When you’re looking for part time law firm jobs, you’ll want to explore all of the options that are available to you. Sometimes, you may have a dream job in mind that forces you to turn down other potential opportunities until you get the one that you’re hoping to have. In other cases, you may be open to a range of different opportunities as long as they give you the chance to get your hands on some experience in your preferred area of law. For many folks who want to transition from their current job to one that involves working in the legal field, the first step they will take to make that leap happen is to get a part time job in legal firms or other settings where one frequently encounters the law.
Is a Part Time Law Firm Job Necessary?
Depending on what your career goals and plans may be, you might not need to get a part time job at a law firm. For example, if you just want to study the law for your enjoyment, getting a part time job at a law firm or related setting isn’t the only way to do it. You can take classes at a community college or find free information in libraries or online about the law.
If you plan on starting a fulfilling career in litigation, you may be better served by getting into law school if you already meet all the requirements to start at that level of education. Others may need to start from scratch by getting a high school diploma or equivalent and then move on to getting an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree before they are ready to go to law school. Everyone’s on their journey, so you don’t need to feel self-conscious about how far it may look like you have to go to achieve your legal career dreams.
When you want to apply for jobs down the road that require experience working in a law firm, the best way to do that may be to get a part time job in the field first. Some law firms may feel more comfortable hiring someone with limited experience on a part time basis before transitioning the candidate to a full-time role. After all, legal jobs on all levels can be demanding and burn folks out who aren’t suited to this level of stress. What’s more, you may find that after a few months, the legal field doesn’t seem like your cup of tea. If this happens, a law firm will be grateful that they only hired you part time, and you’ll be happy still to have a full-time job or another part time job to fall back on before you quit.
Getting a part time job at a law firm may not be necessary, but it can help achieve your goals. While you’re the only one who knows whether it’s a good idea to get a part time job in law, you’ll probably find that you’ll figure it out one way or another if you get some experience in the field under your belt. If you find that most of the positions you would prefer to accept if you got a job offer don’t require you to work at a law firm part time before you qualify for them, you probably don’t need to get a job at a law firm unless you want to do that.
Work With Families and Children
When you love bringing new families together or helping existing families to structure things like custody, you may want to work with a family lawyer. There are plenty of different part time law firm jobs you could take on if you love working with kids and families. For example, you could work with adoption attorneys as a paralegal if you want to learn more about the adoption process and do the rewarding work of making families legally whole. You can also work as an advocate in legal cases involving children or work with divorce lawyers to help families transition from being together through marriage to being divorced.
If you love working with children, you should know that you may not get to work on an individual basis with kids as a family lawyer’s assistant or paralegal. You will probably spend most of your time working on paperwork, researching areas of the law that pertain to your attorney’s cases, and doing other administrative tasks that have nothing to do with working with kids. While that might sound good to some folks, others may miss the interactive aspect of working with children if they come from a background where they’re used to mentoring children or working with them in settings like schools and daycares.
Work With the Law
When you want to work with law enforcement to ensure that those who have been committing crimes like driving under the influence get the treatment they need for rehabilitating their lives, you may want to work under a DUI attorney. Since these types of attorneys have offices everywhere, you shouldn’t have too hard of a time finding part time law firm jobs in this sector. If you used to struggle with addiction or breaking the law and you want to help others by becoming a paralegal professional who works with lawyers in this field, you should first make sure that you can qualify for those jobs despite anything that may come up on a background check.
Working with the law can be an exhausting thing to do. Starting by working in this field part time can help you decide if it’s right for you. You can also spend more time tying up loose ends at a former job if you go from that to working part time in a legal setting.
When folks think of working with the law, most of us think of working with DUI or criminal defense lawyers. This can make it easier to explain the type of work that you do to people rather than what it would be like if you were a real estate attorney’s assistant or working in a rare area of law. When it’s easier to explain what you do to friends and family members, they may have less resistance when it comes to supporting you in pursuing your goals in this field of law.
