Paralegal Boolean Search String
A first-pass boolean search for sourcing paralegal candidates, built from the role's most-screened-for skills — adapt it with your own must-haves, or generate one tailored to your exact JD below.
"Paralegal" AND "Legal research" AND "Document drafting" AND "Case management" NOT "recruiter" NOT "intern"site:linkedin.com/in/ "Paralegal" "Legal research" "Document drafting" "Case management"Run this search on Google →How this string is built
The role title in quotes, ANDed with the top must-have skills for a paralegal — Legal research, Document drafting, Case management — each in quotes so LinkedIn and Google match the exact phrase rather than any word in it separately. NOT "recruiter" NOT "intern" filters out the two most common sources of false positives.
Other must-have skills worth adding
If the search above returns too many results, AND in more of these to narrow further:
- E-filing
- Client communication
- Westlaw/LexisNexis
- Paralegal certification
- Litigation support software
Other titles to search for a paralegal
The same job is also called Legal Assistant, Litigation Paralegal, Corporate Paralegal, Legal Support Specialist. Searching only for “Paralegal” misses those people, so join the titles with OR inside brackets and AND the skills after them.
Five searches to run, from broad to narrow
- Broad: every title, one core skill
("Paralegal" OR "Legal Assistant" OR "Litigation Paralegal" OR "Corporate Paralegal" OR "Legal Support Specialist") AND "Legal research" - Focused: three skills, with the noise removed
("Paralegal" OR "Legal Assistant" OR "Litigation Paralegal") AND "Legal research" AND "Document drafting" AND "Case management" NOT "lawyer" NOT "attorney" NOT "legal secretary" - Tools and credentials: the nice-to-haves as an OR group
("Paralegal" OR "Legal Assistant" OR "Litigation Paralegal") AND ("Westlaw/LexisNexis" OR "Paralegal certification" OR "Litigation support software") - Google X-ray on LinkedIn profiles
site:linkedin.com/in/ ("Paralegal" OR "Legal Assistant" OR "Litigation Paralegal") "Legal research" "Document drafting" - Feeder role: people from a neighbouring job
"Legal Secretary" AND "Legal research" AND "Document drafting"
Start with the broad search to see how large the pool is. If it is too big, move to the focused one. If it is too small, drop a skill or use the feeder search.
Noise to exclude for this role
For a paralegal the usual false positives are lawyer, attorney, legal secretary. Each one added with NOT removes a group of profiles that look similar but are not the job.
Where else to look
Good paralegal candidates often come from Legal Secretary, Legal Assistant, Law Clerk. Search for them with the same core skills, then check that they are ready to move.
What to check on the profile
Practice area, document volume handled and the systems used.
Credentials to confirm
A paralegal qualification where the market expects one. Confirm any limits on the tasks they may perform.
Frequently asked questions
Why AND the skills together instead of OR?
AND narrows to candidates who show evidence of every listed skill — good for a first-pass search on a specific role. If that returns too few results, dropping to OR between the least-critical skills (keeping the must-haves ANDed) widens the pool without losing precision on what actually matters.
Why exclude "recruiter" and "intern"?
Those two terms are the most common source of false positives in a paralegal search — recruiters and internship-seekers whose profiles happen to mention the same skill keywords. Adjust or remove the exclusion if it's cutting out candidates you actually want (e.g. if you're specifically hiring for an internship).
How is this different from the full Boolean Search Generator tool?
This is a static starting-point example built from paralegal's most common requirements. The tool builds a tailored version from your actual job description — different seniority, location, and specific must-haves than this generic example.
What other job titles should I search for a paralegal?
The same job is also called Legal Assistant, Litigation Paralegal, Corporate Paralegal, Legal Support Specialist. Put them in a bracketed OR group so one search covers them all, for example ("Paralegal" OR "Legal Assistant" OR "Litigation Paralegal").
What should I exclude when sourcing a paralegal?
The usual noise is lawyer, attorney, legal secretary. Add each with NOT so the results are people who do the job, not people near it.
Where else can I find paralegal candidates?
Look at people in related roles who already have the core skills: Legal Secretary, Legal Assistant, Law Clerk. Search for them with the same skills and check whether they are ready to move across.
Hiring a paralegal? The rest of the toolkit
- How to write the job description →
Titles, must-haves, credentials and a starting posting.
- Interview questions to ask →
Role-specific questions and what a good answer contains.
- Run the whole hire in one place →
Jobs, CV review, interviews, offers and checks together.