Category Archives: Networking

CFAWL Networking Event May 18th!

Florida Coastal School of Law students are invited to reserve their spot now for CFAWL’s upcoming program on professional progress for students and young professionals.  This event, Developing Distinction in Women: Progressing as a Professional, Networking, and Staying Safe, Healthy and Sane Along the Way, will be limited to just 100 attendees.  Co-hosted by the Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers (CFAWL) and the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA), this event will provide students with a unique opportunity to learn about important tools essential to progressing as a professional, as well as the opportunity to network with powerful women in law and among different disciplines across various fields in Central Florida.   The program will feature key speakers and “how-to’s” on professional development and networking, plus interactive workshops on health, safety and mental health for today’s young professional women.  Speakers will include local judges and commissioners, as well as leading professionals in medicine, education and law enforcement.  This event will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the OCBA Offices (880 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801) Breakfast will be served.  There is no cost to attend this event, but seating is limited.  To RSVP, please click here. 

Alumni Weekend April 19-20!

The Florida Coastal Alumni Association invites you to save the date for Alumni Weekend 2013 on April 19-20! 

Alumni from across the country will be back on campus to reconnect with each other, participate in CLE courses, tour the school and meet our students.   Don’t be left out!  Come take advantage of the CLE courses offered on Friday, April 19 hosted by Natalie Tuttle, Sarah Sullivan, Rod Sullivan and graduates Renee Maxey and Christine Bell.  Visit the Alumni Weekend homepage for more information or to register online.

We hope to see you next month!

Southeastern Minority Job Fair

 

Registration for SEMJF began on April 3, 2013 and will end on April 19, 2013. Registration is FREE! Students will be able to register in the Atrium during Coffee Wednesdays, on Symplicity, or by email. To register via email contact Amber Williams at arwilliams@fcsl.edu.

Job Fair Details

 When:            Friday, July 26 & Saturday, July 27, 2013

Where:           Hyatt Regency Suites Perimeter Northwest in Marietta, Georgia

 Log on to http://www.semjf.org/Home_Page.html to learn more about the job fair. Should you have additional questions, feel free to contact Amber Williams at arwilliams@fcsl.edu

Come Network at the JaxBar’s Monthly Luncheon!

The next Jacksonville Bar Association’s monthly luncheon will be on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at noon at the Hyatt Downtown, 225 E. Coastline Dr.  The program this month features Terence C. “Terry” Coonan, who is the executive director of Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. He leads the multidisciplinary center’s efforts to educate and train a new generation of human rights advocates, track human rights issues and serve as an advocate for human rights nationally and internationally. Professor Coonan has served as the Managing Editor of the Human Rights Quarterly. He also has worked at the Department of Justice in the Executive Office of Immigration Review, litigated asylum and immigration cases nationwide, and has worked on various United Nations human rights projects.

To attend, email cortiz@jaxbar.org to make a reservation.  Be sure to mention that you are a student and whether you are a Bar Association Member.  If you aren’t a member, request to attend as a guest and simply pay for your meal, but remember, joining the Jacksonville Bar Association as a Student Member is only $25 a year and entitles you to attend all luncheons and many other events for free.

 RSVP deadline:  1:00 p.m., Monday, March 4, 2013. 
JBA Member $ 0.00
Non-Member $ 40.00
 

Social Networking Presentation

 

RSVP for the Social Networking Presentation on February 21st!

 

We’ve all heard about the pitfalls of social networking, but do you know how to use social networking to your advantage in your job search?  On Thursday, February 21st at 12:00 p.m. in Room 525, the Career Services Department will host a social networking workshop.  By now, you know all about the “don’ts” of social networking – this presentation will focus on the “do’s.”  Join us to learn how to create an effective profile on LinkedIn and how to research and engage with prospective employers through LinkedIn, Twitter, and yes, even Facebook.  This presentation will cover the basics for those just getting started and will provide insight on the latest tips, tricks, and trends to improve your odds in today’s job market.

 

Clearwater/Pinellas County Networking Opportunity

If you are interested in practicing in the Clearwater/Pinellas County area and want to network and meet potential employers, colleagues and judges, Coastal students have been invited to participate in the 74th Annual Clearwater Bar Oyster Roast as a student volunteer. 

