Finding Paralegal Positions

[antisocial applicant]

Hi everyone. I'm a third-year law student that's waiting on some vacation scheme responses. I'm planning of paralegaling if I'm unsuccessful. I'm wondering, how does one actually go about securing a paralegal position without having done the LPC before? I've heard that a lot of firms want people who've done the LPC before, so I'm not sure what my chances would be of taking this route... is this a thing with large firms that can afford to be more restrictive with requirements? I'd be quite happy to paralegal at high street and regional firms too

 

[TC fiend]

Really depends on a number of factors! I think a number of firms/ads you see will say something along the lines of “LPC preferred but not required”, which at least suggests they’re open to candidates without it. I haven’t done the LPC but got my first paralegal gig with a MC firm because they were looking for people with a legal background and certain language skills. Getting that experience in then helped me move to my current position at a US firm (and I still haven’t done the LPC!). I actually imagine smaller high street firms will be more stringent with the LPC requirements because you’ll likely have more client facing work, where LPC courses come in as useful prep.

I’d recommend sending your CV to some recruiters and getting their feedback

 

[antisocial applicant]

Really depends on a number of factors! I think a number of firms/ads you see will say something along the lines of “LPC preferred but not required”, which at least suggests they’re open to candidates without it. I haven’t done the LPC but got my first paralegal gig with a MC firm because they were looking for people with a legal background and certain language skills. Getting that experience in then helped me move to my current position at a US firm (and I still haven’t done the LPC!). I actually imagine smaller high street firms will be more stringent with the LPC requirements because you’ll likely have more client facing work, where LPC courses come in as useful prep.

I’d recommend sending your CV to some recruiters and getting their feedback

Thanks for your response FS! What do you mean when you say the firms were looking for people with a legal background for paralegaling?

 

[TC fiend]

Thanks for your response FS! What do you mean when you say the firms were looking for people with a legal background for paralegaling?

So everyone in my team had studied law, but most were foreign educated and/or qualified.

 

[RachelLouise22]

Hi everyone. I'm a third-year law student that's waiting on some vacation scheme responses. I'm planning of paralegaling if I'm unsuccessful. I'm wondering, how does one actually go about securing a paralegal position without having done the LPC before? I've heard that a lot of firms want people who've done the LPC before, so I'm not sure what my chances would be of taking this route... is this a thing with large firms that can afford to be more restrictive with requirements? I'd be quite happy to paralegal at high street and regional firms too

In my experience I struggled heavily to find paralegal work straight out of my LLB, it is almost as competitive as TCs Id say given the number of people going for each job. I secured a legal assistant role in august this year out of uni and I've now started as a paralegal with a different firm leveraging my assistant experience to get the role, so maybe try find assistant roles if you struggle for paralegal work. When I was an assistant that firm 'preferred' the LPC but accepted those without for paralegal roles, they went for all LPC candidates when they recruited whilst I was there

 

[antisocial applicant]

In my experience I struggled heavily to find paralegal work straight out of my LLB, it is almost as competitive as TCs Id say given the number of people going for each job. I secured a legal assistant role in august this year out of uni and I've now started as a paralegal with a different firm leveraging my assistant experience to get the role, so maybe try find assistant roles if you struggle for paralegal work. When I was an assistant that firm 'preferred' the LPC but accepted those without for paralegal roles, they went for all LPC candidates when they recruited whilst I was there

Thanks for your answer Rachel!