After graduation, many recent law students look for a job. However, it’s not that easy to find one. Legal professions have been very popular for several years. As a result, many people are eager to get a degree and work in this sphere, making the labor market’s legal sector very competitive.

That’s why today, we will tell you how to get a job as a lawyer if you are just starting your career. You will learn what jobs are best for entry-level candidates and how to get them.

Getting the First Job at a Law Firm: 3 Steps to Success

If you think that you need to move heaven and earth to get a law firm job with no or little experience, this is not the case. Of course, you should gain specialized knowledge, skills, and qualities, which is not that easy. However, a professional and convincing self-presentation is no less critical.

• Write a perfect resume

This essential document provides an employer with your details about your background and consists of several sections. It should include contact information, working experience if any, professional skills, education and certifications, personal qualities, and additional information.

For beginners with no previous experience, our advice is to focus on your education and related information. Along with your institution’s name, degree, and date of completion, you should highlight your research topics and projects, focusing on knowledge and skills relevant to the position. Additionally, you can mention your accomplishments.

As for the professional experience, it is important to indicate all relevant skills and duties you performed earlier, either while working for other law firms, or during internships, practice, or volunteering. It will help your potential employer evaluate your experience and understand whether you are suitable for the open position.

Personal qualities are another critical resume section for entry-level specialists. If becoming a legal expert is your dream, specific personal qualities will allow you to start a career. So don’t forget to mention them in your resume. Among a successful legal professional’s attributes, the following are considered the most vital: 

• diligence
• independence
• attention to detail 
• sociability
• logical thinking 
• stress resistance 
• high self-discipline

• Create a professional cover letter

To attract the recruiter’s attention even before they open your resume, you need a cover letter. By sending it along with a resume, you will show the seriousness of your intentions. Moreover, it’s an opportunity to talk about your motivation and interest in the position.

Your cover letter should have a consistent structure. Start with a greeting. If it’s possible, try to find the name of the hiring manager and use it. Then, briefly state why you are sending the letter. Write several sentences about who you are and why you want to work for this law firm. Remember, you don’t need to rewrite your resume. Focus on what will help you stand out. Close your cover letter with a call to action, e.g., write that if the hiring manager is interested in your candidacy, you would like to come for an interview and answer any questions.

Writing a cover letter can be challenging if you’ve never done it before. However, it’s important to remember one key point. The cover letter should be unique and customized for a specific job. To understand how to do it correctly, you can visit www.GetCoverLetter.com to check out a law clerk cover letter example and get useful advice.

• Prepare for an interview

Having impressed your potential employer with a resume and cover letter, you need to hold the bar high during the interview since it can be the defining moment in deciding to hire you.

To properly prepare for this meeting, we recommend reviewing general information about the law firm. You can also search for common questions asked during a law firm interview and prepare some answers in advance to feel more confident when talking.

Before your interview, we recommend you think about what you can tell the interviewer about yourself. Highlight your strengths and achievements. If you participated in conferences or wrote scholarly articles, mention it. It will portray you as an active person that is ready to learn new things and develop. 

Be calm and confident. Even when asked tricky questions or ones you don’t know how to answer, take your time and think about them. There is no need to rush.

Working in the Legal Field: Selecting the Right Career Path

An entry-level position is one of the best ways of getting a law job without experience. Students who want to pursue a career in law or individuals who wish to change employment spheres can start by choosing an entry-level position in a law firm. 

These six common entry-level positions in legal firms may not require a college degree or extensive experience. If you are eager to learn on the job and have the motivation, you have a chance of getting hired for these roles. 

• Law clerk

Law clerks provide administrative support under the supervision of a legal assistant. Usually, they do paperwork, file documents, communicate with clients, schedule meetings, and perform reception duties. 

• Legal receptionist

Legal receptionists work at the front desk and are the first point of contact for clients. They need to have good communication skills and a professional appearance. Usually, legal receptionists are full-time employees.

