January 19, 2011

From paralegal to attorney: Work your contacts to bridge the gap

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By Kristen Fife
NWjobs

Q: I've been an immigration paralegal with a local international company for the last ten years. I just graduated from law school and will be sitting for the bar exam soon. My company doesn’t hire new attorneys right out of law school. How should I structure my resume? Given the economy, I'm not sure whether I should try to work for an immigration firm, or look at larger law firms that will allow me room to grow. What do you think?
-SP, Bellevue

Kristen says: Congratulations! You have an edge over your peers in law school. Not only do you have a specialization in your industry, you also have a working knowledge of the business aspect of the legal industry. I am going to assume that some of the attorneys you currently work with are aware that you are on your way to becoming one. Don’t forget, these are valuable contacts and mentors who can help you on your road.

Regarding your resume, a standard legal resume format has your contact info, then your full education at the top. Given your solid history, I would recommend a summary of qualifications just below your education. This would include particulars like your average case load, how many attorneys you supported and any extra project work you assumed (such as diversity outreach). If you were involved in school activities (such as the school Law Review), definitely include that as well in the summary.

One of the nice aspects of law is how many different facets there are to it. Many corporations in the Seattle area that have on-staff attorneys also still work with external counsel; I would suggest that you explore any firms that have ties to your company first (those current co-workers are great for referrals and recommendations). I think that a large firm with a wide diversity of clients would be a great way to go, but pursue all opportunities. I would definitely suggest concentrating on immigration-focused positions to start, as a way of leveraging your skills. It should be fairly easy to move into other areas of law once you show how adept you are with your professional background.

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