5 Ways to Turn Your Paralegal Internship Into A Job Offer

Communicate as much as possible.

I can’t tell you how many times I saw relationships, attorney-client relationships, and attorney-paralegal relationships break down due to feedback being misunderstood or not communicated at all. Communication is one of the most important skills you need to have in your paralegal toolbox, and a part of that is simply being willing to speak. If you have questions, ask them.

Don’t be afraid to look silly or not seem on top of your game. It is much more important, for your education and the firm, that you understand your role and how you can complete it to the best of your ability. Moreover, learning to communicate clearly will help your feedback become more clear, and help you manage it better. It opens up opportunities to understand where your employer is coming from when they gave you that criticism in the first place.

Here are some great questions to ask at the beginning of your internship:

• • What kind of duties will I be performing?

• • Who will I be reporting to?

• • What will my hours be?

• • Which department will I be working in? Can I try working in more than one?

• • Is there the possibility of a full-time offer after this period?

• • Will this be paid or unpaid?
    
    

If you are in the middle of your internship, here are some questions you should be asking:

• • Am I doing this right?

• • Do you have any feedback on my performance so far?

• • Are there areas I can improve in?

• • Are there areas I am excelling in?

• • Have you tried completing this task this way instead?
    
    

Notice that these questions are honest, and slightly direct, but never rude. While it might be slightly unnerving to ask questions directly, I think it is better to err on the side of making sure your intentions are crystal clear, rather than bring up your ideas or questions in a more roundabout manner. Communication is arguably one of the most important aspects of getting better at receiving feedback. Remember, you don’t know if you don’t ask.

Learn the 7 C’s of Communication Skills.

4. Get to Know Your Coworkers

Speaking of communication, here is something you may not be explicitly told about.

If the firm you are interning at has established, you can turn your paralegal internship into a job offer; they aren’t just going to look at how well you complete your tasks. They will look at how well you fit in with the rest of the team. This is important. When I was managing a team of paralegals, having someone that had all the perfect skills wasn’t always as important as whether or not they were a good fit for the team. If they had solid paralegal skills but didn’t fit well with their team whatsoever, they probably wouldn’t be a good hire. Why? Because my job is to find a new hire that complements my team, not just someone with the skills. Skills are easy to teach.

In the same way, your potential employer is going to be watching to see how well you fit in with the team and the firm as a whole. Doing things like getting to know your coworkers, offering to pitch in on a big project that’s not yours, and just generally being a kind a respectful person.  That reminds me of the interview I did a while back with Kim Bookout. She was talking about the things that she felt were most important in her career trajectory, and first on her list was being kind to everyone.
 

5. Don’t Stop Learning

If your internship is the last part of your paralegal certificate or other programs, it is far too easy to slip into ‘working mode’ and out of ‘school mode,’ thinking that our learning is on hold. But, that isn’t the best approach to turn your paralegal internship into a job offer. Instead, you should always be on the lookout for paralegal training opportunities, either in person or online.

To be fair, you may be done reading heavy textbooks and writing assignments for the time being, but you should never be done learning something new regularly. Having an attitude of wanting to always be growing in your knowledge of the profession will help you shine among your peers.

If you’re wondering what this looks like practically, here are some simple things you can do to cultivate an attitude of continuous growth:

• • ALWAYS ask lots of questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question when you’re asking it for the first time.

• • Whenever someone is telling you information about a process, client, idea, or other important events, take notes – and lots of them.

• • Never be afraid to ask for help if you need it or are unsure how to complete a task. People would rather show you how to do something right than clean up after your mistakes.

• • Invest in yourself by watching videos, reading articles/blogs about your legal department, and the common paralegal hard skills (reading, writing, organization, etc.). We have tons of resources on our website for new and veteran paralegals alike.

• • Ask other paralegals about how they found success and try implementing their strategies in your career.

• • Join your local paralegal association to gain valuable opportunities and mentorship.
    
    

I hope you enjoyed these practical steps to turn your paralegal internship into a job offer.

Read more tips on getting the most out of your paralegal internship.