The Oyster Roast is an event held annually by the Clearwater Bar Association where local attorneys and judges put aside the adversarial process, “kick off their shoes,” and enjoy food and drinks from local vendors.  In addition to being a great time, it can be a unique opportunity for law students to socialize with practicing attorneys and judges.

This year, as they have in the past, they are inviting law students to attend for FREE (yes, free!) if they assist with the cleanup process.  There are a limited number of volunteer spots available, so if this is something that you or your organization is interested in participating in, please contact nick@lawyergriffin.com or ryanbresler@tanneygriffithlaw.com as quickly as possible. as the volunteer spots will be given out on a first-come first-serve basis.  Please include the following in your email.

  1. Name, address, and phone number;
  2. Your law school;
  3. Are you a student-member of the Clearwater Bar?  (We encourage all student-volunteers to sign up for the Clearwater bar Association.  There are no membership fees for student-members and this is a terrific way to connect with the local legal community)
  4. Are you available for cleanup on
    1. the night of the Oyster Roast (Saturday, March 23, 2013);
    2. the morning after the Oyster Roast (Sunday, March 24, 2013); or
    3. Both?

They ask that you only offer to volunteer for time slots if you are genuinely able to attend, as they will be depending on your help.

Join the Networking Club!

Did you know that over 80% of law students obtain their first post-graduate position through networking contacts?

 The Career Services Department recognizes how critical networking is to your success, and to foster your networking abilities, we have launched a networking initiative targeting three key markets – Orlando, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.  The program will meet monthly throughout the year to cultivate your networking skills, and you will receive invaluable guidance from career service counselors, as wells as other students, as you work together to prepare a network of contacts in your target market.  These efforts will culminate with a networking trip to each city to attend an event sponsored by the Career Services Department with the local bar association.  Students who participated in the Networking Clubs last year gained confidence in their networking abilities and learned how to translate those skills into legal experience and job opportunities

Please join us for the next Networking Club Meeting Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 5:15 p.m. in Room 400.  Our networking clubs include students interested in developing practices in Atlanta, Orlando or Washington D.C., but the skills we are learning and discussing would benefit all students.  Next week’s meeting will focus on Informational Meetings–What they are, how to land them, and how to prepare for them.  Please plan on attending and bring a friend!

Networking in Smaller Gatherings

Networking is often most effective when you are at a smaller event .  Focus on opportunities that provide more intimate interaction with those attending, rather than huge receptions where it is difficult to establish a one-on-one connection with someone else.  The target attorney is more likely to remember you and to spend time chatting with you if you are only one of ten people attending an event, rather than 1,000 at a large reception.  Look for small gatherings sponsored by bar associations, including section breakfasts, small group CLE’s, and sports activities.  Moreover, people are often more relaxed and casual in small groups, so both you and your targets will be more comfortable and likely to make a real connection.

Why should you schedule an Informational Meeting?

 

 Informational meetings are exactly what they sound like–interviews with attorneys to get information, not jobs.  You contact an attorney and ask if he or she can talk to you about a particular practice area, locale to practice in, or merely how he or she got into that field.  You are looking for tips, not a job, so the pressure is off both of you. 

You first make contact by email or telephone, and ask if you could meet to talk about their practice, or refer to something they wrote or perhaps a case he or she tried.   At the end of the meeting, don’t forget to ask the attorney if he could suggest other people you should meet–that way when you call, you can say who referred you, which may lead to another informational meeting.  You can also ask the attorney whether it would be okay if you contacted them again down the road if you had more questions.

Be sure to show up on time (not early or late), and show up with good questions.  Prepare to be there about 20 minutes, unless your interviewer wants to continue your talk, and always always send a thank you note for their time. 

Although this is not a job interview, you are not asking for a job, they are not offering one, and absolutely no resumes are given, there have been many jobs secured down the road after a meeting of this kind.  In the future, that attorney may be looking for an associate, or hear of another opportunity he or she may relate to you. 

To read more of Jay Shepherd’s column, click here.