Skip to content

Skills you need to be a paralegal

8 skills a hiring manager would actually test for, each with the level this role expects and what it is used for. Not a syllabus — the shape of the job.

Build my path to this role

Upskili checks what you can already do, then sequences only what is missing. No account needed.

What the role requires

Ordered by how much the job depends on it. The bar is the proficiency expected of a competent paralegal — not mastery, and not a passing acquaintance.

  • Legal research (Westlaw/LexisNexis)

    Essential

    Finds case law and statutes to support motions and briefs.

    Deep

  • Drafting pleadings and discovery

    Essential

    Prepares complaints, answers, interrogatories, and document requests independently.

    Deep

  • E-discovery tools (Relativity, Logikcull)

    Essential

    Manages document review, tagging, and production for litigation.

    Strong

  • Case management software (Clio, MyCase)

    Important

    Tracks deadlines, calendars, and case files across multiple matters.

    Strong

  • Bluebook citation

    Important

    Ensures all legal memoranda and filings meet court formatting standards.

    Strong

  • Microsoft Office (Word, Excel)

    Important

    Creates redlined documents, privilege logs, and exhibit spreadsheets.

    Strong

  • Deposition and trial preparation

    Useful

    Organizes exhibits, witness binders, and pretrial filings.

    Strong

  • Corporate filing and entity management

    Useful

    Prepares state filings and maintains minute books for business clients.

    Working

An order worth learning it in

A list of ten skills is the same unhelpful answer a catalogue gives, just sorted. This is where to actually start.

1

Start here

Essential to the role, and reachable from a standing start. Everything below rests on these.

  • Case management software (Clio, MyCase)
  • Microsoft Office (Word, Excel)
2

Then this

The rest of what the role is assessed on. Harder, and it builds on the foundation above.

  • Legal research (Westlaw/LexisNexis)
  • Drafting pleadings and discovery
  • E-discovery tools (Relativity, Logikcull)
  • Bluebook citation
3

What sets you apart

Not what gets you hired, but what separates doing the job from being trusted with it.

  • Deposition and trial preparation
  • Corporate filing and entity management

You almost certainly have some of this already.

That is the point of starting from the role rather than a course. Upskili checks what you can do, then builds a path across only the gap.

See my path to paralegal