[blindLaw] Applying for Jobs in Legal Field

Tue Dec 9 15:26:56 UTC 2025

Agreed with Ronza. Even the legal assistants at our firm which are a level junior to our paralegals have a ton of experience. I think if law school is the ultimate goal, working on a campaign or in an elected official's office could be a cool opportunity. I know a lot of my friends and I did that during undergrad and before law school. That can often also help secure a letter of rec.
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> On Dec 9, 2025, at 8:57 AM, Ronza Othman via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Law Firm’s tend to be a lot more particular about hiring people with previous legal experience, particularly larger ones. You may find a mom and Pop shop that’s willing to give a chance to someone without a lot of experience already in the field. Government is also a good way to go, particularly state And local. The challenge though is that the characteristics and skills you describe are much more in tune with illegal clerk or administrative assistant rather than a paralegal. The most important characteristics in my opinion for a paralegal, based on having supervised lawyers and paralegals for many years, is the ability to do Legal research, draft legal documents and pleadings, and handle high volume document review and sanitization. Essentially think of a paralegal as a lawyer who doesn’t give legal advice and didn’t take the bar exam but still has to do many of the same skills requirements. I’ll add that a lot of lawyerswho don’t initially get the jobs they want as attorneys do jump into paralegal positions to get their feet in the door so the people you are competing with may actually be those with a JD and years of training.
> Ronza Othman, President
> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
> 443-426-4110
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Dec 9, 2025, at 8:47 AM, Sanho Steele-Louchart via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> All:
>> 
>> Just a reminder that listserves are generally archived and search engine optimized, meaning you may wish not to publish personal information if you don't want that information available on the wider internet. My cell phone number's all over the place, so it doesn't bother me, but your mileage may vary.
>> 
>> Sanho
>> 
>>>> On Dec 9, 2025, at 12:22 AM, Adhy Singh via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hey Caleb, thanks for your message. Yes I would love to hop on a phone call
>>> with you to discuss this further. My number is 512-415-0590. Send me a text
>>> and let’s set up a time to speak. Thank you again.
>>> Sincerely,
>>> Adhy Singh
>>> 
>>>> On Mon, Dec 8, 2025 at 10:45 PM Caleb Smith via BlindLaw <
>>>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Do you want to try and have a phone call in the next few days?
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>> 
>>>>> On Dec 5, 2025, at 6:03 PM, Marina Rake via BlindLaw <
>>>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Caleb, in response to your question - no, I have not received any other
>>>> responses yet.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Adhy, thank you so much for adding your experiences with the job search.
>>>> I have been facing those exact challenges. Most, if not all, job postings
>>>> for paralegals and/or legal assistants show a requirement or preference for
>>>> applicants with a certification, which I do not have. I have submitted my
>>>> application anyway but do not hear back from employers. As you stated, is
>>>> it worthwhile getting a paralegal or legal assistant certification even
>>>> with my main goal of getting accepted into a JD program?
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Marina
>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Dec 4, 2025, at 10:02 AM, Adhy Singh via BlindLaw <
>>>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hi, good morning! I had the same questions actually. I’ve also been
>>>> trying
>>>>>> to get employment at law firms, and I have the same skills you do that
>>>>>> could be helpful in office administration jobs, but unfortunately, for
>>>> me,
>>>>>> I haven’t been getting hired. I recently expanded my job search to
>>>> include
>>>>>> more Types of jobs, such as the teach for America, core, and legislative
>>>>>> internships with senators and congressman. Hoping I can crack one of
>>>> those,
>>>>>> but so far no luck. Do any of you guys have any advice? It seems like
>>>> all
>>>>>> the legal jobs require some sort of certification, And I haven’t been
>>>>>> having much luck on that end.
>>>>>> Also, a friend of mine recommended a paralegal certificate that was
>>>>>> available through UT Austin? Before I pay the money to take the course,
>>>> and
>>>>>> it’s not really cheap, I was wondering if you guys would recommend
>>>> getting
>>>>>> the certification or if it would be a waste of time? I’ve heard mixed
>>>>>> opinions on this, especially because the vast majority of legal
>>>> assistant
>>>>>> jobs I’ve heard are pretty visual in nature. But I also want to make
>>>> sure
>>>>>> that I’m maximizing my chances of getting employment in the field. What
>>>> do
>>>>>> you guys think? Is it worthwhile to pursue this certification, or would
>>>> I
>>>>>> be better off without it? Thank you, and any advice would be greatly
>>>>>> appreciated.
>>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>>> Adhyayan Singh.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Wed, Dec 3, 2025 at 11:04 PM Caleb Smith via BlindLaw <
>>>>>>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org <mailto:blindlaw at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Did you get responses? I mean, yeah, generally applying for paralegal
>>>> and
>>>>>>> secretary and legal assistant positions.
>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On Dec 2, 2025, at 10:56 AM, Marina Rake via BlindLaw <
>>>>>>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Does anyone have recommendations, advice, and/or suggestions for entry
>>>>>>> level jobs in the legal field? I am applying to several JD programs
>>>> now but
>>>>>>> am also in the job search and would like to start gaining some
>>>> experience
>>>>>>> in a law firm during the application process. Although I have not
>>>> worked in
>>>>>>> a legal position before, I have many professional skills that could be
>>>>>>> useful for office administration, reception, secretarial duties,
>>>> intake,
>>>>>>> data entry, and research.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> I am also wondering what strategies and tips are helpful in discussing
>>>>>>> accommodations with employers in this field when I find positions of
>>>>>>> interest.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Any advice is much appreciated!
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Thank you,
>>>>>>>> Marina
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