Paralegal work

[pfoapplicant]

Hi everyone,

This summer, I graduated from university; I did well academically, but I didn't have a training contract lined up, so I decided that I'd look for paralegal roles (or anything adjacent to this; basically, anything that would be useful legal work experience) post-graduation, whilst applying to vac schemes. I've only just got round to starting to look for paralegal work (yes - I don't blame anyone reading this for thinking I've left it very late), and I was wondering how people went about finding it!

In particular, I'd be really interested to hear about whether there are any paralegal recruitment agencies that people would recommend for roles in London and/or the South East. (especially London if possible!)
Also, I remember when talking to Jessica Booker (who used to be on this forum) that she talked about how it could be useful to send speculative emails to people (with CVs attached) to "lateral hire recruiters". With this in mind, would it be a logical step to email people specialising in lateral recruitment at firms, to ask them if they've got any paralegal roles?

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be hugely grateful! Apologies if my questions are a bit stupid; I feel a bit directionless post-university, and I don't really know what questions are best to ask for someone in my situation.

 

[Giannis_218]

Hey, I was in a similar position last year. Some agencies you could look at include Ryder Reid, Michael Page UK, and Larbey Evans, just to name a few. If you come across recruiters or relevant contacts on LinkedIn, make sure to message them directly. If you have no prior experience, being proactive is especially important. Another useful tool is LinkedIn’s job search. Search for “paralegal” and set the time filter to 24 hours, as these roles tend to move quickly and early applications help. Make sure to check regularly. I checked once in the morning and once in the evening. Hope this helps, and best of luck!

 

[Aarav-TESTACCOUNT]

Hi everyone,

This summer, I graduated from university; I did well academically, but I didn't have a training contract lined up, so I decided that I'd look for paralegal roles (or anything adjacent to this; basically, anything that would be useful legal work experience) post-graduation, whilst applying to vac schemes. I've only just got round to starting to look for paralegal work (yes - I don't blame anyone reading this for thinking I've left it very late), and I was wondering how people went about finding it!

In particular, I'd be really interested to hear about whether there are any paralegal recruitment agencies that people would recommend for roles in London and/or the South East. (especially London if possible!)
Also, I remember when talking to Jessica Booker (who used to be on this forum) that she talked about how it could be useful to send speculative emails to people (with CVs attached) to "lateral hire recruiters". With this in mind, would it be a logical step to email people specialising in lateral recruitment at firms, to ask them if they've got any paralegal roles?

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be hugely grateful! Apologies if my questions are a bit stupid; I feel a bit directionless post-university, and I don't really know what questions are best to ask for someone in my situation.

You’re definitely not alone in feeling this way post-graduation, and there are some very straightforward ways to approach this:

• Paralegal recruitment agencies
  Ryder Reid Legal are well worth speaking to. They place paralegals across London and the South East in a wide range of commercial practice areas, including at top City and US firms. They’re very used to working with recent graduates and people applying for vac schemes alongside work.
• Direct contact
  Ryder Reid actively encourage applicants to reach out. Their Head of Paralegal Recruitment, Evie Kennett, is very approachable from personal experience and happy to hear directly from candidates:
  [email protected]
  A concise email with your CV and a short explanation of what you’re looking for would be great.
• Speculative emails to firms
  Yes, emailing lateral hire or resourcing recruiters at firms can make sense, particularly for larger firms that regularly take on paralegals. It won’t always get a response, but it does work for some people and is worth doing alongside agency applications.
• Timing
  It’s not too late. Paralegal hiring happens year-round and is purely market dependent, so roles come up unexpectedly. Starting now is still completely fine!
• Mindset
  Try not to see this as a fallback. Paralegal work is a very common and well-regarded route while applying for vac schemes, and many firms value the experience highly.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions!

 

[Xx123_]

Hi everyone,

This summer, I graduated from university; I did well academically, but I didn't have a training contract lined up, so I decided that I'd look for paralegal roles (or anything adjacent to this; basically, anything that would be useful legal work experience) post-graduation, whilst applying to vac schemes. I've only just got round to starting to look for paralegal work (yes - I don't blame anyone reading this for thinking I've left it very late), and I was wondering how people went about finding it!

In particular, I'd be really interested to hear about whether there are any paralegal recruitment agencies that people would recommend for roles in London and/or the South East. (especially London if possible!)
Also, I remember when talking to Jessica Booker (who used to be on this forum) that she talked about how it could be useful to send speculative emails to people (with CVs attached) to "lateral hire recruiters". With this in mind, would it be a logical step to email people specialising in lateral recruitment at firms, to ask them if they've got any paralegal roles?

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be hugely grateful! Apologies if my questions are a bit stupid; I feel a bit directionless post-university, and I don't really know what questions are best to ask for someone in my situation.

Hi — firstly, please don’t beat yourself up about timing. A lot of people reach this point after graduating and suddenly feel a bit lost, especially without a TC lined up. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s also very normal and trying to grow your experiences is a perfect way to improve as a candidate.

In fact Dec/Jan is the perfect time to start researching and applying to roles with the start of the new!

On the practical side, a few routes that have worked well for me and my friends previously:

Paralegal recruitment agencies

• It’s worth registering with several agencies rather than relying on just one.
• Alongside Ryder Reid, I have often have success with:
  • Stephen James Partnership
  • Larbey Evans
  • Career Legal
  • DVF Recruitment
  • RedLaw Recruitment
• These all regularly place paralegals in London and the South East and are used to working with recent graduates.

Flexible paralegal work

• Platforms like Flex Legal and Accutrainee offer short-term, flexible or project-based paralegal roles.
• These can be a great way to build experience while continuing to apply for vac schemes.

Recruitment agencies emails

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

Widening the net

• Paralegal roles can be competitive in a similar way to TC applications.
• If your longer-term goal is to strengthen TC apps, roles such as legal administrator, legal assistant, or risk and compliance can offer very similar skills and valuable office experience.

Applications & CVs

• Applying directly via firm websites (not just LinkedIn quick apply) can help you stand out.
• Make sure your CV is tailored to paralegal-style work — attention to detail, document handling, research, and working in professional environments.

You’re not being silly for feeling unsure — this transition is hard for a lot of people. Keep going, stay proactive, and feel free to reach out if you want to clarify next steps or need help reaching out to certain companies.