Pre-Law Paralegal (June 2027 Start Date)

Kostelanetz LLP • Washington, DC

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Kostelanetz pre-law paralegal program is a uniquely immersive experience designed to provide law firm clients with paralegal support from brilliant, innovative pre-law professionals, while affording those future law students an opportunity to see how lawyers work and how a law firm operates. The program is specifically designed to occur across a two-year period, after college (or a secondary degree-seeking program) and before law school. Candidates must be able to begin with the firm by June 14, 2027, and remain employed with the firm through June 29, 2029. The firm is soliciting applications for its Pre-Law Paralegal Program in New York City and Washington D.C. This program is extremely competitive, with over 400 applications received for five positions in the previous cycle. Successful candidates typically have GPAs above 3.9 and a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in law, often reflected through legal internships or participation in law reviews, mock trial, moot court, or speech and debate. Applicants must also have strong writing samples and perform effectively during the interview process. The firm is a boutique law firm with roughly 50 lawyers focusing on tax litigation, white collar criminal defense, complex commercial civil litigation, tax planning, trusts and estates, securities law, and government procurement. The firm is highly ranked and has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Hackensack. The firm currently has 11 pre-law paralegals.

Requirements

• Excellent academic credentials
• Outstanding writing, research, and oral communication skills
• Organized and friendly individuals capable of handling multiple projects at once, meeting deadlines, and working well, both independently and on a team.
• Bachelor's degree from a highly-competitive university, with a GPA of 3.9 or above.
• Excellent writing sample
• Present effectively at interviews
• Strong interest in attending law school, clearly articulated in the application
• Highly computer-literate with exceptional word processing, document management, communication, research, and productivity skills.
• Proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Ability to remain in the program for a full two years.
• Willingness to work on-site in the firm's office.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in website and social media management (optional).
• Experience with accounting (optional).

Responsibilities

• Communicating with clients
• Taking notes at internal and external meetings
• Tracking deadlines and activities on matters
• Conducting legal research
• Reviewing documents under the supervision of attorneys
• Supporting the work of attorneys in connection with their bar activities and scholarships
• Assisting with law-firm related administrative tasks such as reception coverage, client intake, facilities and supplies support, file management, website updates, preparation and administration of attorney and accountant continuing education courses (CLE/CPE), administration of the firm mentoring program, support of attorneys teaching at law schools, and other assistance with marketing and hiring.
• Attending in-house training sessions, which include overviews of law school courses (such as torts, contracts, constitutional law, civil procedure, criminal law, and property law), advice on how to “brief” court opinions and “outline” law school classes, and special topics relevant to the firm’s practice areas.

Benefits

• End-of-year bonuses (typically $2,000)
• Salary increase to a base of $77,000 after approximately one year in the program
• Time off for law school preparation, including LSAT studying and law school admissions days
• Health benefits
• Health and dental insurance at no cost to employees
• Overtime pay for work beyond 35 hours per week (first five hours at 100% of regular rate, additional overtime at 150% of regular rate)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level