How to get hired by a personal injury firm

Finding a job as an associate is quite challenging, at the very least.

There’s a lot of competition since there’re lots of graduates out there seeking the same opportunity as you do.

Sure, I understand academic qualifications play a crucial role, but there’s more than being smart, working hard, and getting good grades to get hired.

In my experience, the path to getting hired by a personal injury law firm is “circuitous,” and by this, I mean it’s not a definite path.

Fortunately, I’ve identified things to do and traits you need on how to get hired by a personal injury firm.

Take Legal Secretary Jobs

Understandably, legal practitioners disdain such opportunities, but it’s the first step of getting your feet into the legal domain.

In any case, the legal secretaries work in tandem with the more experienced lawyers.

So, if you’re a newbie, this can present a great way to gain valuable, hands-on experience with your degree.

The good thing with the legal secretarial is they are less dependent on the legal skills and experience and more inclined towards the administrative duties.

However, you should only consider taking this route if you know your way around the office well; nonetheless, the familiarity with computer software and clerical duties is sufficient to get you going.

From here, it’s easier to work your way up.

Sure, this task might not be as rewarding as the real attorney job, but it’s a great way to prepare you for the real job.

Try Temping

Another way of landing a job in a law firm is through temporary employment.

Normally temping involves handling short-term assignments, and in most cases, it’s done through the legal staffing agencies.

However, it’s not as rewarding as the real job since the legal staffing agency takes a cut of their pay.

Another thing is that temporary employees aren’t entitled to the benefits and perks of employment, though the benefits might be offered through the legal staffing agency.

Nonetheless, temping offers an incredible way of exploring the opportunities within the legal field, more particularly your company.

If anything, some of the firms normally offer temping opportunities as a way to recruit permanent staff.

It’s like a probation period, where you’re tried on your performance, and they can result in job offers at the end of the project.

Internship, externship, and Clinics

Internship or externships are unpaid positions in law firms, insurance, or NGOs, though you can still earn school credits from them.

The benefit of an internship is you get the valuable experience needed in the legal field.

More importantly, however, you get to network with people in the industry who might later give you a job.

You might as well get accepted by the interning firm and taken as a full-time attorney.

However, the internship or externship opportunities are hard to come by, since they aren’t always advertised, and so, you’ve to do some digging and research.

Volunteer

Volunteering opportunities in the legal field are plenty, and they offer a great way of gaining legal experience and networking.

Like the internship opportunities, volunteering opportunities are unpaid, but as we’ve seen, the benefits are far much more than the salary sacrifice.

Most of these organizations won’t give you meaningless busywork; instead, they give substantive tasks that make a difference in the community and lives of people.

Engage in Extracurricular Activities

The extracurricular activities offer the perfect way of gaining legal experience, and this is particularly true if you’re still in school.

Law students, for instance, can participate in a moot court session, which helps in sharpening their oral advocacy skills.

Away from the oratory skills, students can gain the writing skills, which are a necessity for the legal profession.

Do you work in the legal sector? Share with our audience how you made your way into your career.