Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization Forum

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BlueLotus

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by BlueLotus » Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:00 pm

how important are ties for these sorts of positions?

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Pleasye

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by Pleasye » Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:17 am

BlueLotus wrote:thanks.

lack of journal shouldn't hurt, right?
No it shouldn't. I worked at Legal Aid this summer and everyone who I talked to said that the most important thing for any public interest job is showing commitment to that type of work. My supervisor told me she threw her write on packet in the trash and never looked back.

IMO A. nony was on point about which clinics to take. The Legal Aid place I worked at did Immigration, Housing, Government Benefits, Consumer Protection, Family Law, and probably a few other things I can't remember. It is mostly civil work unless you are aiming to be a PD. I do think that Juvenile Rights and Criminal Justice (defense side) would be relevant in terms of still being public service. It's something that will be looked at favorably and is something to talk about in interviews when referring to your commitment to public interest.

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coldshoulder

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by coldshoulder » Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:26 am

BlueLotus wrote:how important are ties for these sorts of positions?
Very - because of budget cuts many of these jobs are now actually becoming pretty competitive depending on the state. But it's really easy to make relationships with these people through your school's clinical program, pro bono, volunteering at legal aid offices, etc.

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Kafkaesquire

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by Kafkaesquire » Fri Nov 08, 2013 5:08 am

coldshoulder wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:how important are ties for these sorts of positions?
Very - because of budget cuts many of these jobs are now actually becoming pretty competitive depending on the state. But it's really easy to make relationships with these people through your school's clinical program, pro bono, volunteering at legal aid offices, etc.
That makes sense. If I were hiring in legal aid, I would be weary of hiring those clandestinely "Big-Law-in-waiting."

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BlueLotus

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by BlueLotus » Wed Nov 13, 2013 6:32 pm

what is the entry level salary typically in major cities?
in the boonies?

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Pleasye

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by Pleasye » Wed Nov 13, 2013 7:09 pm

BlueLotus wrote:what is the entry level salary typically in major cities?
in the boonies?
50k on the high end and 30k on the low end.

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BlueLotus

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by BlueLotus » Thu Jan 09, 2014 2:24 am

what is the typical work-life balance for legal aid positions? i'm sure hours must be quite high in the beginning due to the steep learning curve, but how about mid-career when you got a hang of things?

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by nomdeplumeify » Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:13 am

BlueLotus wrote:what is the typical work-life balance for legal aid positions? i'm sure hours must be quite high in the beginning due to the steep learning curve, but how about mid-career when you got a hang of things?
I don't work legal aid but I volunteer there and looking at the attorneys working there, most get in from 8:00-8:30 and leave around 5:00-6:00 and all of them eat lunch in their offices. This goes for the newer hires and the experienced attorneys. The nice thing is you come and go as you please and nobody is really keeping a close eye on your hours.

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BlueLotus

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by BlueLotus » Fri Jan 10, 2014 6:57 pm

nomdeplumeify wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:what is the typical work-life balance for legal aid positions? i'm sure hours must be quite high in the beginning due to the steep learning curve, but how about mid-career when you got a hang of things?
I don't work legal aid but I volunteer there and looking at the attorneys working there, most get in from 8:00-8:30 and leave around 5:00-6:00 and all of them eat lunch in their offices. This goes for the newer hires and the experienced attorneys. The nice thing is you come and go as you please and nobody is really keeping a close eye on your hours.
sounds like my kinda job!

how many active cases do legal aid attorneys handle at once? in large cities, i mean

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nomdeplumeify

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by nomdeplumeify » Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:10 pm

BlueLotus wrote:
nomdeplumeify wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:what is the typical work-life balance for legal aid positions? i'm sure hours must be quite high in the beginning due to the steep learning curve, but how about mid-career when you got a hang of things?
I don't work legal aid but I volunteer there and looking at the attorneys working there, most get in from 8:00-8:30 and leave around 5:00-6:00 and all of them eat lunch in their offices. This goes for the newer hires and the experienced attorneys. The nice thing is you come and go as you please and nobody is really keeping a close eye on your hours.
sounds like my kinda job!

how many active cases do legal aid attorneys handle at once? in large cities, i mean
I live in a mid-sized city but in my department we have anywhere from 20 - 30 cases at any given time. If I remember correctly, we closed about 80 cases in one year. But at least for what I do, cases can linger for a year plus. So it really depends on what type of legal aid practice you're going into.

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BlueLotus

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by BlueLotus » Sat Jan 11, 2014 10:29 pm

so it's spring semester of 2L, and the Vale is inching nearer and nearer. what should i be doing now to best position myself for fellowships, since ITE they are pretty much the sole avenue of breaking into Legal Aid?

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BlueLotus

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by BlueLotus » Mon Jan 20, 2014 3:06 pm

BUMP.

Also, anyone know re: the feasibility of transitioning from civil legal aid to PD?
Anyone here get a legal aid jerb sans a fellowship?

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by ConLawNerd91 » Thu Jan 23, 2014 4:52 pm

BlueLotus wrote:BUMP.

Also, anyone know re: the feasibility of transitioning from civil legal aid to PD?
Anyone here get a legal aid jerb sans a fellowship?
+1

Also seagan823 thank you for starting this thread!

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BlueLotus

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:57 pm

are 2 page resumes ever ok for these kinds of positions?

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by madcherrylimas » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:16 am

Outside the normal fellowship route, I've known people to get legal services/non profit jobs via things like bridge fellowships, or by just volunteering or otherwise finding their own funding.

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Neteshy

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by Neteshy » Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:54 pm

BlueLotus wrote:BUMP.

Also, anyone know re: the feasibility of transitioning from civil legal aid to PD?
Anyone here get a legal aid jerb sans a fellowship?

I'm speaking for my mom. She worked at Legal Aid in NYS when I was younger. She moved to DSS for a bit and is now at PD Civil doing family law. So it is very feasible. The attorneys I speak to say Legal Aid is a great thing to start out with anyways because you have a lot to learn and fast.

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BlueLotus

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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization

Post by BlueLotus » Sun Feb 09, 2014 7:51 pm

Does working in Legal Aid lend itself well to private sector work? For instance, will a few years at an immigration non-profit look great if I want to transition to working at Fragomen (or any other private immigration firm)?

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