“The question of whether to seek a job as a paralegal between college and law school to
bolster one’s candidacy is one that is very commonly asked of our former admissions
officers here at inGenius Prep,” said David Mainiero, the head of the JD & BA Divisions
at inGenius Prep. Mainiero explains that while a paralegal job can be a good introduction
to “big law” firm life or to the legal profession in general, admissions officers tend to
see a lot of applicants with such a background. Thus, while it is certainly not a mark
against someone to be a paralegal, it is not always the strong indication of interest in
law that candidates hope it will be when they decide to take a year between college and
law school to take such a job. “Our former admissions officers at inGenius Prep almost
uniformly advise students to try to get a legal job that is more interesting that might set
them apart from the pack,” Mainiero elaborated.
For instance, a candidate who worked at the ACLU or the Save the Rainforest Coalition’s
Legal Department for a year probably has a much more interesting range of experiences
than someone who just defaulted to becoming a paralegal. However, there are certainly
upsides to being a paralegal such as making connections with partners at a firm that you
might come back to for a summer associate position and an eventual full-time job. These are all
considerations that the candidacy-building program at inGenius Prep can help you wade
through in order to make the most informed decision for you and your legal career.
bolster one’s candidacy is one that is very commonly asked of our former admissions
officers here at inGenius Prep,” said David Mainiero, the head of the JD & BA Divisions
at inGenius Prep. Mainiero explains that while a paralegal job can be a good introduction
to “big law” firm life or to the legal profession in general, admissions officers tend to
see a lot of applicants with such a background. Thus, while it is certainly not a mark
against someone to be a paralegal, it is not always the strong indication of interest in
law that candidates hope it will be when they decide to take a year between college and
law school to take such a job. “Our former admissions officers at inGenius Prep almost
uniformly advise students to try to get a legal job that is more interesting that might set
them apart from the pack,” Mainiero elaborated.
For instance, a candidate who worked at the ACLU or the Save the Rainforest Coalition’s
Legal Department for a year probably has a much more interesting range of experiences
than someone who just defaulted to becoming a paralegal. However, there are certainly
upsides to being a paralegal such as making connections with partners at a firm that you
might come back to for a summer associate position and an eventual full-time job. These are all
considerations that the candidacy-building program at inGenius Prep can help you wade
through in order to make the most informed decision for you and your legal career.