For first-year Loyola law students, volunteer opportunities are perhaps the most important and fulfilling means to accrue legal experience and bolster potentially fruitful professional relationships. In truth, volunteering is the sole escape from the at-times rigorous classroom demands in your initial semester! Unfortunately, 1Ls are mostly confined to their coursework, and most employers won’t give serious consideration to students until they’ve finished their core set of classes anyway. This inherent limitation in the 1L focus can lead to anxiety for students who may have entered law school without a wealth of previous legal experience, whether that constitutes working as a clerk at a small firm or just handling copious amounts of paperwork. It seems like a bit of a catch-22 — firms and legal aid organizations won’t hire students unless they have some relevant work on their resume, yet it’s impossible to garner any experience if employers prefer more seasoned applicants.
However, 1Ls can mitigate much of that anxiety through a positive, engaging approach to the seemingly limitless litany of volunteer opportunities presented to students in their first year. Loyola’s email announcements, student organization-sponsored seminars, organization fairs, and career advisor recommendations are just some of the avenues through which students can discover these opportunities. For example, since most organizations that perform public interest work lack substantial funding, they look for inexpensive student labor and are willing to take 1Ls with little-to-no legal experience as volunteers. Furthermore, some of the required work — although unpaid — offers hands-on interaction with clients, education on legal vernacular, time for research, and technical, analytical work more beneficial than simple filing. And if students work diligently, they may discover relationships that yield professional recommendations in the future. Even if you do not intend to chase a career in public interest, volunteering with legal aid organizations, clinics, or even at the local YMCA to help serve a weekly meal can all help build a resume while giving you a chance to interact with people outside the classroom. This is a vital way to maintain your values and motivations for choosing to study the law in the first place. And if you do want to practice public interest law, volunteering can help you discern which branch you would be interested in and perhaps find an organization you’d like to stay with.
Currently, I volunteer at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, where I research clients’ case files to determine whether or not their criminal records are eligible for expungement or sealing. I was one of those students who entered law school without the legal experience, and I find myself learning something new each day while also gaining the invaluable opportunity to speak and recommend relief to clients. It’s something I never thought I’d be able to do in such a short amount of time, and it helps to clarify my perspective after a night spent studying chapters full of torts. I’d highly recommend keeping your eyes and ears open during your first semester, and you will then realize that opportunities to fill that dearth of legal experience are abundant.
Jordan, 1L
Student Ambassador
