Biglaw Paralegal Jobs Forum

[Anonymous User]

Go to a T10 school and am ranked pretty highly but unfortunately struck out last year at OCI. Assuming I cannot find Biglaw even with my high rank (Top 15%ish) (was more around a little above median at OCI), would Biglaw paralegal jobs be a good way to go? I know they pay more and have better benefits than the shitlaw firms offering 40k, so I am wondering if that would be a better job search strategy than looking for an unlikely job as an attorney.

I am in a situation where I cannot afford to graduate unemployed because others depend on my income. Thanks.

[TTH]

Biglaw firms typically won't hire JDs as Paralegals.

edit: Unless you started this topic as anti-Texas trolling. In which case, I hear UT-Austin is advertising a marvelous paralegal certificate program for their law students!

[KibblesAndVick]

They don't tend to hire people with JD's for paralegal jobs. They see you as a flight risk. They think you won't be as willing to accept the fact that you're the office bitch. They think you'll view the work as belittling. They think you'll be uppity because you went to a top law school like the actual associates. So on and so forth.

More importantly, if you're going to graduate top 15% from a T10 you shouldn't be giving up on being a real lawyer. Also, please out your school so I can make irrational judgements based on anonymous anecdotal evidence.

[TTH]

Should have posted this a minute ago

http://abovethelaw.com/2011/06/deep-in- ... aralegals/

[jarofsoup]

I do think JDs do become paralegals. I do not think JDs who pass the bar do. (mal practice insurance)

[Anonymous User]

so by passing the bar you are reducing your expected income?

[jarofsoup]

so by passing the bar you are reducing your expected income?

I think you are more expensive to hire because they have to pay for your mal practice insurance.

[Anonymous User]

Bump, anyone else have experience applying to paralegal jobs?

[MrAnon]

You absolutely won't find a biglaw paralegal job with JD from T10 school on your resume. If you are willing to strike the JD from your resume then you could get an entry level position for 40k but they may not like your resume with a big work gap.

[09042014]

You should be gunning for Art 3 clerkships, and Federal Honors jobs, not trying to take jobs from paralegals.

This is genius anti Corsair trolling BTW.

[TTH]

You should be gunning for Art 3 clerkships, and Federal Honors jobs, not trying to take jobs from paralegals.

This is genius anti Corsair trolling BTW.

I actually laughed out loud. A passing secretary poked her head in my office to see what I was laughing about.

[D-hops]

You should be gunning for Art 3 clerkships, and Federal Honors jobs, not trying to take jobs from paralegals.

This is genius anti Corsair trolling BTW.

I thought the same thing.

[jarofsoup]

I am a certified paralegal who will go to law school next year, but this seems to be the path

B.A.+Paralegal Certificate+Big Law Case Assistant/Project Assistant job for 2 years=Big Law paralegal

The safest bet is a ABA approved paralegal course and some really savvy legal recruiters.

[CanadianWolf]

Also, BA from an elite university (such as Ivies, Northwestern, Chicago, Stanford), use campus job postings = choice biglaw paralegal jobs.

[lawschoolROCKS22]

I spent two years before starting law school working as a legal assistant at one of the big NYC firms (think Skadden, STB, Cleary, Cravath, etc...). I actually made pretty good $$$ doing it, and most of the attorneys that I worked for were pretty cool. All in all, it was a pretty good job. After transferring into Columbia and striking out at OCI, I thought about trying to get my old job back after graduation if I couldn't line something else up (i.e. an associate position in biglaw, a fed gov. job, or a good clerkship). I would imagine that these firms won't hire T14 grads as paralegals/legal assistants though. Think about it this way. The economy happened, and hiring standards went way up for all of these firms due to the limited number of job openings. If a firm all of a sudden has people applying for paralegal positions with resumes that are just as good as the attorneys that the firm hired several years ago, the firm would have to deal with a bunch of upity paralegals with a much lower willingness to take shit, so to speak. Firms would also be worried that you would bail if you could land an attorney position somewhere. Lastly, it was my experience that the big NYC firms, at least the V20s, want to get young people straight out of college for these positions.

[CanadianWolf]

I agree that the top firms want young people right out of college.
Unlikely to hire attorneys for a variety of reasons including potential loss or alienation of clients if attorney paralegal leaves.

[lawschoolROCKS22]

I agree that the top firms want young people right out of college.
Unlikely to hire attorneys for a variety of reasons including potential loss or alienation of clients if attorney paralegal leaves.

What client is going to end its business with a firm because an attorney paralegal leaves? Hell, what client is going to end its business with a firm if a senior associate leaves?

[CanadianWolf]

Maybe none. But a licensed attorney working as a paralegal with significant client contact builds a relationship of trust & confidentiality. A licensed attorney paralegal might question the advice given by other attorneys in the firm. With experience, the licensed attorney paralegal might open up a competing practice. A non-lawyer paralegal cannot do this.