Many law students want to work at a law firm after graduation, but obtaining that desired position can be a challenging procedure. Without any prior legal experience, how do you get from your education to the office? Which companies ought you to apply to? What qualifications do hiring managers seek?
A law firm often serves as the first “real” legal job for law students. However, how did they gain these jobs when they had no prior virtual law work experience? Mandie LeBeau provides an explanation as the Director of Career Services at New England Law | Boston.
Without prior experience, how can one obtain a position or an internship in a legal practice?
I frequently get asked this question by first-year law students. While I don’t have a miraculous solution, I can provide advice that may help open doors.
The good news is that your best chance of entering the legal field is to enrol in law school. You may use that ticket to approach legal firms and ask if they would let you in when you have successfully finished your first semester!
We’ve put together some useful advice on how to acquire a job at a law firm, even if you don’t have any experience, to help you with these and other problems!
Ensure that your resume is focused.
There are instances when law students think their resume should just include their educational background if they have no prior legal experience. That isn’t true! It’s likely that you have held other jobs or internships that have assisted you in gaining practical experience, even if you don’t have any legal expertise.
Prior to attending law school, did you hold a restaurant job? It’s probable that you gained efficient communication and prioritization abilities that are useful in a legal company setting. Have you opened a dog walking company in your community? It seems that you possess strong organizational and managerial abilities. Use the resources offered by the career services office at your law school to ensure that your CV is as strong as it can be.
Locate the appropriate companies
When you lack experience, how do you go about getting a job in a legal firm? Actually, there are a number of sources you may trust:
- Stop by the career services office at your law school. Getting you a job is basically our job; make the most of it! Request listings of companies that have hired recent grads and students. This will assist you in determining which legal practices might be open to employing graduates of your institution.
- Use LinkedIn to find former students from your law school. To locate former students from your law school in the city and state of your choice, try utilizing the “people” and “all filters” search options. This will also assist you in locating the names of companies that have employed law school grads.
- Consider doing a practice area, size, and/or location-based search for law firms using a reliable legal search engine like Martindale. (The career services office at your law school may be able to recommend additional search engines, such as internal directories.) This is an excellent method for locating legal firms that handle cases related to the field you wish to specialize in.
Using the tools at your disposal, compile a list of companies
When you feel proud of your resume, it’s time to look for a job. You must choose the correct sort of legal company if you want to work there without any prior experience. The career services office at your school is a terrific resource in this regard. They probably contain listings of companies that have previously recruited students from your institution, along with alumni who are employed by those companies. You may also look for former students’ employment locations on LinkedIn. Try to focus your search by selecting a location that meets your needs, a legal practice that interests you, and other aspects that are significant to you.
Make some professional relationships (Networking)
With your list of potential employers and your CV ready, it’s time to initiate contact! If possible, seek insights on the hiring process from ex-employees or contacts within the companies you’re interested in.
Should your resume be sent to the appropriate individual, you may be invited for an interview! Utilize a cold email to secure an interview when you lack connections within a desired company. Send a concise, well-crafted email expressing your suitability along with your CV. If there’s no response after about a week, consider a polite follow-up.
If you haven’t gained any practical legal experience, it may be wise to take a part-time job during the summer, maybe for eight or ten weeks, when school aren’t in session. This is frequently a fantastic approach to obtain some pertinent practical legal experience. Consider this work as a component of your hands-on legal education, akin to what you might learn in a law school legal clinic.
Understand the employment procedure
Certain legal companies use particular hiring procedures. Larger legal firms, for instance, frequently advise students to apply at particular periods of the year and take part in on-campus interviews (OCIs). These companies frequently look closely at your grades to see whether you are a suitable match for the position.
Speaking with the career services office at your school is the best method to learn about the recruiting procedures used by certain companies.
Offer your expertise
Offering your voluntary services is a reliable approach to obtain legal expertise if you believe it is preventing you from moving forward. An excellent first step towards securing a position in a law firm is a legal internship, whether you want to work on it part-time during your 2L or 3L year or over the summer. Many legal businesses find that when they have openings, they wind up employing interns!
Although it may sound daunting, it is feasible to obtain employment in a legal firm without prior experience! To increase your chances of landing your ideal legal firm position, adhere to these five procedures.
With planning, who needs luck?
I have recommended this tactic to a number of inexperienced law students over the years, and you might be shocked at how effective it is! I’ve even helped a student get a summer internship at a Parisian legal practice. He made contact with five French legal firms. He received responses from two. And someone employed him!
Following your first year of law school, you will be qualified to support an attorney with client intakes, legal research and writing, document evaluation, and issue identification. Then, all you have to do is put this real-world experience on your resume! Since you will have far more to offer the next company, getting your second legal career will be considerably easier.
