Legal Aid to Private Firms
Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 6:49 pm
I am trying to get hired as an entry level Associate Attorney at a law firm (like plaintiff's side/civil litigation), but my background is primarily focused on policy. I'm interested if you all think that working for a legal aid organization would help me transition to a firm.
During law school, I mainly did policy internships (e.g., interned at the State Department in DC). Following law school, I worked for a policy NGO in Asia for a year. I came back to the US and decided I wanted to shift gears and go more into legal practice. I volunteered for a legal aid org for a few months (mostly writing demand letters) and studied for the bar. I then began a year long clerkship on the DC Superior Court. I've been applying to a ton of small firms and public interest firms in DC but without any luck. I have the opportunity to work for the same legal aid org now as an Associate. I would get a lot of courtroom experience and drafting motions etc. The pay isn't great, so I would ultimately like to transition into another firm that pays better. Any thoughts on if working at a legal aid org for a year would be a good investment?
During law school, I mainly did policy internships (e.g., interned at the State Department in DC). Following law school, I worked for a policy NGO in Asia for a year. I came back to the US and decided I wanted to shift gears and go more into legal practice. I volunteered for a legal aid org for a few months (mostly writing demand letters) and studied for the bar. I then began a year long clerkship on the DC Superior Court. I've been applying to a ton of small firms and public interest firms in DC but without any luck. I have the opportunity to work for the same legal aid org now as an Associate. I would get a lot of courtroom experience and drafting motions etc. The pay isn't great, so I would ultimately like to transition into another firm that pays better. Any thoughts on if working at a legal aid org for a year would be a good investment?