Legal Jobs
Friday, April 2, 2010
Sample Legal job application letter
You mentioned that the firm seeks new lawyers with exceptional writing and research skills. My writing abilities are getting a thorough workout in my "Legal Research and Writing" class, and I expect to receive an excellent grade.
Multihyphenate Firm is among my top choices. My interview today only confirms my belief that I could be a valuable new associate. If you have further questions, please contact me at 555-HIR-EME. Again, thank you for the interview. I hope we have an opportunity to work together in the future.
Yours truly,
Eager Law Student
Jobs in civil law
In most civil law countries, lawyers generally structure their legal education around their chosen specialty; the boundaries between different types of lawyers are carefully defined and hard to cross. After one earns a law degree, career mobility may be severely constrained.For example, unlike their American counterparts, it is difficult for German judges to leave the bench and become advocates in private practice. Another interesting example is France, where for much of the 20th century, all judiciary officials were graduates of an elite professional school for judges. Although the French judiciary has begun experimenting with the Anglo-American model of appointing judges from accomplished advocates, the few advocates who have actually joined the bench this way are looked down upon by their colleagues who have taken the traditional route to judicial office.
In a few civil law countries, such as Sweden,the legal profession is not rigorously bifurcated and everyone within it can easily change roles and arenas.
Legal jobs for starters
Since many entry level jobs are part-time, you can still pursue your law degree, paralegal studies or other interests while gaining exposure to many different aspects of law practice.
Below are several common entry level jobs in the legal industry. Most of these positions require no more than a high school diploma and an interest in the legal field and most employers provide on-the-job training.
1. File Clerk
Law firms, large and small, have designated cabinets, drawers, rooms and/or warehouses in which case files and evidence are stored. File clerks are responsible for maintaining these spaces and for creating, processing and maintaining file records which may number in the thousands.
2. Copy Center Professional
The law firm production/copy center is the hub of its business operations. Copy center professionals manage, coordinate and assemble high-volume print jobs and operate and maintain multiple high-speed production copiers as well as related equipment and software applications.
3. Mailroom Clerk
Mailroom clerks process, sort and distribute mail and manage mailroom activities and staff. Since nearly every employee receives mail, from the receptionist to the managing partner or CEO, working in the mailroom is a great way to get to know individuals at all levels of the organization and can lead to positions of greater responsibility.
4. Document Coder
Document coders play a valuable role in large-scale litigation and high-volume document productions. Document coding is a form of data entry which involves the review and coding of documents to capture specific, predefined data, allowing those documents – which may number in the millions - to be easily sorted and retrieved during the course of litigation. Working as a document coder is a great way to break into the fast-growing litigation support industry.