Paralegals with a degree can gain experience in several venues.
No formal state or national requirements exist to work as a paralegal, also called a legal assistant. The industry itself is unregulated. It is the hiring attorney in charge of providing training and oversight who is to regulate the paralegal, according to the American Bar Association. Some attorneys are willing to hire a paralegal with no working legal experience, but the best jobs tend to go to candidates with education and on-the-job experience. Having any type of college degree is a good start for establishing a career as a paralegal.
Instructions
1. Enroll in a paralegal certificate program that includes a working internship. Many schools offer these programs in the practical application of legal principles. Working for an attorney or law firm helps future paralegals get real-world experience.
2. Register with a staffing agency specializing in legal placements. These recruiters often receive job orders from entities willing to interview an experienced candidate with the right kind of background and education. They can help you get temporary or contract work as a paralegal which can often turn into full-time employment.
3. Contact a local Legal Aid office. Let them know you have a degree and are interested in learning more about working as a legal assistant. Offer to work as a volunteer a couple days a week. Legal Aid assists many people each year with routine legal matters. The organization always has a need for volunteers, and a would-be paralegal can gain solid experience with them.
4. Inform your friends and family about your desire to gain working paralegal experience. Often, finding a job is as much about whom you know as what you know. Someone's attorney, uncle or brother-in-law may be looking for summer help, so make sure to tell as many people as you can that you are looking for a legal assistant position.
5. Prepare a resume and cover letter that highlights your education as well as any administrative work experience--legal and non-legal--that you have. Put together a one-page cover letter outlining the reasons you would be an excellent paralegal. Send this letter and the resume to any entry-level paralegal positions that you find advertised in your area. Follow up three days later with a phone call to the hiring manager and try scheduling an interview.
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