5 Ways to Start a Career in Law While Still at College
Becoming a law student is a good first step to building a well-paying career in a prestigious field. However, a single degree is not enough for your future success. The truth is that becoming a lawyer is nearly impossible without gaining some prior work experience.
This basically means that, in order to jump-start your career after graduation, you actually have to start building up your experience while still being at college. How to do it right, you may wonder? This article will tell you about the five opportunities for law students to start their careers right now. Let’s see what is there for you!
1. Part-Time Jobs
Given an overly-intensive curriculum in law schools, young people who study there barely have any time left for other, non-academic stuff. Being overloaded with classes, lectures, exams, and homework, they simply can’t land a full-time job. But, with the help of the cheap essay writing service EssayPro, they can ease their academic load and save some time for doing a part-time job. This is the first way to start building your career right now.
If you can find a way to take care of your assignments while you’re busy, you can land a part-time job without putting your academic performance at risk. We stress the importance of having an academic helper by your side because GPAs matter a lot for legal careers. So, if you want to do things right, don’t give up on your grades.
What types of part-time jobs are there for you? Typically, while you are still a student and don’t have a license, you can only count on simple entry-level positions. These include legal trainee, assistant, or administrator jobs. Such jobs are rather easy to do. That’s why firms are often willing to hire students to do them.
If you decide to go in this direction, there are a few ways to discover available jobs. You can monitor vacancies at the firms that interest you. Also, you can seek opportunities on websites with job postings. And, finally, you can ask your friends, family, and other people you know about job leads. Often, networking is the best way to do this.
2. Freelance
In today’s world, you can do almost any job online. This is great in terms of work-life balance as this way you get a chance to manage your own schedule however you want. Now, what if you can use this opportunity to start your law career while still being a student? In fact, you can!
Surfing through various freelance platforms, you can find plenty of legal jobs, both hard and simple ones. As a student, you can start by taking some simple tasks like preparing legal claims or complaints, drafting contracts and other documents, etc.
At first, such undertakings will likely not pay too well. But, it is a great way to start your path to a successful legal career and gain the skills you need for it. And, if you find a way to make yourself stand out, you can even make some good money on freelance. So, be sure to consider this option.
3. Clerkship
If you don’t feel like you can’t combine working and studying, another option you have is to land a summer clerkship. Typically, clerks are hired by judges to assist them with everyday tasks. However, compared to the entry-level part-time positions, clerkships can actually help you gain a more well-rounded legal experience.
The duties of a clerk are usually determined by each particular judge. However, they often include legal research and writing, drafting and proofreading orders and opinions, preparing bench memos, communicating with court personnel and chamber staff, as well as assisting during courtroom proceedings.
Thanks to such a wide range of duties and close cooperation with judges and other court staff, clerkships can offer you a very rich experience. Thus, if you land one, it will prepare you for your future career. During it, you will learn how courts work from the inside, expand your knowledge, and acquire a wide range of vital legal skills.
Best part? Since clerkships most often take place in summer, taking one won’t hurt your academic performance. However, you will likely have to sacrifice your summer vacation for it. After all, it will require 100% of your time and dedication if you want to make the most of this experience.
4. Internship
Another good way to land a dream job while still being at college is to land an internship. Internships allow legal students to work for various law firms, organizations, country offices, and other facilities for a short period, typically three months or less.
There are many different types of internships. The ones that take place in summer are the most common. But, if you think you can combine this endeavor with studying, you can find a program that takes place in fall or spring.
The benefits of this option include the possibility to intern for a company you are interested in and see how law firms work. But, most importantly, internships can provide you with a chance for full-time employment in the future. This is possible if you show yourself as a dedicated and passionate worker. And, even if you don’t get a job offer from a firm you interned for, this experience will still look great on your future resume.
Just like clerkships, internships help students develop a wide range of skills. Working side-by-side with professional legal teams, you will have a chance to learn from them and get prepared for your future career. So, one way or another, it is a great way to start your career in law.
5. Volunteering
Finally, one more opportunity enables law students to gain hands-on experience in their field and start their careers. We are talking about volunteering. Today, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities for specialists in various fields, and law is not an exception.
Some opportunities available for students include volunteer programs in courts, shelters, and other nonprofits that deal with legal issues.
By becoming a volunteer, you can try yourself in various roles. For example, you can assist lawyers or judges, handle legal research and writing, participate in court trials, and do much more.
What will you get from volunteering? First and foremost, you will gain knowledge, hands-on experience, and lots of industry-related skills. In addition to that, you will have a unique opportunity to expand your network. And, if you can make yourself stand out in the volunteering position, be sure that your hard work will pay off.
One big downside of this option is that it doesn’t pay at all. And, unlike internships, it also doesn’t provide you with an opportunity for future employment. But, it is worth noting that the volunteering experience always looks good to potential employers. Thus, if you are still hesitating, be sure that volunteering is a great opportunity!
The Bottom Line
Now, you know about the top five ways that can help you start a career to earn money while still in college. Each of these opportunities can play a huge role in your future. So, if you are up for the challenge, choose what suits you the most and start building your successful future today!