Guest Blog:A Student's Take On Networking

by Dawn Withers (JD 13) 

Dawn (2nd from right) helped plan this BASF Reception.

 Law students hear all the time that networking is important. I heard this advice my first year and took it to heart. I network because I enjoy meeting people and I like having a sense of community. San Francisco, and the Bay Area, have no limit to networking and community activities for law students who want to demonstrate their commitment to the legal profession.

It's important to see networking as a way to contribute and build relationships, not simply a way to ask people for help or jobs. I consider networking a part of my legal education and a way to provide volunteer help to many organizations that need it.

One of the first organizations I joined in law school was the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF). As a law student, I'm also a part of BASF's Barristers Club, which plans the Judges Reception every year. It's the largest fundraiser for the Barristers Club and provides an opportunity for young and new lawyers to meet members of the local bench. I was part of the committee that planned the reception this year. It was one of the best experiences I've had volunteering, not only because I helped with an important cause, but because it taught me how generous many young, busy lawyers are with their time. It's never too late to join a professional lawyers group and help out. Networking and volunteering do take time, but it makes being a law student much more meaningful and creates relationships that are important to becoming a new lawyer.

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Dawn Withers is a third-year law student at Golden Gate. An article about the BASF event that Dawn helped organize can be found on the front page of the September 2012 Bar Association of San Francisco Bulletin, or by clicking here.