PSA for 0Ls: You should talk to alumni
Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:49 am
Mods: Not sure if this is the right place for this, but I wanted to share my experience to help out incoming law students
0Ls: If you're currently in the process of deciding which school to attend, then now is a great time to get to know alumni. If you haven't committed anywhere yet, and you shouldn't have this early in the process, then you have a great chance to get to get to know practicing attorneys at places you want to work, and a chance to do it without needing anything from them.
Before I committed to a law school, I asked several of the schools I applied to to put me in touch with their alumni. I did this for two reasons. First, the reason I gave to the schools, and a valid one, is that attorneys practicing in the geographic area you want to practice in are going to be able to provide advice on where to attend, and they have insight on the realities of the local legal market that don't make it into U.S. News. Most attorneys will understandably be biased in favor of their alma mater, but most of them are far enough removed from graduation that they'll try and be honest with you.
Second, the attorneys you get in touch with through the schools will be contacts that you can develop relationships with over time. I didn't grow up in a family full of attorneys, or know a bunch of them when I came to school, so the lawyers I met this way make up the core of my network. These people have been an incredibly valuable resource so far, if for no other reason than they've helped to educate me on the realities of legal hiring and reviewed my resume and cover letters.
Basically, the admissions offices I asked didn't hesitate to put me in touch with their alumni, and I think any school would be happy to do the same for you. Now is the time guys. Get started early, so you're not trying to figure out how to meet these guys at awkward events later. Everybody loves to think their opinion is important, and attorneys are no exception. Go find some and ask them where to go to school. Even if you ignore their advice, you still get your foot in the door to start building a relationship. Good luck with the application process. That is all.
0Ls: If you're currently in the process of deciding which school to attend, then now is a great time to get to know alumni. If you haven't committed anywhere yet, and you shouldn't have this early in the process, then you have a great chance to get to get to know practicing attorneys at places you want to work, and a chance to do it without needing anything from them.
Before I committed to a law school, I asked several of the schools I applied to to put me in touch with their alumni. I did this for two reasons. First, the reason I gave to the schools, and a valid one, is that attorneys practicing in the geographic area you want to practice in are going to be able to provide advice on where to attend, and they have insight on the realities of the local legal market that don't make it into U.S. News. Most attorneys will understandably be biased in favor of their alma mater, but most of them are far enough removed from graduation that they'll try and be honest with you.
Second, the attorneys you get in touch with through the schools will be contacts that you can develop relationships with over time. I didn't grow up in a family full of attorneys, or know a bunch of them when I came to school, so the lawyers I met this way make up the core of my network. These people have been an incredibly valuable resource so far, if for no other reason than they've helped to educate me on the realities of legal hiring and reviewed my resume and cover letters.
Basically, the admissions offices I asked didn't hesitate to put me in touch with their alumni, and I think any school would be happy to do the same for you. Now is the time guys. Get started early, so you're not trying to figure out how to meet these guys at awkward events later. Everybody loves to think their opinion is important, and attorneys are no exception. Go find some and ask them where to go to school. Even if you ignore their advice, you still get your foot in the door to start building a relationship. Good luck with the application process. That is all.