Paralegal Recruitment - Ryder Reid Legal

[Eviekennett]

Hi Evie, thank you for your time today.

My question is: having completed the PGDL, would you recommend sitting SQE1 before applying for paralegal roles? Would it strengthen an application in a competitive market, or is the PGDL sufficient on its own?

Many thanks!

PGDL is enough on its own and isn't essential for the majority of firms we work with

 

[Eviekennett]

Hi Evie,

Thank you for helping us!

I am a recent silver circle TC offer holder, with just over 6 months before I start the SQE.

I'm about to start applying to paralegal roles in Scotland.

Should I mention that I have a TC with a silver circle firm when applying, or will that reduce my chances if they know I'll be gone in less than a year?

yes absoloutely add this to your CV and mention it when applying. I'm sure to a lot of firms this is an added advantage, and hopefully there are 6 month contract roles available that you'd be right for.

 

[Eviekennett]

Hi Evie, thanks so much for your time. I have been applying for permanent paralegal positions for 2+ months now, without any luck. I'm afraid my application is not being seen by recruiters due to filtering for experience or ATS scanning. Would you recommend reaching out to law firms or recruiters on LinkedIn after applying? Would also love to hear any insights you could share on this!

For reference, I have graduated from university this month and am currently in a temporary document review paralegal role.

Thanks!!

Hi Mannat, sorry to hear you've not had much luck so far. It is a very competitive market, so keep going and I'm sure you will find something! Yes I would suggest following up with a DM to the hiring manager on LinkedIn after applying, but try and avoid using AI for these messages, as most of the time these will get ignored - keep it succinct and personal, and re-attach your CV to the message for ease.

 

[legallyshy]

Hi everyone, I'm Evie Kennett from Ryder Reid Legal.

I wanted to introduce myself and Ryder Reid to the TCLA community. For those who may not know us, Ryder Reid is a specialist legal recruitment agency and we work closely with many of the UK's leading US, international and City law firms.

I head up our Paralegal team here, and my team & I specialise in recruiting the following;

• Law graduates looking to gain a foot in the door at a corporate law firm
• Future trainees looking for 6-12 months paralegal experience before their TC or SQE commences
• Experienced paralegals seeking their next opportunity, whether that's a new practice area, greater responsibility or a change in firm

We recruit for both temporary and permanent paralegal positions across a wide range of practice areas, with a particular focus on opportunities within the US law firm market.

TCLA has a fantastic network of aspiring and future lawyers, so I'm looking forward to connecting with you all, and hopefully helping where I can.

I'm always happy to offer advice on:

• Paralegal applications
• CV and interview tips
• The current legal recruitment market
• Moving between firms or practice areas

Our service is completely free to candidates, so please feel free to get in touch if you'd like to discuss opportunities or have any questions about the paralegal market.

Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evie-kennett-a246b0b4/

Looking forward to connecting and contributing to the community!

Evie

Head of Paralegal Recruitment
Ryder Reid Legal

Hi Evie!
I have been applying for paralegal roles for about a year now, and although I have had a few interviews, I haven't had the best time applying since every role is looking for paralegals with 1+ years of experience. I have also taken up some volunteering roles to boost my CV, but it seems that this is getting me nowhere. My question is how am I meant to get the experience firms are looking for if everyone wants years of experience?

 

[scarlettzhao]

Hello Evie! Thanks for visiting the forum.
I graduated with an LLM in 2024 and have struggled with my career since then. I have only stayed shortly in 2 paralegal jobs since then (apart from some volunteering), and find it even more difficult to secure a paralegal role with my current experience. Is it possible that I connect with you on LinkedIn and send over my CV for some advice? Thanks!

 

[Joannie]

Hi Evie,

Thank you for being here. I’ve been applying for paralegal roles in London for a while now, but I’m finding that most firms ask for 1+ years of experience. I have an LLB, LPC and LLM, plus pro bono experience, but I’m still struggling to get traction.What would you recommend for candidates in my position to make their applications stand out and actually get noticed?

 

[AY2612]

Hi Evie,

I hope this message finds you well- many thanks for responding to our messages today!

I was hoping to connect on LinkedIn with the possibility of discussing any upcoming roles at Ryder Reid Legal that may be a match with my skills and experiences? I have been trying to get my foot in the corporate door for a while now!

Many thanks,
AY

 

[lawberri3]

Hi everyone, I'm Evie Kennett from Ryder Reid Legal.

I wanted to introduce myself and Ryder Reid to the TCLA community. For those who may not know us, Ryder Reid is a specialist legal recruitment agency and we work closely with many of the UK's leading US, international and City law firms.

I head up our Paralegal team here, and my team & I specialise in recruiting the following;

• Law graduates looking to gain a foot in the door at a corporate law firm
• Future trainees looking for 6-12 months paralegal experience before their TC or SQE commences
• Experienced paralegals seeking their next opportunity, whether that's a new practice area, greater responsibility or a change in firm

We recruit for both temporary and permanent paralegal positions across a wide range of practice areas, with a particular focus on opportunities within the US law firm market.

TCLA has a fantastic network of aspiring and future lawyers, so I'm looking forward to connecting with you all, and hopefully helping where I can.

