
I get asked this question a lot: what exactly do attorneys look for when hiring a paralegal? Or, what is it that makes an attorney want to work with one paralegal over another?
So I asked them. Whether you’re new to the paralegal profession or you’ve been in it for a while and you’re thinking about putting yourself out there to look at other job opportunities, I think you’ll get a ton of value from this.
Before we jump in, I should give you an idea of who I asked and where these answers come from.
Let me start by saying that this wasn’t easy getting answers at first, because it’s a pretty open-ended question and most attorneys don’t like open-ended questions (especially litigation attorneys!) and 6 out of the 10 were litigation attorneys. Two others were in-house doing corporate and transactional law, one was in family law, and the last one was in real estate.
So at first I’d ask the question, what do you look for in a paralegal, and there was silence. I decided a better approach would be to give them my top 3 and ask if they agreed and if they had anything to add. That worked much better!
I’m going to start with just the general statement and then give you what I’ll call a “Pro Tip”, a direct quote from an attorney on that topic.
And stick around to the end, because I also want to give you some actionable strategies, because knowing what attorneys look for is only half the battle. The other half is proving you have it.
1. Attention to Detail
Having a high level of attention to detail is more than just good proofreading skills. As a paralegal, this skill includes focusing on minute details while also looking at the big picture, all while meeting strict deadlines set by a judge, a court rule, or a regulation.
Just like your other skills, attention to detail is something you can continually improve. I know a lot of people think you’re either born with a high level of attention to detail or you’re not. That’s not true. There are absolutely things you can do to sharpen this skill.
In 2026, attention to detail takes on a new dimension. With AI-assisted drafting becoming part of everyday legal work, paralegals are increasingly being asked to review and quality-check AI-generated content, and that requires an even sharper eye. AI doesn’t catch nuance. AI doesn’t have real-world experience working as a paralegal. You do.
💡 Pro Tip From An Attorney: Attorneys are not the grammar police. They are not doing that final review to find errors in headings, case captions, pronoun use, or grammar. Attorneys are doing that final review for substance and to make sure the document makes the legal argument they are trying to put forward, to the court, the client, or opposing counsel., the client, or opposing counsel.
2. Problem-Solving
A problem-solver is someone who focuses on the problem as stated and tries to synthesize information and knowledge to achieve a solution. Compare that to someone who simply recognizes that a problem exists and reports it to the attorney-in-charge for them to solve.
The problem-solver paralegal recognizes a problem, comes up with one or two possible action steps to solve it, and THEN approaches the attorney with the problem and the proposed solution(s).
This skill is more critical than ever. With leaner staffing at many firms, attorneys simply don’t have the bandwidth to be handed problems without proposed solutions. The paralegals who advance their careers are the ones who show up to that conversation already thinking like the attorney.
⭐ Level Up: Before you walk into your attorney’s office with a problem, ask yourself: “What would I do if I were the attorney here?” That mental shift alone will change how you approach challenges
3. Technology Skills
Paralegals who had advanced technology skills used to have a competitive advantage in the legal profession. Now it’s a baseline requirement. Technology is never going away and never standing still.
This goes well beyond word processing. Working in the legal profession means having a strong working knowledge of:
- Law firm billing and timekeeping software
- Video conferencing and collaboration platforms
- Docketing and deadline management software
- Document management systems
- Digital filing and e-filing applications
- Online legal research tools (Westlaw, Lexis+, Fastcase, etc.)
- Online court and clerk portals
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll also need practice-specific technology skills, including e-discovery tools, trial technology, contract management platforms, and more.
And in 2026, we need to add artificial intelligence to this list. AI tools are actively being used for legal research, document review, contract analysis, deposition summaries, and more. Paralegals who understand how to use AI tools responsibly and effectively, and how to verify their output, are becoming invaluable members of the legal team.
⭐ Level Up: Don’t wait for your firm to train you on AI. Explore tools like Harvey, CoCounsel, or even general-purpose AI tools on your own. Bring solutions to your team, not just awareness.