Protect the Innocent
When you want to protect those who may have been wrongly accused of committing a crime, you should look into working with criminal attorneys. Some attorneys may work for non-profits that have other part time law firm jobs available for those who have a heart for advocacy or changing policy. Working in law doesn’t always mean becoming a paralegal or an attorney. Sometimes, it can mean working in other aspects of the non-profit sector that interact with lawyers.
Some major national non-profits work on restoring the innocence of folks who were wrongly accused of committing a crime. Some law firms may also take on cases of people who have had their cases mishandled by the criminal court system. Overall, this can be exciting work but it can also be disheartening when you’re regularly exposed to information and cases that may cause you to lose faith in the justice system at times.
Work With Homes
Not every attorney or legal professional has to work in criminal law. Many attorneys and other legal professionals work in areas of law that are nothing like the ones you see on true crime shows. One great example of an area of law that gets overlooked by folks who are interested in practicing law or working in the legal field is real estate. If you have a history of working in real estate as a real estate agent or a marketing professional for real estate companies, you should have no problem finding part time law firm jobs in this area of law.
Help Those Who Need Help
If you want to fight for the rights of folks with disabilities, you may find it rewarding to work with a disability lawyer. When you’re looking for part time law firm jobs that help folks who have disabilities, you should try to work with attorneys who have a proven track record of assisting people with disabilities in obtaining their SSI or SSDI benefits. You should also think about creative ways to get involved in disability rights campaigns like working with a non-profit that tries to advocate for policy in the best interests of people with disabilities.
Sometimes, working with people who have disabilities and letting them know what their rights are can be enough to satisfy the part of you that wants to work in legislation and help people with disabilities. In other cases, you may find that you need more “hands-on” experience with lobbying for laws that benefit folks with disabilities or defending folks with disabilities who have been charged with committing a crime even though their condition may have caused them to be unaware of the crime they committed or unconscious. For folks who have conditions like substance use disorder, mental health conditions, or developmental delays, having a compassionate team of legal professionals to help them navigate the legal system can make a bad situation feel slightly less intolerable and unjust.
Get Into Unique Law
While the first setting you consider when you think of part time jobs in certain areas of law may not be a hunting lodge, the truth is that there are plenty of places where you could put a background in legal studies to good use. Since every company needs to protect themselves against liabilities that are unique to their industries, there are so many places that may offer part time law firm jobs without seeming like they would be directly related to the law. If you become familiar with laws around firearms, you may be useful as an employee of these types of places.
Work in Arts and Antiquities
If you love to defend historic properties and be a part of the historic restoration process, you may want to work with lawyers who work in that area of law. Sometimes, you may be able to get part time law firm jobs that combine a love of arts or history with your love of the law. If those are your two main interests, this could be a match made in heaven.
Get Involved in Insurance Claims
When you previously worked in the insurance industry, you may find that working with fire damage services to ensure that the law is being followed can be a fulfilling choice. While there may not be many part time law firm jobs in your area if you live in a small town, you may find it easier to get involved with insurance agencies before transitioning into a law firm. You can also try your hand at working in insurance from the ground up as an insurance agent before you move on to more complex roles.
Stop Medical Malpractice
If you’ve ever had a bad experience with a gynecologist, you know how important it is to prevent medical malpractice. When it happens, the folks who work in part time law firm jobs are the main ones supporting attorneys with challenging cases. This work can be tough, but it can also be interesting and engaging.
For those who are already working full-time or have obligations like caring for children and family members on a full-time basis, it can feel daunting to put aside the time you need to devote to a part time job at a law firm. Of course, it doesn’t help if you live in an area where pickings for part time law firm jobs are slim. Sometimes, you may have to ask for help from family members or friends to make it easier to make it possible for you to get one of the part time law firm jobs of your dreams. Whether that means asking a partner or roommate to pick up more chores around the house, so you have time to go to your part time job or it means hiring a babysitter to watch your child while you go to your part time job, the folks in your support system may need to pick up the slack more as you make the right moves for you.
