Friday, October 9, 2015

Networking Is A Necessity, Not A Luxury

By Erica L. Morris
Law Career Development, Graduate Fellow

The next time you are tempted to blow-off a networking event, consider this: an overwhelming number of law school graduates find their first jobs through networking and self-initiated contact as opposed to on-campus interviews or sending in cold resumes. This concept remains true for individuals outside the legal profession; "the number one way people find jobs and job openings is through networking and personal contacts." Alternatively, "[a]ttorneys who do not network often fail over time because of this fact alone." Thus, networking is a vital component to not only developing a legal career, but to continuing to have a successful career as well.  In essence, networking is a necessity, not a luxury.


Internships and Volunteer Work Can Develop Your Network Early On!

Law students may not warm up to the idea of pursuing an internship during the semester because they want to focus on grades, family, friends, and their daily lives. However, these hands-on experiences offer more than just practical experience (or possibly even a pay check). Internships can be the beginning of a growing network. This ABA article advises that an internship not only provides law students with "skills and experience but it will start to provide them with professional contacts and references which will be crucial for future job searches." From a practical standpoint, for every job you have, "you will add new contacts and a reference to grow your personal network." This is a more organic form of networking because developing connections with your supervisors and gaining approval is inherent to performing any job. From my own experiences, I highly recommend internships during law school as I have gained invaluable references and professional contacts that I am fortunate to continue to have to this day.

Informational Interviews Are One Key to Successful Networking!

A common form of networking is through "informational interviews." Often, these take place with practicing attorneys but seeking out a professor or other legal professionals can be just as beneficial. Informational interviews allow law students and new attorneys to speak with more seasoned attorneys and discover how they succeeded despite any obstacles they may have faced. More importantly, since everyone has a different story to tell, it is better to cast a wide net by reaching out to a number of different attorneys. This way, law students and young attorneys can gather the most knowledge possible to assist them through the transition from law student to established attorney.

Now, this form of networking "is time-consuming, so it makes sense to focus your efforts. Think strategically." Reach out to those alumni, practicing attorneys, and professors whose profiles you think align with your own career goals. For instance, if you want to pursue civil rights, do your best to connect with someone who is currently active in civil rights advocacy or who has significantly contributed to the civil rights field in the past. Keep in mind that pursing a patent lawyer to network with may not be the right connection for you simply because their path may not cross over with civil rights laws or civil rights attorneys. The same is true in reverse - if you are seeking to be a business attorney, it would be wise to connect with other attorneys in the business law world as opposed to attorneys in the criminal law or human rights fields.

The thought of asking a stranger to sit down and volunteer their time to help you may seem like an awkward and impossible feat. It may be uncomfortable initially, but with practice, you can overcome any potential awkwardness from meeting a new person. Furthermore, you will find that many attorneys are happy to offer you advice.
"Often job seekers think networking is asking for a job, but in fact, networking is asking for advice and information. People are usually very willing to help by offering information and advice but making that first appointment with a networking contact can be daunting. Start with someone safe and easy to approach such as a professor, your roommate’s mother, your legal research and writing instructor, someone who knows you and is willing to sit down and talk to you about their career and give advice to you."
If you are uncomfortable about reaching out to strangers, then it may be a great idea to start within your sphere of familiarity when starting to conduct informational interviews. For law students, you can begin with a professor. For young attorneys, you may want start with fellow associates in your same office. Either way, when conducting informational interviews, remember that your goal is to get answers and establish a professional relationship. Keep your calendar booked with at least a few meetings each month.  Before you know it, you will have a large network of professionals with varying backgrounds who you can call on for help, advice, and referrals.

Referrals Keep Law Firms with a Steady Stream of Clients!

When networking, it is also important that you do not isolate yourself to only one specific niche or legal specialty - law firms thrive because of referrals from one law office to another or from client referrals. Knowing attorneys from different practice areas and diversifying your networking profile is a great benefit. As emphasized below, joining a bar association is a great way to network with attorneys from numerous fields of law; bar associations also support their members through referrals. While "bar associations provide the opportunity to network with peers, many ... may later become clients: '[A]ttorneys will be expected to generate business later in their careers. However, you cannot ask for that business unless you have developed relationships and rapport previously.'" Thus, it is important to nurture your professional relationships with legal professionals, regardless of whether or not they happen to be in your exact field of interest.

Keep in Touch with Your Network!

Once you initiate contact with an attorney, professor, or other legal professional, be sure to keep in touch with that person! It is essential that you regularly re-connect with them. They are now a part of your network. Just like any good friendship, strong professional relationships need to be maintained.

This can be done through e-mails, social media, telephone calls, or in-person conversations. A common favorite is to grab coffee. Current law students and recent graduates should utilize this form of networking because it is an effective, yet inexpensive, method to maintaining professional relationships. Additionally, this is a great forum to ask for career advice and converse in a casual manner, as both parties are able to relax and not feel the pressures that may arise were the conversation to take place in a professional office or other formal setting.

Joining Bar Associations and Attending Their Events is Another Great Way to Network!

Bar associations and other legal organizations are a great resource to network, develop professional relationships, and participate in events. Many of these events also provide MCLE credit, which all licensed attorneys are required to obtain. For law students and recent graduates, bar associations also provide numerous resources and knowledgeable legal professionals who can provide advice and references to other practicing attorneys.

An Example of Networking: Meet the Magistrate Judges and the Federal Bar Association

On October 7, 2015, I was able to attend the Federal Bar Association's "Meet the Magistrate Judges" event in Oakland, CA at the District Courthouse. Many of the Northern California District Magistrate Judges attended this panel event, including Magistrate Judges Laurel Beeler, Elizabeth Laporte, Donna Ryu, and Chief Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero. Furthermore, 100 attorneys registered to attend the event and many more were on the wait list. The event included a paneled discussion where the magistrate judges offered advice to practicing attorneys on how to effectively and efficiently utilize them as resources. They also provided persuasive tactics to convince clients that consenting to a magistrate judge was a cost-effective, time-saving alternative to trying their case before a district court judge. The magistrate judges also offered advice on how to properly follow their settlement procedures, such as bringing decision-makers to settlement conferences. It was a great learning experience, and I took away many notes for myself.

Following the panel, the magistrate judges and attendees casually conversed at a reception with wine and hors d'oeuvres. During this time, I was able to meet new attorneys and re-connect with others I met at a previous FBA event during law school. Some of these connections have been very supportive and have even served as a reference. Others have sat down with me over coffee to offer career advice. Without this legal organization, I would not have established these professional relationships.

This event is just one example of a networking opportunity, and each month there are dozens of these events hosted by local bar associations and professional organizations.

Join One or Several Legal Organizations

There are many great opportunities that come from joining and being an active member of a bar association. For law students and recent graduates, many of these legal organizations provide free memberships to encourage participation. Depending on your personal interests and geographic location, you may be interested in different legal groups. The good news is that there are many different bar associations available, so you will be able to find one that can accommodate your needs and interests. Below, I have listed several prominent and highly active legal organizations that you can join. However, there are so many out there, it is impossible to list them all. With the internet, though, it is easy to search for a legal group near you. My advice is to join one, or several, and start being an active member as soon as possible!

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