A letter of recommendation from a lawyer practicing from a reputable law firm will carry a lot of weight. They will probably know you more personally than a teacher, so they can add a more personal touch to the letter. You can also talk about your professional achievements in terms of work and experience in the law firm, which can set you apart from your colleagues with no experience in a law firm. First, this description only addresses the specific question of whether or not you should work as a paralegal to increase your chances of studying law and getting a job as a lawyer. A paralegal job is a very respectable job and this comment does not specify whether you should choose this as a career or not. A refund from your employer could save you a lot of money. Many law firms also offer tuition reimbursement programs for their employees. These programs can help ease the heavy financial burden that comes with attending law school. Law courses can be as high as $40,000 a year, but a refund can make them cheaper. This can give law schools an idea of your quality in arguments, research, writing, and editing. Whether you`re trying to compare potential future careers or you`re just curious about who`s who in the legal system, you`ve come to the right place. We`re here to compare paralegals to lawyers and highlight the differences in salary, career prospects, job responsibilities and education required for each. If you`re not sure whether to become a lawyer or not, working as a paralegal can give you insight into your career.

As a paralegal, you work in a law firm, so you can see what lawyers do every day. You may have the opportunity to work closely with one or more lawyers in your position. You will also have the chance to ask questions and see them in action. If you decide that the legal field is not your dream career when you start as a paralegal, you haven`t spent as much time or money as if you had gone to law school, only to find that you hate the job. The labour market for law school graduates has undergone major changes in recent years. The National Association for Law Placement (NALP), an organization that studies and tracks law school outcomes, found that 67.7 percent of law school graduates surveyed held positions requiring a state bar exam in 2016.2 The good news for aspiring lawyers is that there has been some market correction since then. In 2019, the NAP found that 76.2% of law school graduates were working in jobs that were expected to be adopted in 2019.3 While this is a significant improvement, it is with one caveat: the pool of graduates was smaller overall.3 Everyone has to start somewhere, and for most lawyers, That starting point is the Faculty of Law. Getting into one of them is often a very competitive and sometimes frustrating process, so many aspiring lawyers are looking to gain an edge over the competition. Some need a year between graduation from college to applying to law school, as a kind of gap year, and in some cases, they use this gap year to work as a paralegal. Working as a paralegal at a law firm can give you insight into what it`s like to work as a lawyer. Paralegals often do much the same work as lawyers without actually practicing law. This can be beneficial because learning the terminology and legal principles in your state is a valuable hands-on experience that will familiarize you with the topics covered in law school.

Here are some examples of the work of paralegals: If you decide to become a lawyer, starting your career as a paralegal has distinct advantages. Acquiring important skills, building a network and obtaining financial support for training are just a few of them. But first, will becoming a paralegal help you get into law school in the first place? Lawyers and paralegals have many overlapping tasks, and while lawyers earn more and have a more prestigious job title, there are certainly potential downsides. Talk to an admissions counsellor today. Fill out the form to receive information on: Letter of Recommendation: Most applications to law school require a letter of recommendation. While many candidates ask one of their professors to write this letter, those who choose to work as paralegals can ask one of their colleagues. This can lead to a more personal letter of recommendation. Now that you know you need a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies to become a certified professional, you may be wondering what you can do with your degree in the future. You can learn skills in the legal field as a paralegal and see if this is the field of employment you want to work in.

If you are still passionate about studying law and have earned your bachelor`s degree, you may be able to use your academic records to meet the admission criteria published at many law schools. You must consider the degree of acceptance of law schools and ensure that all preparatory courses you take are accredited and recognized by the Law School Admissions Board. Those who do well in their summer positions often receive their first job offer from the law school of the firm for which they articled. Shelley Frost has a degree in education and experience in education management, insurance and software testing. She currently runs her own business and writes frequently on business and employment topics for Chron and Intuit QuickBooks. This is a voluntary process for professionals who wish to become paralegals. This certification isn`t always required for the job, but it can help you stand out in the hiring process and improve your understanding of legal concepts. Paralegals generally acquire some level of formal education after high school. The minimum educational requirement is an associate`s degree or paralegal certification. It is possible for law firms to hire you as a paralegal while you complete your bachelor`s degree, as long as you obtain a paralegal certification. However, most paralegals complete a bachelor`s degree before starting a job. A paralegal at work (via the Bureau of Labor Statistics page on paralegals).

There are two tips here. First, if you`re taking time off after your undergraduates, focus on something you`re passionate about and something you want to do. This will make you happy and is also great material for your law school application, resume, and interviews. With many good students applying for the best schools and jobs, schools and employers often look to this time between college and law to determine what the student is made of. I am not sure that working as a paralegal does much to keep you one step ahead of someone who, for example, went to a third world country to build schools. Second, if you want to work as a paralegal before going to law school, sit down and talk to lawyers who worked as paralegals before law school. They should also talk to several current paralegals to see what they like and don`t like about their work. Here are some of the benefits of choosing to work as a paralegal: At CLS by BARBRI, we have helped countless students pass the LSAT not only through our LSAT preparation course, but also through our paralegal training. Our intensive, nationally recognized programs are designed for both junior and advanced lawyers.

Contact us today for more information about our paralegal training, LSAT preparation and other related courses. There was a general consensus that a paralegal job will not make your law school application more competitive. In fact, some (myself included) felt that you might be at a slight disadvantage, as many associate the role of a paralegal with administrative tasks.