How to get a legal job/internship? Forum

[blugirl400]

I've already applied to law school. I realize I'm doing things a bit backward. But seeing as I'm not working now, I thought maybe I should get a legal job or internship to give me more of an idea what being a lawyer is like. Any advice how to get one of these?

P.S. Hoping for none of those "Omg you're making the biggest mistake of your life posts". I'm weighing my options and am aware of risks of going to law school.

[IAFG]

If you were really aware of the risks and had internalized them, you'd be posting in the LSAT forum and not here.

You apply for legal jobs just like any other job. If you find it intimidating or difficult or find that firms aren't really hiring, please recognize that as the red flag it is.

[TripTrip]

I've already applied to law school.

You don't seem very interested in taking advice.

[blugirl400]

Well this post worked out lovely so far.

[IAFG]

Well this post worked out lovely so far.

I am sorry, have you never applied for a job before?

[Nova]

When I was a 0L, I got out the phone book and called about 50 law offices (mostly shit law). Sometimes I spoke with the attorney, sometimes I spoke with the receptionist. I told them I was pre law and was looking for temp work. I asked if they would be willing to look over my resume. If they said yes, I sent them my resume and called back a week later asking if they had a chance to look it over. Many tried to get me to work for free. Wasnt gonna happen. I eventually found a decent paying full time gig that lasted until I moved for LS.

[Aawaldrop]

When I was a 0L, I got out the phone book and called about 50 law offices (mostly shit law). Sometimes I spoke with the attorney, sometimes I spoke with the receptionist. I told them I was pre law and was looking for temp work. I asked if they would be willing to look over my resume. If they said yes, I sent them my resume and called back a week later asking if they had a chance to look it over. Many tried to get me to work for free. Wasnt gonna happen. I eventually found a decent paying full time gig that lasted until I moved for LS.

Thanks for giving a real answer. Regardless of who the OP is, it might be a question that others have.

[blugirl400]

Yes, thank you Nova.

[BlueJeanBaby]

I've already applied to law school. I realize I'm doing things a bit backward. But seeing as I'm not working now, I thought maybe I should get a legal job or internship to give me more of an idea what being a lawyer is like. Any advice how to get one of these?

P.S. Hoping for none of those "Omg you're making the biggest mistake of your life posts". I'm weighing my options and am aware of risks of going to law school.

Before I had any experience working in a law firm, I got my foot in the door as a receptionist/office assistant. The attorneys were friendly enough to let me learn from them. In my experience, this was more true in boutique firms than in larger firms. Good luck!

[johnnyutah]

The attorneys were friendly enough to let me learn from them.

What did you learn?

[BlueJeanBaby]

The attorneys were friendly enough to let me learn from them.

What did you learn?

In that first job? A boat load about PI and bankruptcy and a decent amount about family law because a new attorney joined the firm towards the end of my employment there and took me under her wing. Overall, it taught me that I never want to do PI (especially in Florida) and I would also like to avoid bankruptcy haha.

[westie25]

I've already applied to law school. I realize I'm doing things a bit backward. But seeing as I'm not working now, I thought maybe I should get a legal job or internship to give me more of an idea what being a lawyer is like. Any advice how to get one of these?

P.S. Hoping for none of those "Omg you're making the biggest mistake of your life posts". I'm weighing my options and am aware of risks of going to law school.

Look at temp services. Law firms will use them to find people to fill in for someone on FMLA leave, and/or if they have a huge, tedious case they're working & don't want to spend paralegal hourly wages on it (e.g. copying 50,000 pages of medical records for a med mal case, redacting them, and making 10 copies for all counsel involved). It will put you in a law firm for a short period of time before law school.