Rodney

Sign on as a paralegal with some kind of _movement_ that offers (or needs) legal assistance -- like a tenant's rights organization, a conservation group that's fighting court battles to protect some particular piece of the environment, and so on. The more underfunded the organization, the more responsibility you'll be given and the more impressive your portfolio (if potential law students have such things) will be.

I'd go with some kind of grassroots group, largely because they're less well funded on the whole, and thus you'll be given more to do -- all the work you can eat :-). You'd also get political experience at the ground level, which will be very valuable to you if you intend politics to be part of your future.