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Networking. It’s a single word that can strike fear into the hearts of law students. From the moment you step onto campus as a first-year student, networking is championed by career services, experts, and scores of experienced lawyers. Here, your fellow students across the country tell their stories of how they landed an interview or a job by just being themselves, being resourceful, and using fate to their advantage.
Lauryn Collier is a planner. In 2014, the third-year student at The Florida State University College of Law in Tallahassee launched her own company, New Palm Creations. The firm aims to be the first-of-its-kind fully functioning event planning and program management agency that offers all its services for little to no cost to its clients.
Ms. JD is opening its first leadership positions for its National Women Law Students’ Organization (NWLSO). NWLSO has served as a national connection for women law students at various law schools. As Ms. JD celebrates its 10th year of providing resources to advance women pre-law students, law students and early career
For some people, networking is a highway to the danger zone. How do you enter a target-rich environment, full of people who could help you in your career, and just start talking to them? For some people, it takes a lot more than just fancy flying around the room to make the right connection. For some people, they need a wingman.
Let’s face it: networking can be hard. Unless you’re someone who thrives on meeting other people (and many of us don’t, including yours truly), networking is something that we consider to be a chore, albeit a necessary one. So why not pair it with something that you already like doing?
It's your friend and your enemy. It's your best selling point while simultaneously serving as an ethical gateway to hell. It can make or break your career. And it's just 60,000 square pixels. It's your basic info on LinkedIn. Not your total resume – we'll get to that in the future on the assumption
While many people network to get a job, that’s not the only reason to meet new people. Networking as a law student, regardless of whether you have a job or not, is an opportunity to make use of the strength of weak ties.
When is the best time for an associate to start building a network? That answer is "now!" You must start building a network as soon as you can.
Career success is dependent on the relationships you have with others. Want to know how to build professional relationships that may lead to job of your dreams or to new legal business?
Never ask your academic adviser for a letter of recommendation. They usually come with a catch. Granted, not all of the catches are bad – but they're still catches. But if you work those catches the right way, they could land you your first job down the road.
By the TYL Editorial Board. The most commonly given job-hunting advice is to get out there and network. If there is something that intimidates law students more than the first experience with the Socratic Method, it’s probably networking. Does this sound like you? Rest easy. It isn’t just you. It
Before the Bar is the blog of the ABA Law Student Division. It brings together a diversity of opinions, experiences, and voices from those associated with the law anywhere in the world and is targeted to law students, current, past and future.
Unless stated, the opinions shared by our writers do not reflect the official position of the American Bar Association.
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