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Besides finals, cold-calls, and the ever-present need to “keep it together,” a universal and timeless woe for most law students is the search and obtaining of employment. But, fear not fellow law students! Opportunity is everywhere.
Because your law classmates will become important business contacts, you need to start thinking: What can I do today to build a brand that will follow me throughout my career? Law school is the time to become proactive about your business. Consider five components of a strong brand: Audience Focus, Top of Mind, Action, Exposure, and Performance.
Gearing up for the holiday networking season? Get the inside scoop on preparing for and making the most out of upcoming holiday parties, gatherings, and outreach with "Networking Tips for the Holiday Season."
The legal industry is a highly-competitive one, and landing a job – especially if you’re a fresh graduate – is easier said than done. There are hundreds of applicants exactly as qualified as you are. Here’s a bit of advice to help you stand out and maximize your chances.
The networking events that are part of new associate orientation can seem awkward. Here are some tips to help make some specific networking situations more palatable.
Social media can be a good marketing add-on for young digital natives to create a personal brand, make quality contacts, and engage with potential clients. Keep your smartphone camera handy and get ready to market on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube (you can skip Pinterest, Instagram, Reddit, and Snapchat).
Do you want to clerk, but have been told that if you are not in the top five percent, do not attend Harvard Law School, and do not speak seven languages, you can’t? Then this article is for you.
You may think that because you’re a law student, you don’t need to have a plan for business development – but it’s never too early to start networking.
For some, the bar exam is now a recent, trauma-filled memory, for others, it is just around the corner, and for some still, it’s a mythological beast to be slayed after 3L year. While an important and necessary step for a law student’s transition from law student to lawyer, there is another necessary component to consider: networking.
Networking is actually a skill—one that you need to learn, practice, and use to your advantage. Here are my top tips for law students and young professionals in networking.
There are many reasons why you might want to connect with professors on LinkedIn, especially law professors. They tend to be well connected, especially within their technical fields. They could also provide you with LinkedIn recommendations or skills endorsements. It’s clear connecting with professors benefits you, but should you ask to connect?
Mentors provide guidance and advice, but they do not necessarily act as a coach or advocate like sponsors. Those wanting career guidance and advice typically seek out mentors and, at times, mentors are assigned to professionals new to a particular industry or organization.
You’re busy with school. The bar exam looms, and career choices are pending. You’ve got no time to think about how the American Bar Association fits into your world right now. Maybe you can get to active involvement with the ABA later. I completely understand that mentality. But based on my own experience, it may mean that you’ll miss out on opportunities that could, literally, shape your career.
Q: I’m a law student getting ready to attend holiday receptions hosted by law firms. I hear so much about what I shouldn’t talk about, what I shouldn’t wear, what I shouldn’t do. So what can I do? How I can stand out in a room where everyone’s wearing a
LinkedIn is a favorite of lawyers, because it's still seen as the most professional of the social media platforms available. So, lawyers can feel comfortable engaging there, while remaining professional.
Now, I look at the term “network” differently now than I did when I entered law school. I may have tended to think of a network as more of a rolodex (linked image for those younger than me!) of business cards and faceless names at one point, but I realized that it is a network of friends, a group with shared experiences and fun memories, with whom I rolled up my sleeves and worked over the years.
I wish I had been more thoughtful about my legal career. When I started my legal career, like many new law firm associates, I did not fully appreciate what it meant to be a law firm associate nor did I have a plan for being successful. After practicing for several
As a law student, there are numerous opportunities for you to build and expand your professional community outside of the classroom environment. Becoming active in your local bar association during law school is an excellent way to get a jump start on building the community you will rely on as
Chicago-area law students, RSVP now to join the ABA Business Law Section on Thursday, September 14 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., at the Sheraton Grand Chicago & Towers to learn from the substantive panel and networking event, “Pathways to a Successful Career in Business Law.” Hear from Business
You may be reading the title and thinking – really? Law school administrators and career services already tell us about the importance of networking, and some 1L teachers push us or even require us to interview a practitioner or to attend an event here and there. Still, law school doesn’t teach
Most law students quickly realize that law school is so much more than attending classes and studying. While your schoolwork is a critical component (and obviously the primary purpose of your being there), law school truly is the beginning of your legal career and, more importantly, your network. Each day
Before I say anything else, I first want to make it clear that starting a brand new law blog is a difficult job. This is why there are very few people running one and why a lot of people don’t dare to take this step. However, there is a process
It is a time of unrest in the 3L universe. The LAW SCHOOL wars are nearly over. The fiendish phantom known as THE BAR EXAM is a few months away. While your secret plans might be to rebel against reality, we say it's time to strike back and build your
I graduated from law school this past May, took the bar in July, and was fortunate to land a job as a federal judicial law clerk that started in September. What this really means: I’m no expert on law school curriculum. I do, however, have some sage advice to give
I’m in my last year of law school, and every day it seems like an arms race to the finish line and seems like as if everything is happening at once. You’re worried about getting those final assignments done and about keeping your GPA right to graduate with honors and
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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