The Rankings
What Frims Want
reer. Stand out among
the rest and promote
yourself. Be your own
best PR practitioner. Of
course, your first priority in law school is your
studies, but approach
networking as if it is your
second job.
Networking opportunities can include panels
or presentations made
by any professional in
a variety of industries.
Attend lunches and career fairs. Join groups on
campus. Attend college
alumni events. Consider
volunteer work, writing
an article or generally getting more involved with
organizations where opportunities such as these
can be created.
Keep in mind that with
every contact you make,
you potentially are making other contacts in
the process. It’s a small
world, especially in the
legal community, and you
It’s a small world,
and you never know
what you may learn
from a meeting or
a brief conversation.
at a firm function, there
is usually a firm recruiter
available to introduce you
to the people you want
to meet, including alums.
You also should feel comfortable asking another
attorney to introduce you
to someone who works in
the practice area in which
you’re most interested.
If it makes networking a
little easier for you, invite
a fellow law student. Do
not bring a date or a family member! It’s in poor
form and firm attendees
will notice.
never know who they may
know, or what you may
learn from a meeting or a
brief conversation.
It’s likely that fewer legal employers will be participating in on-campus
interviewing and hosting
events and programs, so
take advantage of what is
being offered on and off
campus. Try to attend as
many events as possible,
even if it’s not a formal
networking event.
During the summer,
some law firms participate in mock interview
programs and host “meet
and greet” events for law
students. Letting career
services know where you
will spend your summer
will enable them to notify
you of networking opportunities in that city
or provide your name to
potential employers who
may be hosting a function.
Before any event, find
out, to the extent feasible,
who will be attending
and research their names
and professional backgrounds. Collect information on whether they have
been in the news for a legal representation, an interview or an article they
may have authored. Be
prepared and have something to say. It’s a good
way to create an opportunity to speak with a potential future contact and it
will go a long way toward
making yourself memorable to that person.
Preparing yourself for
a networking opportunity
will help make you feel
more confident to approach people. If you’re
This
may be a good time to
remind you of the “dos
and don’ts” for attending
events.
Do not spend the entire
time at an event standing by the bar or waving
down the waiter. Do not
drink excessively. Do not
be a wallflower. Separate
yourself from your friends
and do not ignore your
hosts (a.k.a., potential
employers). Keep in mind
that being memorable can
work to your advantage,
and definitely can work
against you.
Employers will recognize which students were
sincere in wanting to get
to know them and learn
more about the firm. Be
respectful of the fact that
these legal professionals
are taking time from their
work and personal schedule to travel and meet
with you.
Whether you’re at a
firm or non-firm function,
take advantage of that occasion to sell yourself to
that potential employer
and let its representatives
know why they are
