Tainting your resume? Forum

joebloe · Post by **joebloe** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 4:33 pm

Will working in law in a non-lawyer position (i.e., as a secretary or similar) in a law firm or similar environment prior to LS taint my resume come OCI/getting a lawyer job otherwise?

cmraider · Post by **cmraider** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 4:41 pm

joebloe wrote:Will working in law in a non-lawyer position (i.e., as a secretary or similar) in a law firm or similar environment prior to LS taint my resume come OCI/getting a lawyer job otherwise?

An IRL lawyer told me, and I quote, "once you graduate law school, nobody cares what you did beforehand."

UCLAtransfer · Post by **UCLAtransfer** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:05 pm

joebloe wrote:Will working in law in a non-lawyer position (i.e., as a secretary or similar) in a law firm or similar environment prior to LS taint my resume come OCI/getting a lawyer job otherwise?

No. Absolutely not.

Why on earth would you possibly think this?

If the main reason was to use the word taint in the title, I completely understand.

mths · Post by **mths** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:09 pm

UCLAtransfer wrote:
joebloe wrote:Will working in law in a non-lawyer position (i.e., as a secretary or similar) in a law firm or similar environment prior to LS taint my resume come OCI/getting a lawyer job otherwise?
No. Absolutely not.

Why on earth would you possibly think this?

If the main reason was to use the word taint in the title, I completely understand.

/golf clap

joebloe · Post by **joebloe** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:10 pm

That's kind of reassuring. I'd gotten the impression that being a lawyer who had done non-lawyer work in the field made you like a Mustang in the army. That is, all the other officers still see you as an enlisted man.

cmraider · Post by **cmraider** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:15 pm

joebloe wrote:That's kind of reassuring. I'd gotten the impression that being a lawyer who had done non-lawyer work in the field made you like a Mustang in the army. That is, all the other officers still see you as an enlisted man.

I don't know where you got that impression, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Lots of people work as legal assistants, paralegals, gophers and runners at law offices prior to LS. In fact, it's often encouraged to do that kind of work prior to LS so you can get a feel for what working in a law office is like.
Think about how many Philosophy, English, Poli Sci, Psychology, etc., majors who go to LS. Do you think they all have some sort of pre-LS work experience that is going to wow prospective employers? Hell, I would guess that about half of each LS's incoming class in any given year is made up of people that couldn't get real jobs.

MattThiessen · Post by **MattThiessen** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:21 pm

FWIW, I have been working in a law firm for a couple of years, and I feel like that will be more helpful than unhelpful to me. I know how firms work and I already have experience drafting motions and complaints etc... I don't think that will get you a job in and of itself, but it certainly shouldn't hurt you.

It's also nice to have an "in" with a firm. If you can develop good relationships with the partners and other attorneys at the firm, you may have a good post-graduation job opportunity.

My personal opinion would be that Paralegal/Legal Assistant >>> Secretary. I might be a little biased though.

nealric · Post by **nealric** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:52 pm

Working as a secretary AFTER law school might taint your resume. Before law school, nobody cares what you did as long as it wasn't scandalous or unusually prestigious.

I'm an IRL lawyer too.

random5483 · Post by **random5483** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:02 am

joebloe wrote:Will working in law in a non-lawyer position (i.e., as a secretary or similar) in a law firm or similar environment prior to LS taint my resume come OCI/getting a lawyer job otherwise?

From what I have heard, no. Working in a non-lawyer position during or after law school might hurt, but as a general rule, the work you did before law school will have minimal impact after graduation (it might impact your internship search during law school, but for the most part that impact will likely be a positive one).

FalafelWaffle · Post by **FalafelWaffle** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:09 am

joebloe wrote:Will working in law in a non-lawyer position (i.e., as a secretary or similar) in a law firm or similar environment prior to LS taint my resume come OCI/getting a lawyer job otherwise?

Your resume isn't a criminal record, it's something you write yourself...

joebloe · Post by **joebloe** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 2:48 am

Thanks to all for the good response. As you might imagine, I'm out there looking for a job now, so this has been encouraging.

Kohinoor · Post by **Kohinoor** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 2:14 pm

Thought thread would be about Darkspawn. Leaving disappointed.

leobowski · Post by **leobowski** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:18 pm

Kohinoor wrote:Thought thread would be about Darkspawn. Leaving disappointed.

Prior experience: Archdemon
Interests: exterminating all life

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