I'm always happy to offer advice on:

• Paralegal applications
• CV and interview tips
• The current legal recruitment market
• Moving between firms or practice areas

Our service is completely free to candidates, so please feel free to get in touch if you'd like to discuss opportunities or have any questions about the paralegal market.

Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evie-kennett-a246b0b4/

Looking forward to connecting and contributing to the community!

Evie

Head of Paralegal Recruitment
Ryder Reid Legal

Hi Evie,

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions on the form.

I had a question about gaining legal work experience as a non-law graduate. Would you recommend pursuing a paralegal role as the best route into the legal profession, or are there other entry-level positions such as compliance that Ryder Reid may offer that you think provide valuable experience and can help build towards a training contract?



Thank you!

 

[Mikeross750]

Hi Evie,

Thank you for your advice.

I am a Future Trainee at a US firm, starting in September 2028. I am about to start the PGDL this fall but would like to paralegal or work as an assistant (business services, HR, etc.) part-time during the year (8-16 hours p/w), and to work full time over the summer of 2027.

Is the fact that I am a non-law graduate without a completed PGDL going to block me from many paralegal opportunities? If not, please do let me know if having a more in-depth conversation with you would be useful.

For reference, I am a First Class graduate from UCL and have secured three vac scheme offers in my first cycle and therefore have a little bit of legal experience.

 

[Eviekennett]

Hi Evie, thanks for taking the time to answer questions. I graduated with an LLB and have recently completed my LLM in Legal Practice at The University of Law. Alongside my studies, I've gained experience through a Legal Advice Centre, insight programmes with firms such as Norton Rose Fulbright and Slaughter and May, corporate internships, and administrative roles including Office Coordinator and Receptionist. I've been applying for paralegal and legal assistant positions for several months, but haven't had much success converting applications into interviews. From a recruiter's perspective, what do you think candidates with my background are most commonly missing? Are there any changes you'd recommend to my CV or application strategy that would make me more competitive for paralegal roles?

Hi - thank you for your message!

First of all, you sound like you have some great experience. Here are some things I would advise (you may already be doing these things, but if not, hopefully this is helpful).

CV layout - education before experience, listing your grades for A Levels and University, including any relevant modules you completed, or if you completed a dissertation on a specific topic that may also be worth adding

Include all legal experience, including open days, insight programmes, and try and elaborate as much as you can. To make your CV stand out, you could try splitting your work experience into legal and non-legal, with the legal at the top.

Also, where are you applying for roles? Are you going through agencies or auto-apply on Linkedin? If it's LinkedIn, is your profile strong? Do you have a picture and all your work experience listed on there too?

 

[Eviekennett]

Hi Evie,

Thank you for your advice.

I am a Future Trainee at a US firm, starting in September 2028. I am about to start the PGDL this fall but would like to paralegal or work as an assistant (business services, HR, etc.) part-time during the year (8-16 hours p/w), and to work full time over the summer of 2027.

Is the fact that I am a non-law graduate without a completed PGDL going to block me from many paralegal opportunities? If not, please do let me know if having a more in-depth conversation with you would be useful.

For reference, I am a First Class graduate from UCL and have secured three vac scheme offers in my first cycle and therefore have a little bit of legal experience.

Hi Mike, congrats on the TC offer. We don't tend to recruit for any part-time roles across our agency, however we do recruit for short-term temporary roles that may work to bridge any gaps between your studies, and we can certainly help you over the summer.

I am working with other future trainees and securing them interviews for roles without a Law degree/ PGDL so it won't be a huge barrier.

 

[Zak991]

Hi everyone, I'm Evie Kennett from Ryder Reid Legal.

I wanted to introduce myself and Ryder Reid to the TCLA community. For those who may not know us, Ryder Reid is a specialist legal recruitment agency and we work closely with many of the UK's leading US, international and City law firms.

I head up our Paralegal team here, and my team & I specialise in recruiting the following;

• Law graduates looking to gain a foot in the door at a corporate law firm
• Future trainees looking for 6-12 months paralegal experience before their TC or SQE commences
• Experienced paralegals seeking their next opportunity, whether that's a new practice area, greater responsibility or a change in firm

We recruit for both temporary and permanent paralegal positions across a wide range of practice areas, with a particular focus on opportunities within the US law firm market.

TCLA has a fantastic network of aspiring and future lawyers, so I'm looking forward to connecting with you all, and hopefully helping where I can.

I'm always happy to offer advice on:

• Paralegal applications
• CV and interview tips
• The current legal recruitment market
• Moving between firms or practice areas

Our service is completely free to candidates, so please feel free to get in touch if you'd like to discuss opportunities or have any questions about the paralegal market.

Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evie-kennett-a246b0b4/

Looking forward to connecting and contributing to the community!

Evie

Head of Paralegal Recruitment
Ryder Reid Legal

Hello Evie, I hope this message finds you well

I was wondering how much services such as yours value non legal experience, I have little legal experience but large amounts of customer service experience from retail roles.

I'm just trying to gauge my chances as I've been applying as a 2.1 law graduate who's currently finishing of their LLM, with no luck, and I'm really hoping to break into to legal sector soon.

Kind regards