Biglaw Paralegal Forum

[jstanhope14]

Unsure if this belongs in this forum (aka I know it doesn't, just don't know where to put it).

How do you apply for biglaw paralegal jobs? What's the timeline? I'm a senior at a top-15 liberal arts college in the northeast. How would I go about applying to D.C. firms?

[AvatarMeelo]

I can only speak anecdotally but someone I used to know got a bunch of interviews from NYC BigLaw firms because he put his 17x LSAT score on his resume - he wasn't getting any bites before that. Also think about working with a recruiter.

[trkmaniak00]

I can only speak anecdotally but someone I used to know got a bunch of interviews from NYC BigLaw firms because he put his 17x LSAT score on his resume - he wasn't getting any bites before that. Also think about working with a recruiter.

Unsure if this belongs in this forum (aka I know it doesn't, just don't know where to put it).

How do you apply for biglaw paralegal jobs? What's the timeline? I'm a senior at a top-15 liberal arts college in the northeast. How would I go about applying to D.C. firms?

I did the above when I was looking for paralegal jobs. I got a few bites, but it is a double edged sword. You need to have an answer for why you don't just go straight to law school. Secondly, they'll grill you about how long you're willing to stay especially if you have a high score.

Lastly, it took me about a month to realize that I like the work attorneys do, but hate the stuff that falls to paralegals. Since then, I've just been wishing I had gone straight through since I feel like I'm now wasting my time not pursuing what I know I want to do. If I was to take a gap year again I would've done something non legal field. Just my two cents.

[para219]

Unsure if this belongs in this forum (aka I know it doesn't, just don't know where to put it).

How do you apply for biglaw paralegal jobs? What's the timeline? I'm a senior at a top-15 liberal arts college in the northeast. How would I go about applying to D.C. firms?

Go to the firm's website(s) that you're interested in and apply directly from there. Many firms won't hire you as a paralegal without experience, however. The best way to get your foot in the door at a firm is to apply for Project Assistant/Case Assistant/File Clerk (the title varies by firm) positions. These are entry level "junior paralegal" positions. From there you can move up to a regular paralegal role.

Keep in mind that some firms (Kirkland, for example) require a two year commitment for these positions. Be sure you can give them that cause you don't want to burn any bridges before you even go to law school.

Feel free to work with a recruiter from a company like Robert Half/Special Counsel etc. to get your foot in the door. Lots of firms use recruiters.

I'm not sure I'd include my LSAT score in my resume.

Source: Have worked in big law for several years

[HenryHankPalmer]

I'm a legal assistant at a boutique in a secondary market. I got my job by taking an unpaid internship with my firm one summer in UG, and doing well enough to get invited back after I graduated. I am not a certified paralegal, and I don't claim to be one, but most of my responsibilities are the same. The few people that I know that have had success getting BigLaw staff jobs have done so through recruiters. Often times the firms don't keep their staff listings up to date on their websites and/or don't want to take the time to set up the hiring process themselves when they have an urgent staffing need, so it is very helpful to have a third party point of contact.