For softs: Volunteering at Legal Aid > Sales employee? Forum

[ComatoseClown]

In searching the past two months for a job -- for anything except manual labor/food services -- I've not been able to land one.

I then thought of an idea which would be enjoyable: Volunteering at the local Legal Aid Society that provides services to low-income and senior citizens.

My question: I'm in undergrad now but taking a year off before I resume as a junior/senior next year [long story]. I'm not doing this just to look good for admissions purposes. But is this volunteering considered "work experience"? No, right, because it's only volunteering?
Could this hold more "admissions weight" than an irrelevant and basic job such as a sales employee/hotel receptionist/clothing department store seasonal associate?

[Aqualibrium]

In searching the past two months for a job -- of anything except manual labor/food services -- I've not been able to land one.

I then thought of an idea which would be enjoyable: Volunteering at the local Legal Aid Society that provides services to low-income and senior citizens.

My question: I'm in undergrad now but taking a year off before I resume as a junior/senior next year [long story]. I'm not doing this just to look good for admissions purposes. But is this volunteering considered "work experience"? No, right, because it's only volunteering?
Could this hold more "admissions weight" than an irrelevant and basic job such as a sales employee/hotel receptionist/clothing department store seasonal associate?

Neither would hold much admissions weight. Although, Legal Aid experience may help you with your PS. It'll probably also help with the "why law?" question at OCI.

[capitalacq]

In searching the past two months for a job -- of anything except manual labor/food services -- I've not been able to land one.

I then thought of an idea which would be enjoyable: Volunteering at the local Legal Aid Society that provides services to low-income and senior citizens.

My question: I'm in undergrad now but taking a year off before I resume as a junior/senior next year [long story]. I'm not doing this just to look good for admissions purposes. But is this volunteering considered "work experience"? No, right, because it's only volunteering?
Could this hold more "admissions weight" than an irrelevant and basic job such as a sales employee/hotel receptionist/clothing department store seasonal associate?

Neither would hold much admissions weight. Although, Legal Aid experience may help you with your PS. It'll probably also help with the "why law?" question at OCI.

this.. It sounds like you want to do it, so go ahead and enjoy. It counts a "work experience" even though 1 year of anything is pretty inconsequential

[Fender2210]

Volunteer. Something legal on your resume will help you down the line in law school. At the very least it would be an interesting legal activity that an employer can ask you about to break the ice during an interview.

[ComatoseClown]

Good and interesting point you mentioned there.

Can any one else offer any insight on this? As a soft, is work experience (non-legal) worth significantly more than any kind of volunteering?

[QuailMan]

Good and interesting point you mentioned there.

Can any one else offer any insight on this? As a soft, is work experience (non-legal) worth significantly more than any kind of volunteering?

As far as getting into law school? Probably wont make a difference.

However, although you might not always get this sense from TLS, being a well rounded person is actually more important than getting into a great law school

So yea, do what you like to do b/c you like to do it and the law school stuff will fall into place depending on your GPA and LSAT

[paratactical]

Good and interesting point you mentioned there.

Can any one else offer any insight on this? As a soft, is work experience (non-legal) worth significantly more than any kind of volunteering?

Non-legal work experience is fine, but you're talking about non-professional work experience, which definitely won't mean much of anything. The Legal Aid volunteering is a better idea, though, as has been said before, a single year of anything isn't going to get you into any schools your numbers won't get you into.

[OperaSoprano]

As the others said, it won't help you pull above your numbers in admission, but before coming to law school, I never realized just how much non-biglaw employers emphasize your pre-law school background. Nonprofits care a lot about your dedication to public interest work, and in my experience, volunteer work of this nature will help you land an internship for your 1L summer, if this is an area of the law that interests you.