• Title clerk

Title clerks process title documents to transfer ownership of property. Law firms may hire title clerks for part-time or full-time positions. They primarily report to the office manager and may be required to deliver documents to clients.

• Junior lawyer

Under the legal services manager’s supervision, this person is responsible for contributing to providing comprehensive legal support. The specialist helps the legal services manager ensure that all legal work is properly addressed during implementation.

• Paralegal

Paralegals provide legal and clerical support to attorneys. They file documents and draft reports and contracts. Usually, paralegals work full-time and can travel to meet with clients and take statements. Candidates for this role should have strong communication and computer skills, some administrative experience, and understand legal terminology.

• Legal assistant

Legal assistants help with minimizing a lawyer’s workload. They perform different clerical and administrative tasks, including screening calls, conducting legal research, and drafting documents. Usually, legal assistants work during business hours in the office, but sometimes they may be required to do fieldwork.

Starting a Career in a Law Firm: Where to search for jobs

If you are wondering how to find a job as a lawyer and don’t know where to start looking, we’ve selected the best tools that can help you land a dream job. 

Career service office

Law school’s career service offices help law students get jobs after graduation. So we recommend you visit them and ask for a list of employers that hired previous grads. It can help you learn which law firms are interested in hiring students. Moreover, you can find out more about a specific law firm’s requirements and qualifications you will need.

Social media platforms

A Society for Human Resource Management report stated that more than 80% of companies are recruiting via social media. Thus, it is a great channel to find job listings. 

We advise you to check LinkedIn. Some consider it as the biggest source of experts and companies that need them. In the “Jobs” section, you can type the potential job title, keywords, or company name. Moreover, you can narrow your search by using geographic, industry, function, or salary filtering.

Facebook is another option. Although it was designed as a social networking site, with such a vast number of active users worldwide, it can be used as a viable way to network professionally and search for jobs. The key is to be careful about what you post and share because it can impact your reputation. 

We recommend you create a professional profile, and if you know the law firm you want to work for, you can visit its page to check for open vacancies.  

Job boards

Job boards can be called modern classified ads. They compile and list a significant number of vacancies in different fields. To find what you need on general job boards, you can use appropriate filters and categories. Moreover, some may offer useful tips in job searching, career coaching, and resume writing.  

Legal employment websites

Besides general job boards, some boards are designed explicitly for legal vacancies, making it easier for you to find positions in a law firm. 

We’ve made a list of the best legal employment websites for you:

• FindLaw

• LawCrossing

• LegalStaff

• LawJobs

• LawMatch

• SimplyLawJobs

• MyLawJob

• Proves 

Networking

Building relationships with people is one of the best ways to get a legal job or any job. Why? Because usually, people prefer to work with people they know and like. Additionally, in this competitive job market, networking can make you a recommended candidate. Thus, you will stand out in a big pool of job-seekers. Moreover, it can help if the position you want to get is not advertised at all because networking leads to information.

Your network includes family members, friends, neighbors, previous and current colleagues, people you know from high school, college, your child’s school, social media, etc. So, make a list of those people and let them know that you’re looking for a law firm job. Don’t assume that some people won’t be able to help. You may be surprised.

It’s important to remember that networking is not a process you should rush. The strategy of connecting people, getting what you want, and then disappearing will work only once. Our recommendation is to invest in your network by providing feedback to those who have helped and thanking them for referrals. 

Wrap Up

Legal specialists are among those who can positively influence the world around us by helping people protect their rights. Although this fight for justice does not always lead to victory, this work can bring high moral satisfaction. If you really want to become a lawyer in the future, do your best to achieve this goal. Hone your skills, build your network, improve your self-presentation, and send your applications. 

The key is to see positive things even in negative results of your job search. At the very minimum, it means you’ve tried. At a maximum, you will get valuable feedback and gain the experience of applying and interviewing. All this can help you work on yourself and get a little closer to your dream.