Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization Forum
- BlueLotus
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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
how important are ties for these sorts of positions?
- Pleasye
- Posts: 8738
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:22 pm
Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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.BlueLotus wrote:thanks.
lack of journal shouldn't hurt, right?
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.
- coldshoulder
- Posts: 963
- Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:05 pm
Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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.BlueLotus wrote:how important are ties for these sorts of positions?
- Kafkaesquire
- Posts: 180
- Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2013 12:55 pm
Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
That makes sense. If I were hiring in legal aid, I would be weary of hiring those clandestinely "Big-Law-in-waiting."coldshoulder wrote: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.BlueLotus wrote:how important are ties for these sorts of positions?
- BlueLotus
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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
what is the entry level salary typically in major cities?
in the boonies?
in the boonies?
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- Pleasye
- Posts: 8738
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:22 pm
Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
50k on the high end and 30k on the low end.BlueLotus wrote:what is the entry level salary typically in major cities?
in the boonies?
- BlueLotus
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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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
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.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?
- BlueLotus
- Posts: 2416
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm
Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
sounds like my kinda job!nomdeplumeify wrote: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.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?
how many active cases do legal aid attorneys handle at once? in large cities, i mean
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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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.BlueLotus wrote:sounds like my kinda job!nomdeplumeify wrote: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.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?
how many active cases do legal aid attorneys handle at once? in large cities, i mean
- BlueLotus
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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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?
- BlueLotus
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- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm
Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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?
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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- Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2013 2:42 pm
Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
+1BlueLotus 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?
Also seagan823 thank you for starting this thread!
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- BlueLotus
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- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm
Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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
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.
- Neteshy
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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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.
- BlueLotus
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Re: Want to work for Legal Aid or Similar Organization
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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