Paralegal work without paralegal experience Forum

[laidoffjournalist]

Perhaps this is the wrong forum. I'd really like to work at a law firm... and not as a coffee bitch. I think I'd make a great paralegal as I pickup rules and protocols quickly, am very detail-oriented, can multitask and work quickly on deadline. But most places seem to want someone with a paralegal degree or past law firm experience. I'm a 0L and I don't have that. What's the best way to make this happen? Network with people I may know working at law firms? Headhunters? Mass mailing my resume? Or should I abandon the notion of being a paralegal, suck it up and intern?

[James Bond]

...are you good at oral sex?

[Kohinoor]

Ivy degree, know people, or be a cute girl is the only way I've ever seen it work.

[sportzer001]

i know someone who did a legal assistant/internship and after a few months was offered a paying paralegal position..so you could try an internship/volunteer experience and show them that you would make a good paralegal

[laidoffjournalist]

The sexually degrading responses are always a treat...

I do have family contact with some people at law firms. Maybe I can be that annoying person and ask them to try and help me out. I know places do hire new people so they can train them, but maybe in this economy and my local market, that's not the case so much. When I look on Craigslist or Indeed, they want 3+ to 5+ years experience. Yeesh.

[taw856]

Try a temp agency for a foot in the door. They'll probably test you on basic stuff like typing speed/legal vocabulary, and as a recovering journalist you ought to be able to impress enough to get them to help place you somewhere.

[James Bond]

The sexually degrading responses are always a treat...

I was being serious...

[Grizz]

I got one of these jobs at a criminal defense practice, no prior experience, summer after my sophomore year of high school. The guy was one of my dad's friends.

Edit: the guy aka the attorney I worked for.

[James Bond]

I got one of these jobs at a criminal defense practice, no prior experience, summer after my sophomore year of high school. The guy was one of my dad's friends.

Edit: the guy aka the attorney I worked for.

That's hitting it a little close to home, I'd say. Do you have no shame?

[Grizz]

I got one of these jobs at a criminal defense practice, no prior experience, summer after my sophomore year of high school. The guy was one of my dad's friends.

Edit: the guy aka the attorney I worked for.

That's hitting it a little close to home, I'd say. Do you have no shame?

Har har no sexual favors involved.

[kumba84]

One of my friends got a paralegal type job (without the title) through a connection. She started off at $10/hour, but it's in a low COL town. I think your best bet is to talk to everyone you know and see if any of their friends/family at law firms are looking to hire.