Law firms not hiring or just need a change? Think outside the box…

When most people think about working as a paralegal, they picture a traditional law firm.

And yes, law firms employ a lot of paralegals. But they are certainly not the only places that need people with paralegal skills.

If you’re struggling to get your foot in the door, feeling like there aren’t enough opportunities in your area, or simply ready to get out of the traditional law firm environment, it may be time to broaden your search.

Paralegals Work in More Places Than You Might Think

Corporations, insurance companies, banks, healthcare organizations, government agencies, universities, nonprofits, technology companies, and countless other employers have legal and compliance needs.

Some have entire in-house legal departments. Others employ paralegals and legal support professionals in areas such as contracts, compliance, risk management, claims, investigations, corporate governance, litigation management, intellectual property, employment matters, real estate, or regulatory work.

Sometimes it helps to put actual company names to this idea.

Think about major employers such as:

• Royal Caribbean Group
• Carnival Corporation
• Disney
• Universal
• Meta (Facebook)
• Amazon
• Chewy
• Bacardi
• NASCAR
• Coca-Cola
• PepsiCo
• Publix
• Walmart
• Target

Then think even more broadly about major banks and financial institutions, insurance companies, hospitals and healthcare systems, colleges and universities, airlines, hotel and hospitality companies, technology companies, pharmaceutical companies, telecommunications companies, manufacturers, and other large employers.

What do all of these organizations have in common?

They operate businesses with contracts, employees, vendors, customers, intellectual property, regulatory obligations, corporate records, real estate, potential litigation, compliance requirements, and plenty of other legal issues.

In other words, they need legal support.

The point of this list is not that every company listed above has a paralegal opening right now. Open positions change constantly. The point is to change the way you think about where you look.

Your Next Job May Not Be Called “Paralegal”

Here’s another important thing to keep in mind when expanding your job search:

The position you’re qualified for may not necessarily have “paralegal” in the title.

Depending on the employer and industry, you may encounter titles such as:

• Legal Assistant
• Legal Specialist
• Litigation Specialist
• Contracts Administrator
• Contracts Specialist
• Compliance Specialist
• Claims Specialist
• Regulatory Specialist
• Corporate Governance Specialist
• Legal Operations Specialist
• Case Manager
• Investigations Specialist

Job titles vary tremendously between employers. Searching only for the word “paralegal” can unintentionally eliminate opportunities that might be a great fit for your education and experience.

Instead of focusing entirely on the title, read the job description.

What does the employer actually need someone to do?

Think About Your Skills, Not Just Your Job Title

Paralegals develop an incredibly transferable set of skills.

Research. Writing. Investigation. Document management. Deadline management. Case and matter management. Client communication. Reviewing and analyzing records. Preparing documents. Working with confidential information. Understanding rules and procedures. Coordinating with multiple people and departments. Keeping complicated matters organized.

Those abilities have value well beyond a traditional law office.

For example, a paralegal who has spent years reviewing medical records and handling personal injury litigation may have skills that translate well to an insurance company.

Someone with corporate or transactional experience may be a strong candidate for a contracts or corporate governance position.

A paralegal accustomed to working with statutes, regulations, policies, and detailed documentation may find opportunities in compliance or regulatory work.

Litigation paralegals often develop strong skills in investigations, document review, discovery management, litigation holds, case management, and coordinating complex matters that can transfer into a variety of corporate roles.

The key is learning to recognize those connections and, just as importantly, learning how to communicate them to an employer.

Change the Way You Search

If you’re looking for a new position, try expanding your search beyond traditional law firms and beyond the usual job boards.

Start identifying companies and industries that interest you.

If there’s a large employer in your area, go directly to its career page. If you’re open to remote work, your potential search area becomes even larger.

Instead of searching only for Paralegal, look at positions within departments or categories such as:

• Legal
• Compliance
• Contracts
• Risk Management
• Regulatory Affairs
• Claims
• Legal Operations
• Corporate Governance
• Investigations
• Ethics and Compliance

You can also experiment with searching for the skills you have rather than the title you’ve always held.

For example, if you have significant experience managing contracts, search for positions involving contract administration or contract management. If you’ve worked extensively with discovery and large document productions, look at jobs involving eDiscovery, investigations, information governance, or litigation support.

You may be surprised by what comes up.

So… Where Can a Paralegal Work?

Years ago, I asked a group of paralegals who did not work in traditional law firms to tell me about their jobs.

I wanted to know two things:

What industry do you work in, and what do you actually do there?

Their responses became a resource called Where Can I Work?

It’s approximately 10 pages of examples from paralegals working in different industries, along with descriptions of the work they actually perform.

Although the resource was originally compiled several years ago, I still think it provides a valuable look at the possibilities available outside the traditional law firm environment.

As you read through it, don’t worry too much about whether a particular job title still exists exactly as written or whether every responsibility would look identical today. Technology changes. Organizations restructure. Job titles evolve.

Instead, look at the bigger picture.

Look at the industries represented. Look at the responsibilities. Look at the skills being used.

Most importantly, notice how many different ways paralegal skills can be applied.

There is no single paralegal career path.

View the “Where Can I Work?” resource here: Where can I work?

Don’t Automatically Decide You’re Not Qualified

Here’s one final piece of advice, especially if you’re trying to move outside the traditional law firm environment.

Don’t automatically decide that you aren’t qualified for a position because the title isn’t “paralegal.”

Read the job description.

Look at the responsibilities.

Look at the skills they’re asking for.

Then ask yourself:

Can I do this work?

Do the skills I already have transfer to what this employer needs?

You may not meet every single qualification listed in a job posting. Most candidates don’t. That doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t apply.

And when you do apply, make sure your résumé reflects the position you’re applying for. Don’t simply list everything you’ve ever done as a paralegal and expect the employer to figure out how it applies to their needs. Highlight the experience and transferable skills that connect directly to the job description.

Sometimes the best opportunity for a paralegal isn’t actually called a paralegal position at all.

And if you’ve been searching the same job boards, using the same search terms, and looking at the same law firms without getting anywhere, expanding where you look, what you search for, and how you describe your experience might open doors you didn’t even know were there.