Paralegalling is likely to be the most common route for self-funding Solicitors Qualifying Exam (or SQE) preparation course students to gain Qualifying Work Experience (QWE).
It’s worth noting, however, that paralegal roles come in all shapes and sizes. Some are temporary roles and more admin-focused whilst others are longer-term or permanent opportunities that will enable you to gain experience not too far removed from what you’d expect as a trainee solicitor. What’s more, vacancies arise with law firms and in-house legal departments and across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors meaning there’s something to suit most students’ interests and preferences.
Also, worth noting is, during the SQE transitional period employers and / or legal recruiters are unlikely to describe paralegal roles as QWE in their job adverts. As such, when searching for roles on legal job boards you’ll currently have more success using ‘paralegal’ as a key word instead of ‘QWE’.
With this in mind, when discussing paralegal roles with employers and / or legal recruiters, ensure you’re all on the same page as to whether or not any experience you gain will be confirmed as QWE. The point at which you raise this query will depend on whether the role is temporary (ie a fixed-term contract (FTC) or permanent.
For FTCs it should be fine to broach the subject of QWE from the outset but for permanent roles you may want to tread with caution because some employers might treat this as akin to asking them if the role will eventually lead to a training contract. It has been well documented that some hiring organisations take an instant dislike to candidates who are trying to use paralegalling as a method to circumvent their usual hiring processes.
It’s also important for you to take a common-sense view on whether your day-to-day responsibilities will offer you the quality and depth of experience needed to help you develop the competences needed to excel as a newly qualified (NQ) solicitor. Remember, the end game is to secure an NQ job meaning any paralegalling experience you gain should also be adding value to your CV once you’ve completed two-years’ QWE.
How to land a paralegal role with no previous experience
The paralegal jobs market is highly competitive with some employers still stubbornly favouring LPC students who already have ‘relevant’ previous experience. This typically includes the following:
- Previous paralegal jobs;
- Work experience placements / vacation schemes or other law-related roles (paid or voluntary);
- Administrative / secretarial experience; and
- Experience that highlights time management, performing well under pressure and to tight deadlines, people / team working skills, attention to detail, communication skills, and ability to research.
To this end, if your CV is lacking in some of the above, breaking the paralegal paradox (or vicious cycle) can be challenging, particularly for SQE prep students who are either non-law graduates or career changers.
That said, with proper planning, a can-do mindset, and by following the steps outlined below it needn’t be impossible.
Play to your strengths
Focus on paralegal roles that relate to areas of law you’ve studied as optional modules on your undergrad degree or Master’s, or indeed, written a dissertation on. This will go a long way to help explain why you want to paralegal in a particular area of law.
Alternatively, for non-law students and career changers highlight how previous experience, including paid roles, volunteering and hobbies, have gifted you with sector knowledge / insight and key transferrable skills. For example, if you’ve previously worked as a journalist or in the pharma sector then paralegal roles with a focus on copyrights and patents respectively are potentially strong matches for you. And to enhance your chances of converting an application to an interview include the skills gained in these roles such as time management and team working.
Another highly sought-after skill in the context of paralegalling roles is having a second or indeed third language. International law firms often have vacancies for ‘document review’ paralegals with language skills. Though arguably not ideal for gaining ‘good quality’ QWE, a job translating legal documents into English is a good way to break the vicious cycle and get your foot in the door so to speak.
Closing your skills gap
In a competitive paralegal jobs market strong academics alone typically won’t be enough to get you noticed by employers / legal recruiters. Practical experience and building your legal knowledge are also a key ingredient for success. The good news is that this can be gained through various different means. For example:
- volunteering, preferably in a law-related context such as law clinics or a Citizen’s Advice Bureau (incidentally, this counts as QWE in its own right);
- participating in virtual events (there are tonnes on offer with many open to all), especially insight days and vacation schemes (check out the ones run by Legal Cheek);
- entering law-related competitions, including mock trials, debating and essay writing;
- blogging or working as a brand ambassador for an employer, your law school or a legal publisher.
Doing the above is also a great way to start building your professional network, which in turn will help you tap into the hidden jobs market and identify roles that might otherwise pass you by.
Be realistic and take it step-by-step
If there are significant gaps in your CV, a more realistic approach will be to start by securing a bridging job related to law. This could be with a smaller or less high-profile organisation or something that’s entry-level and therefore much more admin-focused, such as working as a law firm receptionist. Roles outside of London are also likely to be less competitive and indeed more appropriate if you’re interested in areas outside of commercial law and would prefer to work in the public sector or as a high street lawyer.
The key here is to use the experience gained to help you eventually transition into a role that is more closely aligned to the areas of law that you would like to specialise in as an NQ and beyond. Therefore, any bridging roles should be just that, and time spent in one should be limited to as long as you need to secure a more appropriate position.
Related to this is keeping an open mind. Many aspiring lawyers start their careers thinking they want to focus on one area of law but ultimately end up gravitating towards something completely different.
Another alternative to paralegal roles is to explore temporary junior (executive or assistant level) non-lawyer roles within the business services teams (eg human resources, marketing, business development etc) of large commercial law firms.
Be proactive
Sitting around waiting for your dream job to land in your lap is likely to get you nowhere. So, as well as doing the above to close any skills gap on your CV, proactively sign-up for job alerts on all the relevant known job boards (LinkedIn, Indeed, Totally Legal, LawCareers.Net, Law Society Gazette, The Lawyer and Legal Week). You can also register for alerts directly with law firms by simply clicking onto the Careers or Join Us pages.
Finally, contact some reputable legal recruitment agencies and speak to their paralegal desks. For more advice on job search techniques, including how to get the most from legal recruitment agencies click here.
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