Should law students give out business cards? Forum

[shoeshine]

I recently met a law student at a networking function that had her own business cards. She went to a school ranked mid 40's and was in the top ten percent of her class. She explained that her school encouraged students to hand business cards out for networking purposes.

The card was really official and it had her school name/logo, her name, her contact info, and her expected graduation year.

Is this common practice for law students? Does it help with networking/oci? It strikes me as sort of ridiculous but I am willing to try anything that gets me a job.

Edit:
Also, this was my reaction-
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[IrwinM.Fletcher]

It's generally more of a B school thing. I think it's a little on the douchey side and minimally (if at all) helpful.

[Mitch McDeere]

A 2L handed me a business card during 1L orientation last year. I was not impressed.

[bk1]

The search function, it is your friend.

[shoeshine]

The search function, it is your friend.

Dammit. Rookie mistake. Here is the relevant thread for those who care; http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 23&start=0

[RCRARollin]

My school did the same thing with business cards. Attorneys that I know personally thought the concept was laughable. No student business card "networking" ever turned into anything productive for me. All my important networking came from when they gave me their information, not the other way around.

If someone is interested in you, they will give you their card or information. That way, YOU can contact them. They aren't going to take the time out of their busy schedules to write to some kid that handed them a business card.

[thesealocust]

We've had epic fucking debates about this. The conclusion is probably "no, it's a bad idea" at least giving them out on your own, though there is some argument (1) that it can be handy if it is requested of you and (2) it might vary based on geography and/or employment preference.

I can tell you close to flat out that for big firm recruiting in the mid-atlantic / north east, business cards for law students are no bueno. Your mileage elsewhere may vary.

[nickwar]

No -- it's lame and pretentious.

Business cards are for people who matter; not first-year law students.

[spanktheduck]

No -- it's lame and pretentious.

Business cards are for people who matter; not first-year law students.

This. As a law student you are not going to be in a position where a person will need your business card. No one is going to contact you. You will be taking other people's business card and contacting them.

[random5483]

Having a business card as a 1L (or any other year for that matter) is fine. Giving one out unless asked for is not. I went the safe route and did not get any.

[gwuorbust]

go hipster business card. name on front, phone number on back.

[TTH]

go hipster business card. name on front, phone number on back.

and not rectangular.

[071816]

There was this guy at a scholarship reception for admitted students that I went to who was wearing a full-on suit and handing his business cards out to anyone with a pulse (including professors). I thought it was a bit premature, to say the least.

[bk1]

The search function, it is your friend.

Dammit. Rookie mistake. Here is the relevant thread for those who care; http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 23&start=0

holydonkey's business card was glorious:

Get them, just keep it simple. Name, phone, email, name of school and grad year.

...

Also, you should put an inspiring quote on it. For example:

[gwuorbust]

go hipster business card. name on front, phone number on back.

and not rectangular.

random pieces of cardboard is TCR

[NotMyRealName09]

Its just as douchey as having "J.D. Candidate" in your email signature. NO SHIT, YOU ARE A LAW STUDENT.

I always found that douchetastic.

[missinglink]

..

[Anonymous User]

Its just as douchey as having "J.D. Candidate" in your email signature. NO SHIT, YOU ARE A LAW STUDENT.

I always found that douchetastic.

It's good to hear I'm not the only one who doesn't do this.

Pretty much every email I get from a fellow law student has one of the long email signatures - full name, law email address, J.D. candidate, etc.

I'm thinking about putting one of those confidentiality warnings on all of my emails, telling the recipient to destroy the email if they aren't the intended recipient.

Good idea or great idea?

Is this really douchetastic?

I personally have one and didn't think much of it, because I thought it'd be easier to have all my contact info in one place and indicate that I'm sending the email in a professional capacity.

Otherwise, I feel like my emails look very bare.

[theturkeyisfat]

i'm thinking of adding a sig to my law school email account... it just seems professional to me. anyone else think this is douchy?

[drdolittle]

Its just as douchey as having "J.D. Candidate" in your email signature. NO SHIT, YOU ARE A LAW STUDENT.

I always found that douchetastic.

It's good to hear I'm not the only one who doesn't do this.

Pretty much every email I get from a fellow law student has one of the long email signatures - full name, law email address, J.D. candidate, etc.

I'm thinking about putting one of those confidentiality warnings on all of my emails, telling the recipient to destroy the email if they aren't the intended recipient.

Good idea or great idea?

Is this really douchetastic?

I personally have one and didn't think much of it, because I thought it'd be easier to have all my contact info in one place and indicate that I'm sending the email in a professional capacity.

Otherwise, I feel like my emails look very bare.

No, it's douchetastic to think it's douchetastic. Without a signature, how the fuck would people who've never heard of you know who you are, unless of course you've incorporated "LAW STUDENT" into your name or something? What, attach a resume to everything? The email signature should be short though, it can always be removed manually.

[3ThrowAway99]

No -- it's lame and pretentious.

Business cards are for people who matter; not first-year law students.

This. As a law student you are not going to be in a position where a person will need your business card. No one is going to contact you. You will be taking other people's business card and contacting them.

lol.. this post makes me think you are both OLs, but I just saw from profile that at least one of you has been on TLS for ages, so prob not. But really the only TCR to this question IMO is in fact "Yes," you should have business cards as a law student. Especially for interviews, networking, and summer jobs they can be critical, and not having them is a sign of unprofessionalism IMO.

[thesealocust]

No -- it's lame and pretentious.

Business cards are for people who matter; not first-year law students.

This. As a law student you are not going to be in a position where a person will need your business card. No one is going to contact you. You will be taking other people's business card and contacting them.

lol.. this post makes me think you are both OLs, but I just saw from profile that at least one of you has been on TLS for ages, so prob not. But really the only TCR to this question IMO is in fact "Yes," you should have business cards as a law student. Especially for interviews, networking, and summer jobs they can be critical, and not having them is a sign of unprofessionalism IMO.

Like I tried to point out above, it's regional / practice area specific thing. At a top school looking for a standard big firm job in the northeast, business cards would be a fairly dramatic breach of protocol. That may not be true of all practice areas, geographies, and firms, but it's certainly the case in that world.

[Borhas]

No -- it's lame and pretentious.

Business cards are for people who matter; not first-year law students.

This. As a law student you are not going to be in a position where a person will need your business card. No one is going to contact you. You will be taking other people's business card and contacting them.

lol.. this post makes me think you are both OLs, but I just saw from profile that at least one of you has been on TLS for ages, so prob not. But really the only TCR to this question IMO is in fact "Yes," you should have business cards as a law student. Especially for interviews, networking, and summer jobs they can be critical, and not having them is a sign of unprofessionalism IMO.

how? how could it possible be critical?

[sharklasers]

no, god no ... and you should not post your undergrad degree and "JD Candidate" in your email signature ... it's like an 8 year old putting on her mother's makeup, except instead of an 8 year old, it's a mentally ill 32 year old with the capacity of an 8 year old putting on her mother's makeup

oh, and studying at a bar does not meaningfully distinguish you from undergraduates, it's just weird

[Kilpatrick]

Career services gave us 1l business cards and I just laughed and threw them away. I think a signature is douchey too. Who would I ever be emailing that would need to know I was a law student but I wouldn't just say in the first line that I was a law student?