Hi guys. I have a dilemma and I would greatly appreciate any advice at all. I graduated in July 2022 with a 2:1 law degree. After much deliberation, I decided against self funding the LPC as I was determined to secure a TC. However, we are now in May and I have been unsuccessful in doing so. I hold my hands up and say that I could have put in a a lot more work into my applications but you live and you learn. Aside from securing a TC, I have been trying to secure a paralegal role with ZERO luck. I believe that gaining some paralegal experience will help me achieve my long-term goals. I do not have any formal paralegal experience, however, I completed a 2 month internship as an in-house intern which I hoped will further my prospects in securing a role. I have tried every recruiter you could think of: Flex Legal, Ryder Reid and many more, yet, I have not been able to secure anything. At this point, I am filled with self-doubt because we are now in May and i am yet to make any progress in my legal career. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can secure a paralegal role as someone with little experience?. Any advice would be amazing!. I do feel like I am at my wits end :/.
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Struggling to secure roles.
- Thread starter judyz1
- Start date
- Feb 17, 2018
- 4,719
- 8,627
Hey there - thanks so much for sharing your situation here. You're definitely not alone in your position: we often see that it takes a few cycles of applying to secure a training contract.
Are you open to applying for vacation schemes in September or are you only looking to apply via a direct training contract?
It's great that you're applying for paralegal roles, but I'd also note that it's not necessary to securing a training contract - if this is your ultimate goal. You might want to consider other roles that could help you develop your skills over the next few months, particularly if you are willing to go through the next cycle.
Hi Jaysen, thank you for your reply. I am open to applying for vacation schemes in September, however, as a graduate, I would be more interested in direct training contract applications. I think I am attracted to pursuing a paralegal role because it would provide me with the legal experience that I might be missing. I am also very interested in law in general so I am keen to enter any role that exposes me to the legal sector.
Our situations are almost identical. I graduated in July 2022, and haven't secured a VC, TC or paralegal roles through Flex and other recruiters. I probably should prepare for the next cycle in September, and I hope someone can give some tips on how I can best achieve this
Hi!. It would be nice to build a community for people like us. I agree, any tips for things that could be done in the interim will be greatly appreciated.
Same! I also graduated in 2022 and wasn’t able to find anything for a while. Basically don’t try any of the recruitment websites like flex. They are pretty useless you’ve had some paralegal experience. In my opinion, paralleling is the wrong career move. The pay is low and it’s essentially not where you want to work long term (I’m presuming). Instead, look for any opportunity in areas that you are interested in and apply to as many as you can.
If you are interested in energy - find a legal role at a renewable energy startup.
If you’re interested in banks - compliance and AML internships / temp roles could fit.
There are also fintech companies in structured finance, crypto, derivates etc. the most important thing is to be open minded.
This is more beneficial because 1. They tend to pay more from my experience.
2. You get to know an industry outside law and which is beneficial as a law degree is very narrow and it allows you to understand future clients needs (when you qualify as a solicitor) & probably help with interviews/applications.
3. You have relevant work experience outside of law if the TC doesn’t work out.
The downside is:
-paralegal work is similar to trainee tasks so you’ll be more experienced than other trainees in the first two years (I presume) & you’ll understand law firms and their needs from an internal view which also helps with applications/interviews.
If you are interested in energy - find a legal role at a renewable energy startup.
If you’re interested in banks - compliance and AML internships / temp roles could fit.
There are also fintech companies in structured finance, crypto, derivates etc. the most important thing is to be open minded.
This is more beneficial because 1. They tend to pay more from my experience.
2. You get to know an industry outside law and which is beneficial as a law degree is very narrow and it allows you to understand future clients needs (when you qualify as a solicitor) & probably help with interviews/applications.
3. You have relevant work experience outside of law if the TC doesn’t work out.
The downside is:
-paralegal work is similar to trainee tasks so you’ll be more experienced than other trainees in the first two years (I presume) & you’ll understand law firms and their needs from an internal view which also helps with applications/interviews.
Hi. thanks for taking the time to reply to my message. This sounds like a really good idea. I am quite an inquisitive person so it would be nice to enter a role that gives me a holistic overview of the legal landscape. I have previously interned at a fintech company so I will definitely pursue something similar. Just wondering, have you now secured a non-legal role?
I completely agree!
Many thanks, this is incredibly helpful! Any tips on where I could find such roles? I think this is the path I may take
I like to find roles on google but then directly apply on their website, not the linked website. LinkedIn can also be useful. also unsolicited application/ sending out your CV to companies you are interest in is also useful.
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