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4. Proactive Mindset
To some new paralegals, being proactive might sound like you’re being asked to read an attorney’s mind. The attorney won’t expect you to read their mind, but they are looking for someone who is good at anticipating the needs of the file, the case, or the transaction.
A paralegal with a proactive mindset prioritizes tasks so that they’re done when the attorney needs them done. You seek out work rather than waiting for it to land in your inbox. You can sense when the attorney is starting to become overwhelmed, and you know when to step in. In short, you think ahead.
The only way to think ahead is to know your files like the back of your hand. You need a real game plan for how you’re going to keep up with everything happening across every file you manage simultaneously.
⭐ Level Up: Start each week with a 15-minute file review. Look at every active matter, identify what’s coming up in the next 30 days, and make sure your attorney is never surprised by a deadline.
5. Professionalism & Accountability
As a paralegal working under the direct supervision of an attorney, you are a representation of that attorney and your law firm. This means maintaining a certain standard of professionalism, both inside and outside the office.
This also means being mindful of your associations. Attorneys and firm management know who the office gossip crew is. Even if you aren’t the one complaining or gossiping, associating with those who are will lower your perceived level of professionalism within the firm. Your reputation is your brand.
Accountability is equally important. In an era where remote work and hybrid schedules are the norm at many firms, accountability has become even more visible. Attorneys need to trust that their paralegals are delivering without being micromanaged. Owning your outcomes, good or bad, builds that trust faster than anything else.
💡 Pro Tip From An Attorney:
It doesn’t really matter whose ‘fault’ it is when something goes wrong. All that matters is that we fix it and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s no fun to have someone say, ‘It’s HR’s fault,’ or ‘The associate got the draft to me late.’
6. Time Management
Proper time management is crucial to a paralegal’s success. If you can’t effectively manage your tasks, you risk producing poor quality work because you’re stressed and rushing to get things done.
There’s a quote I’ve been sharing for years: “When you’re focused on rushing to meet a deadline, your focus ends up being on getting the project done on time instead of getting the project done right.” Think about that. You’re a litigation paralegal and that brief has to be e-filed before midnight. It’s 11:55 p.m. Are you going back through it for one last quality control check, or are you stressed trying to log into the e-filing portal while you’re watching the clock?
Here’s what makes this even more nuanced in today’s environment: with AI tools speeding up certain tasks, attorneys may assume work can be turned around faster. That creates new time pressure. Smart time management now includes knowing how to leverage technology to protect your time, not just how to schedule your day.
💡 Pro Tip From An Attorney:
Most attorneys are NOT good at managing their time. So don’t follow their example. They need a paralegal who is good at time management so that they can follow YOUR example. I 100% rely on my paralegal to help keep our team’s deadlines on track and let me know when deadlines are getting too close for comfort.
7. Research Skills
Most paralegal certificate programs include a class or two on legal research that teach students how to find and cite case law and regulations. The problem is, not every paralegal lands a litigation position, and strong research skills matter across every practice area.
Paralegals in all practice areas use research skills daily. A corporate paralegal might do due diligence on foreign corporations in a merger. A real estate paralegal might do title research on a large commercial closing. And today, research skills also mean knowing how to find and analyze information from social media and other internet sources.
In 2026, legal research has a new layer: AI-assisted research tools. Platforms like Westlaw Precision and Lexis+ AI are now part of the landscape. The best paralegals know how to use these tools effectively, and how to verify their output with traditional research methods. AI can find a thread. A skilled paralegal knows how to pull it.
⭐ Level Up: Don’t stop at the first answer you find. Dig two or three layers deeper. The best research finds what nobody else thought to look for.
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8. A Positive Attitude
This one might surprise you, and it surprised me too, especially that it made the top 10. But I think it says a lot about where we are right now in both the world and the workplace.
The legal profession can be intense, high-pressure, and emotionally draining. Attorneys deal with difficult clients, tight deadlines, and high stakes every single day. The last thing they need is a team member who adds negativity to that environment.
A positive attitude doesn’t mean being cheerful every moment of every day. It means being solution-focused, resilient under pressure, and someone who lifts the energy of the team rather than draining it. In law firms where burnout is real and turnover is high, a paralegal with a genuinely positive attitude is a rare and valued asset.
