You might be in your first, penultimate and/or final year in your degree. Or you just graduated and are ready to take on the world of work.
However, there is one thing that may be stopping you from getting into that law firm and that’s work experience. We are here to tell you the kinds of entry-level legal jobs that are out there for us.
An entry-level job is a great way to capture the experience in your profession. It can tell you if this is the right field for you or if you want to change your career path. Some entry-level jobs are part-time so that you can still pursue your degree full time while others are full time in which you will have to fulfil your degree part-time. Some are voluntary and there are those where you receive a monthly salary or stipend.
Voluntary Entry-Level Legal Jobs
- Virtual internships/internships: these are programs that some law firms or corporations provide to students to gain insight into their career. They are usually unpaid but you can include the experience on your resume.
- Non-profit legal organizations: is another unpaid opportunity; however it is a great way to gain a quality work experience as it is not meaningless work. You will get to partake in meaningful tasks that can make a difference in people’s lives.
- Legal aid clinics: is another voluntary opportunity where you do meaningful tasks.
Paid Entry-Level Legal Jobs
- Document coder – is a form of data entry in which you review and identify documents to be easily sorted and retrieved for litigation purposes.
- File clerk – are responsible for the maintenance, creating and processing of legal documents or records.
- Legal receptionist – is the first person you meet when you enter the law firm or department. They are responsible for the meeting and greeting of clients, answering phone calls as well as filing.
Employers that Provide Entry-Level Legal Work
- Herbert Smith Freehills – virtual internships
- White and Case LLP – virtual internships
- Court Appointed Special Advocates For Children (CASA) –a non-profit organization that does pro bono cases. You will be working alongside social workers and/or lawyers
- Browne Jacobson – vacation schemes which are similar to that of an internship programme as well as training contracts where they provide a year or two of training to ensure that you become specialised in the field.
- Bird & Bird – vacation schemes
- Clifford Chance – vacation schemes
- Pinsent Masons – vacation schemes and/or training contracts
- Slaughter and May – vacation schemes
- Taylor Wessing – vacation schemes
- Allen and Overy – vacation schemes
Working During Studies
For those who are eager to obtain work experience in your career whilst still pursuing your degree, I bet you are wondering if it is even possible to have it all. Studying while pursuing your career is that even possible?
Here are the pros and cons of studying while working.
Pros of Working While Studying
- You have an income that can be used to finance your studies.
- You gain work experience such as filing, answering the telephone and interacting with clients.
- It gives you a head start in the job market.
Cons of Working While Studying
- The hours you have to put in while studying: such as early hours in the morning or late hours at night.
- You might not be able to cover all of your studying material as the majority of your time is at work, which can lead to your stress level increasing.
- No time for other extra curricular activities. It all depends on the individual’s mindset. Do you have the self-discipline and a determined mindset to do both?
By Josanne Montague
