San Jose Legal Assistant Jobs Overview
Lawyers and attorneys rely on skilled legal assistants to assist them with trial preparation, document organization, and research. If you’re passionate about the rule of law, Monster can help you find tons of legal assistant jobs that are right up your alley. To succeed as a legal assistant, you must have a knack for research, possess organizational skills, be a good communicator, and be computer savvy.
Legal assistants typically take on these day-to-day responsibilities:
- gathering facts and evidence for legal cases.
- researching laws and regulations.
- organizing, maintaining, and retrieving documents.
- drafting contracts and other legal documents.
- handling exhibits, taking notes, and reviewing transcripts during trials.
- filing briefs, appeals, and exhibits with the court or opposing counsel.
- interviewing or speaking to clients, witnesses, lawyers, and outside vendors.
Most legal assistants work directly for legal offices, while some work for government agencies, financial institutions, and insurance companies. While most legal assistants work full-time, some work more than 40 hours per week to meet deadlines.
You can expand your search for legal jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in San Jose, California
Lots of people have found their way to San Jose. Specifically, 1,800,000 residents live in the Bay Area city known as the "Capital of Silicon Valley." Nearly 13% of all San Jose jobs are in the tech, computer, and electronics industry—15 times the national average. Fittingly, the Tech Interactive museum and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are located there. Through the years, people of diverse heritages have found a place where they can stay in San Jose. Among the many colorful neighborhoods in the city are Little Portugal, Japantown, Little Italy, and Little Saigon, each with authentic eateries, architecture, shops, and entertainment.
Just a few of the world-famous tech companies headquartered in San Jose are eBay, Cisco, Adobe, and PayPal. If you're thinking of relocating for a San Jose job, you can really breathe in San Jose: Expect good air quality and sunny, warm weather with an average of just 17 inches of rain and 257 sunny days per year. And if you don't find the right-fit job in San Jose, you can expand your job search to the surrounding communities of Milpitas, Mountain View, and Palo Alto.
Update Your San Jose Legal Assistant Resume
Before hitting that “apply button,” make sure your resume has a list of your key skills, credentials, and accomplishments, along with a career summary that briefly describes what you have to offer professionally. Take a look at Monster’s sample legal assistant resume to see what legal skills you should include and how to write your career summary.
We also suggest breaking the ice with a compelling cover letter, even if it’s not required when you apply. It’s vitally important that you open and close your cover letter with enthusiasm for your legal career. Start out by introducing yourself. Then, delve into your professional background and briefly discuss your key accomplishments. Lastly, end your cover letter by mentioning potential next steps. For help with putting it all together, see our paralegal cover letter sample.
How Much Do Legal Assistant Jobs Pay in San Jose, California?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in legal assistant jobs in San Jose, California, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median paralegal pay in San Jose is $59,402 per year, which is 24% higher than the national average.
Find Your Next San Jose Legal Assistant Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started
Are you prepared for a career in legal assistant? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those legal assistant jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in San Jose, how to nail your job interview, and more.