| Lexis/Nexis is offering a complimentary career webcast this Thursday November 8th at 3:00pm ET titled “Ask the Experts: Answers to your Questions about Legal Job Search, Networking & Interviewing”. Please see additional information and the registration link below.Law Student Webcast: Attend a live webcast featuring four legal career experts and get your career questions answered. Send in your questions ahead of timeand our panel of legal career experts will answer them during the webcast.Learn how to identify the right legal career path for you and how to prepare for your interviews.The first 500 to attend and complete the email survey at the end of the webcast will receive a complimentary membership in the American Bar Association (ABA) Law Student Division*. REGISTER NOW.
Meet the panelists:
After the webcast Ask the Experts: Answers to your Questions on Legal Job Search, Networking and Interviewing, join the after-party on Facebook for a lively interaction with all of the panelists. |
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Category Archives: Networking
Join the Law Student Division of the Florida Bar’s YLD!
The Law Student Division of the Young Lawyers Division works to facilitate a smooth transition between law school and practicing law. They work closely with The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, local bar associations, and practicing attorneys to provide networking, mentoring, legal education, and community service opportunities to Law Student Division members.
Joining is free, and if you plan to practice in Florida, this is an excellent way to begin making connections in your chosen location and perhaps desired area of the law. Speak to Coastal’s Law Student Division representatives or click here to learn more.
Tips for Informational Interviews
In a post on the Daily Muse, Jennifer Winter spells out a few tips for avoiding an awkward informational interview.
1. Come prepared. Do research on the firm and the attorneys before the meeting.
2. Keep it short. Make sure not to take up too much of your contact’s time. If the attorney wants to, he or she can extend the interview or start to wrap up. This is a courteous way to ensure you’re not taking up too much of their time.
3. Cement the connection. Follow up with a thank-you note–it shows you truly appreciated your meeting–and it could open the door to further career opportunities some day.
Informational interviews are all about forging connections and broadening your understanding of your career. You can read more of Winter’s advice here.
The Personal Touch
After you have had an informational meeting, an interview, or other substantive interaction with an attorney, it is an excellent idea to send them a handwritten thank you, on personalized stationery, if possible, and sent by U.S. Mail. The gesture will be much appreciated by the recipient, and will get your name in front of them yet again. It may also create a positive impression, which may just be the edge you are looking for during the hiring process.
Emily Esfahani Smith is associate editor of the New Criterion and managing editor of Defining Ideas, a journal of the Hoover Institution, and has written about this lost art of thank you letters here. Her guide, while not specifically about the legal profession, could serve you well in life, in general.
Making Connections!
Small law firms tend to hire any time of the year based on their current needs, and they most often hire someone with whom they have a connection. You can create that connection by networking at local Bar Association events. Most Bar Associations have events year round, including luncheons and socials. Bar associations also sponsor continuing education seminars, which provide excellent opportunities to network with lawyers in your chosen area of law. For example, check out the events listed below sponsored by the Jacksonville Bar Association in the upcoming months. Generally, you do not have to be a member of the Bar Association to attend the event, but student membership is $30 a year. Then, call or meet with a Career Services Counselor to plan your strategy for creating your connection at the event!
Put this on your calendar
| Florida Coastal Career Services has teamed up with networking expert Tiffany Gorton to bring you her presentation “Network your Face Off” on Friday September 28, 2012 from 10:00-11:00 am (EST).Tiffany graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2008 and moved to Seattle, Washington where she knew (literally) no-one. Using the techniques she will discuss in her presentation combined with hard work and a positive attitude, Tiffany was able to land her dream job. Tiffany’s passion for networking has led her to publish the following articles on the subject: “Look the Recession in the Eye and Find a Job” and “Volunteering: Reaping the benefits of Your Work.”Tiffany’s presentation is designed to give recent law school graduates the tips, tools and skills they need for a successful career search. |
Please join us! To register for this webinar, click the following link https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/249671977 and enter the required information.
Please join me. . .
I will be attending the 6th Annual Solo and Small Firm Conference, entitled “The Extraordinary Lawyer: Minding your own Business”, September 21-22 (this Friday and Saturday) in Orlando. This conference has features designed for law students and is a great chance to meet attorneys and judges while learning about succeeding in your future practice.
• Law student price at $60 includes full registration for 1 ½ day of programming, two breakfasts, two lunches, cocktail reception, entertainment & prizes.
• Each law student will be assigned a mentor for the conference.
• A special law student, recent graduate program – “Succeeding as a New Law Clerk or Associate in a Smaller Firm” will be offered on Saturday, September 22 at 10:45 a.m.
• Chances to interact with solo and small firm practitioners to learn about practice areas and opportunities.
For more information, click here. I hope to see you there!
Thank You
Thank you to all the students who traveled to the FAMU Law School’s campus in Orlando on Saturday to attend the Central Florida Diversity Mentoring Picnic. I enjoyed meeting you and hope you’ll continue to take advantage of great events like this. I met a lot of people–students, practicing attorneys and judges. . .you never know who may become a great connection for you!
Are you interested in networking?
If so, the General Practice Solo and Small Firm (GPSSF) Section of the Florida Bar is hosting the 6th Annual Solo and Small Firm Conference, entitled “The Extraordinary Lawyer: Minding your own Business”, September 21-22 in the Orlando area at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel. This conference has features designed for law students and is a great chance to meet attorneys and judges while learning about succeeding in your future practice.
• Law student price at $60 includes full registration for 1 ½ day of programming, two breakfasts, two lunches, cocktail reception, entertainment & prizes.
• Each law student will be assigned a mentor for the conference.
• A special law student, recent graduate program – “Succeeding as a New Law Clerk or Associate in a Smaller Firm” will be offered on Saturday, September 22 at 10:45 a.m.
• Chances to interact with solo and small firm practitioners to learn about practice areas and opportunities.
• Exhibit hall of vendors offering products, services and give-aways.
• Law practice management track & Law office technology track.
For more information, click here. I hope to see you there!
Informational Meetings: Prepare Your Questions
Informational meetings are a great opportunity to obtain the insight and guidance of practicing attorneys in your job search. They can give you tips on how they decided what type of law to practice, the local legal economy, and the culture of local legal employers. To make the most of these interviews, you need an effective list of questions. For example, ask attorneys what they love and what they hate about their jobs and the type of law they practice. Ask how they obtained their first position, how firms in the community tend to hire, and how you can get to know local practitioners. Finally, request referrals to other attorneys with whom they think it would be helpful for you to speak.