Bar Course graduate struggling to get paralegal work. long read
TL;DR: 24 year old Bar Course graduate with a 69.5% average, GDL Commendation, overseas Law and Commerce degree, chambers experience, legal adviser experience, court marshalling, volunteering, Commercial Bar mentoring and upcoming mini pupillages. I’m interested in the commercial and chancery Bar but struggling to secure paralegal or legal assistant work. Am I being seen as overqualified or likely to leave for pupillage, and what alternative roles should I be targeting to build relevant UK experience?
I’m 24 and recently finished the Bar course, and I’m finding it surprisingly difficult to break into paralegal or legal assistant work in the UK. I’d really appreciate some honest advice from people working in the profession, particularly barristers, solicitors and people who have recruited paralegals.
For context, my academic and professional background is:
• Bar course: 69.5% average
• GDL: Commendation
• Undergraduate degree overseas: Law and Commerce, high 2:1 equivalent, GPA 3.56
• 3 months’ experience in chambers outside the UK
• 6 months as a legal adviser at an immigration clinic
• Legal internship in house outside the UK
• Court marshalling twice, once in the Criminal Court and once in the First tier Tribunal Property Chamber
• Court watcher volunteer
• Justice Now volunteer
• Commercial Bar mentee
• Two mini pupillages coming up
My long term interest is the commercial and chancery Bar.
The problem is that I’m struggling to get through the door for paralegal roles.
I understand why employers might be hesitant about someone with Bar training. I assume some recruiters see someone who has completed the Bar course and think, “They’re just going to leave as soon as they get pupillage.” And to be completely honest, pupillage is something I am interested in.
But at the same time, I genuinely want professional legal experience. I don’t think my career path is necessarily predetermined just because I completed the Bar course. I could end up becoming a solicitor, staying at the Bar, or taking a completely different route within the legal profession.
What I find frustrating is the catch 22.
I need relevant UK experience to become a stronger candidate, but many of the entry level roles seem to want experience I can only realistically get by being given the opportunity in the first place.
I also don’t think this is simply a CV tailoring issue. The experience is there, and I have tried to present it properly. I just don’t seem to be getting much traction.
So I’m wondering:
- Does having completed the Bar course actually make me less attractive for paralegal roles?
- Are recruiters genuinely concerned that Bar graduates will leave for pupillage?
- If I’m struggling with traditional paralegal roles, what other roles should I realistically be applying for?
- Would roles such as legal assistant, legal officer, compliance, regulatory, contracts, litigation support, legal research, judicial or tribunal roles be sensible alternatives?
- For someone interested in the commercial and chancery Bar, what experience would actually make my CV stronger?
- Am I missing something obvious about how I’m approaching the job search?
I’m not looking for reassurance that my CV is amazing. I’d genuinely prefer honest feedback on where the weaknesses are and what I should be doing differently.
Also, if anyone has taken a non linear route into the profession after doing the Bar or GDL, I’d be very interested to hear how you navigated it.