⭐ Level Up: Pay attention to how you show up on the hard days. Anyone can be positive when things go well. The paralegals who stand out are the ones who stay calm, solution-focused, and professional when things go sideways.
9. Communication Skills
Communication skills are fundamental to a paralegal career. Paralegals spend more than 75% of every day communicating in some way, either verbally or in writing. A typical day might include:
- Calling vendors about pending legal projects
- Interviewing clients and witnesses
- Attending meetings (video, phone, or in-person) with colleagues, opposing counsel, and others
- Responding to internal and external written communication
- Drafting legal documents and correspondence
- Telephone calls with expert witnesses and court personnel
Writing is one of the most important skills a paralegal can have. You’re going to be doing a lot of it, communicating with clients, corresponding with opposing counsel, drafting for attorneys, and more. A lack of strong writing skills can be genuinely detrimental to your career.
And don’t overlook how AI is changing communication expectations. When attorneys use AI to draft communications, they often rely on their paralegal to review, refine, and humanize that content before it goes out. Strong communicators are the quality control checkpoint in an AI-assisted workflow.
⭐ Level Up: If writing is a struggle, invest in improving it now. Tools like Grammarly are great for catching errors, but also read widely: legal briefs, professional emails, well-written articles. Exposure builds instinct.
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10. Organization Skills
A paralegal’s organization skills have a direct impact on their productivity and also the productivity of their attorney. If it takes you twice as long as it should to find something, that has a ripple effect across everything else on your plate.
Good organization skills are more than just the ability to index, sort, and categorize documents. For paralegals, this skill includes the ability to see the big picture and plan for how and when things will be needed so you can choose the best method for organizing them in advance.
In 2026, organization also means digital organization. Document management systems, shared drives, matter management platforms, and digital filing protocols are all part of the modern paralegal’s toolkit. If your attorney can’t find something, even on a shared drive, that’s a problem that falls on you.
💡 Pro Tip From An Attorney:
It is very important that I work with a paralegal who has good organizational skills. I don’t want to walk into their office and see a mess, wondering if my closing binders are buried somewhere in there. Do I have good organizational skills? No. That’s why I hire paralegals who do.
Where to go from here?
You’ve got the list. And you might be thinking: “I have these qualities, but how do I actually prove it to an attorney?”
Great question. Here’s what I want you to think about:
Show, Don’t Just Tell
Your resume and interview are your opportunities to demonstrate these 10 things, not just claim them. Instead of writing “strong attention to detail,” write about the time you caught a critical error in a motion before it was filed. Instead of “good communication skills,” mention that you managed all client correspondence for a 300-file caseload.
Build a Portfolio of Evidence
Think about the work you’ve done. What projects are you proud of? What problems have you solved? What systems have you created? Keep a running record of your wins; they become your proof points in interviews and performance reviews.
Ask for Feedback
If you’re already working with attorneys, ask them directly: “What’s one area where you’d like to see me grow?” Most attorneys will appreciate the initiative. And the answer will tell you exactly where to focus your development.
Invest in Your Skills Continuously
The paralegals who stand out are the ones who don’t wait for their firm to train them. They take ownership of their professional growth. Whether that’s taking a course, earning a certification, practicing with new technology, or sharpening their writing. The most competitive paralegals are always learning.
💼 Ready to Level Up? If you’re serious about developing the skills on this list, explore the training programs at Paralegal Boot Camp. From litigation skills to AI tools to billable hours mastery, we have programs designed to make you the paralegal every attorney wants on their team.
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Meet the Author
Ann Pearson is the Founder of the Paralegal Boot Camp and host of the Paralegal Coach Podcast Show. Ann is passionate about promoting the paralegal profession.
Ann spent 20 years working as a paralegal manager and a litigation paralegal before opening the Paralegal Boot Camp in 2010.
Ann’s training programs focus on adding immediate value to a paralegal’s career and bridging the gap between what a paralegal learns in school and what they actually do on the job.
Visit the About Us Page to learn more about why Ann started the Paralegal Boot Camp.
