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I have an 1L summer offer at the main office of a large firm. There is a chance I may be interested in working in another large city, where this firm has a smaller branch office. My LS is having a reception for law firms and one of the partners I met from the 1L employer will be at the reception. I'd like to go to network with firms in the "other large city" - but wonder how to handle that. Will the partner wonder why I am there networking when I already have a 1L job at his firm and why I'm looking at firms in another (but larger) city? Should I not attend this year, or is the networking opportunity with other firms worth it? Is there another way I could network with other firms in the "other large city" without offending my 1L SA employer? Should I go to the reception and focus on my current 1L employer as a way to further impress? Clearly, getting an offer from this 1L firm to return for 2L (which I may or may not do) is critical.

Anyone?

It depends on the nature of this reception. The 1L firm reception/networking events that I have seen tend to be mobbed, with seemingly every 1L in the school present and lines 3-4 people deep waiting to talk to the one or two lawyers that are representing each firm. If it's like that, stop by and say hello to whoever is there from your summer firm and then go talk to other firms, or vice versa. First of all, s/he is probably going to be busy talking to lots of other students and not watching you and making notes on who you are talking to. Secondly, I'm doubtful that the partner is going to care that much. Attorneys generally understand that everybody needs to network, even those in relatively secure jobs (which does not describe you at this point). I think it's a long shot that they will hold it against you for shaking a few hands and chatting with people at the event.

I don't think you are going to get much out of going to the reception unless you are REALLY good with follow-up after networking - if I'm reading your post right, you are a 1L with a job this summer so you would be networking for purposes of maybe finding a 2L summer job next year? Anyone you meet at this reception isn't going to remember you for that long.

They should understand the nature of the game, and your ability to network benefits them too.

If anything, frame it as you wanted to show up to put in face time with the partner at the firm who hired you, and while there you decided to talk to others about their experiences as attorneys. I'd be stunned if you faced ramifications for that.

anattorney wrote:I don't think you are going to get much out of going to the reception unless you are REALLY good with follow-up after networking - if I'm reading your post right, you are a 1L with a job this summer so you would be networking for purposes of maybe finding a 2L summer job next year? Anyone you meet at this reception isn't going to remember you for that long.

Well, OP will be interviewing for 2L summer jobs in August, so that's really only 6 months off. I think these can be helpful whether they remember you or not. When you sit down in the screening interview and the screener asks you "Why are you interested in our firm?" one part of a good answer is that "I met ___ from your firm at the networking event in the spring and had a great conversation with her about [blah blah blah that your firm does or that she does in her practice]"

Wholigan wrote:

anattorney wrote:I don't think you are going to get much out of going to the reception unless you are REALLY good with follow-up after networking - if I'm reading your post right, you are a 1L with a job this summer so you would be networking for purposes of maybe finding a 2L summer job next year? Anyone you meet at this reception isn't going to remember you for that long.

Well, OP will be interviewing for 2L summer jobs in August, so that's really only 6 months off. I think these can be helpful whether they remember you or not. When you sit down in the screening interview and the screener asks you "Why are you interested in our firm?" one part of a good answer is that "I met ___ from your firm at the networking event in the spring and had a great conversation with her about [blah blah blah that your firm does or that she does in her practice]"

Eh, I don't think anyone would remember after 6 months unless you'd kept up with contact. They meet a lot of eager law students. It's a fair point about the screening interview, but I just don't think it's a make or break type of thing that you need to attend.

Not that it's a bad idea to go. I doubt that the 1L firm would get offended. I just don't think it matters much either way.