Helpful Hints for Landing Your First Law Firm Job

After spending years attending law school, you might be reaching the point where you can start searching for jobs. Experience is crucial, and the more experience you have, the more opportunities might present themselves in the years to come. 

However, not everyone has the connections to enter a law firm with minimal effort, so some law students may find it helpful to take some of the following steps. 

Research the Best Law Firms

To ensure you’re as knowledgeable as possible about the law firms in your area, check out law directories. These directories list reputable law firms near you, such as Onder Law. 

While not all law firms will take on students or have vacancies, you can at least explore the many firms in your town or city to gain insight into who you are likely to encounter throughout your legal career. 

Work On Your Resume

One of the most important things to do when trying to land your first law firm job is to create a resume. This may be challenging with next to no legal experience, but it’s manageable when you format any type of work experience you have correctly. 

For example, rather than simply listing your general responsibilities of a past job with bullet points, include an action verb with your duty and an explanation of how or why you did it, along with the result. 

You can also include any transferable skills that work in a wide variety of roles, including those in the legal field. If you’re unsure how to format your resume professionally, you may see the value in hiring a graphic designer who can give your resume the ultimate edge.   

Work On the Necessary Skills

Being in law school means you have the opportunity to learn new skills to assist you in the legal world. However, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and some of these weaknesses may plague you as you start job hunting. 

For example, if you struggle to perform client interviews, work as part of a team, or organize your workload, work on these skills as you hunt for a job. Failure to do so may mean that you may struggle to perform to a law firm’s standard when hired for the first time. 

Volunteer Your Services

Gaining experience in the legal world is necessary, but law firms don’t always offer paid positions for law students with no experience. You may be able to gain experience by volunteering part-time or during a set period like summer break. 

Volunteering might allow you to get some hands-on experience that may have otherwise not been available if you were searching for a paid position. While you’re gaining experience, you can also be making connections in the legal world. 

By the time you’ve gained your law degree and are ready to enter the working world, you may already have a few phone numbers to call to land your first paying job. 

It may not always be easy to find your first law firm job, with so many law students working toward the same goal. However, if you work on your weaknesses, refine your resume, and volunteer your services, you may find yourself in a much more desirable position than before.