Careers: Law/Questions

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Expert: Sally A. Kane - 1/5/2009


Question
Hi there, Im 18 and working towards a B.A. before entering a Law School. I live in Canada where a B.A is requisite for admission to a law school, and Im wondering if you know if its part time or summer work in a law firm is ever given to students, at least ones who are not articling or in Law School. Id love to experience the legal profession up-close but Im not familiar with positions for students not yet taking Law courses. Thanks!

Answer
Dear James,

With a little hard work and networking, you can find part-time or summer work in a law firm.  Since you are not yet in law school and, I assume, have no legal experience, you will not likely be hired as a law clerk or paralegal.  However, many other law firm opportunities exist that can help you get your foot in the door, give you legal experience and help you gain contacts in the field.  Below is a list of a few such positions and a link to detailed explanations of each.

Court Messenger:

http://legalcareers.about.com/od/careerprofiles/p/courtmessenger.htm

Legal File Clerk:

http://legalcareers.about.com/od/careerprofiles/p/FileClerk.htm

Document Coder:

http://legalcareers.about.com/od/entrylevellegalcareers/p/Documentcoder.htm

Production Professional:

http://legalcareers.about.com/od/careerprofiles/p/CopyClerk.htm

Best of luck in your search!

Sally A. Kane, Esq.
About.com Guide to Legal Careers
http://legalcareers.about.com/

Careers: Law

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Sally A. Kane

Expertise

I am an attorney with more than a decade of experience in the legal industry. I currently serve as a legal careers expert at About.com, providing guidance to law students, lawyers, paralegals and other legal professionals. Check out the site at http://legalcareers.about.com/ before posting your question - it may already be answered there!

Experience

I have thirteen years’ experience in the legal field and have worked in a variety of practice environments including large and small law firms, corporations and the judicial system. I have experience in many practice areas including products liability litigation, insurance defense, worker’s compensation and corporate law.

Publications
I profile law firms across the globe for Vault’s best-selling career guides and am a legal career columnist for Litigation Support Today. My work has also appeared in numerous print and web-based publications including Legal Assistant Today, The Legal Intelligencer, Cabin Life, and Working Nurse.

Education/Credentials
B.A. in English/Writing (Cum Laude) - 1989; Paralegal Certificate (Summa Cum Laude) - 1991; Juris Doctorate – Law Review - 2001.

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