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Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 12:58 am
by Anonymous User
Dude came to guest-talk to my securities class, Prof later hooked me up to grab coffee w/ him tomorrow afternoon before class. The fuck do I talk about? (I'm a 2L trying to "network").

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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 3:17 am
by Myself
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Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 3:22 am
by Richie Tenenbaum
Ask him about how he got where he currently is. When he first started working a firm, did he have an idea of what he wanted to do? Did that change after a few years and, if so, how? What advice does he have for law students heading off to begin work at a firm? If he could do anything different as a junior associate, what would that be?

Just ask stuff like the above that lets him talk about his legal career and act normal.

Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:01 am
by jackieburden
What are you curious about?

Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 12:01 pm
by Anonymous User
OP here; admitted aspie law student. One reason I'm still networking is that I never hit it off personally with interviewers and I'm trying to remedy that. How personal can the conversation get? Three examples just to give a spectrum:
1. What's the work like on a day to day basis?
2. What is the family/work balance like?
3. Do you have any hobbies?
4. Who is your favorite porn star?

Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 12:52 pm
by A. Nony Mouse
Anonymous User wrote:OP here; admitted aspie law student. One reason I'm still networking is that I never hit it off personally with interviewers and I'm trying to remedy that. How personal can the conversation get? Three examples just to give a spectrum:
1. What's the work like on a day to day basis?
2. What is the family/work balance like?
3. Do you have any hobbies?
4. Who is your favorite porn star?
One of these things is not like the others...

Although, I would make the majority of your questions about what his actual work is like - what does a typical day look like, who does he interact with most, what does he like/not like about his job, how did he get the job, what were the most helpful things he did that led up to getting the job/being able to do the job, what are the valuable skills for such a job, how can a law student get them, if he were to do it all over again would he do anything differently, how does he think the profession has changed since he started, where does he see the profession going (or at least, for someone in his career path) in the next 5-10 years - that kind of thing. Too many questions about family/work balance and hobbies is going to sound like you're trying to find a job where you don't have to work very hard. (Which is totally fine to do, you just don't want to give the impression you're doing it!)

Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 1:36 pm
by manofjustice
Just be natural, and hope the "natural" you is someone a partner would think would reflect well on his firm and do a lot of good work for him and be enjoyable around the office.

Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 1:37 pm
by Anonymous User
manofjustice wrote:Just be natural, and hope the "natural" you is someone a partner would think would reflect well on his firm and do a lot of good work for him and be enjoyable around the office.
This issue arises out of my need for instruction in appearing natural.

Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 1:39 pm
by manofjustice
Anonymous User wrote:
manofjustice wrote:Just be natural, and hope the "natural" you is someone a partner would think would reflect well on his firm and do a lot of good work for him and be enjoyable around the office.
This issue arises out of my need for instruction in appearing natural.
Well, are you natural with your friends?

Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 1:54 pm
by Anonymous User
manofjustice wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
manofjustice wrote:Just be natural, and hope the "natural" you is someone a partner would think would reflect well on his firm and do a lot of good work for him and be enjoyable around the office.
This issue arises out of my need for instruction in appearing natural.
Well, are you natural with your friends?
Not since I started law school.

Re: Coffee w/ GC

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 2:00 pm
by manofjustice
Well, if you were natural before, try being like you were before.

Think of it this way...this CG you're having coffee with has been outta law school for decades. He's cured of whatever law school did to him. He probably has kids, a wife, probably took up a new hobby just last week, kid is probably gettin into fights at school and he doesn't know what to do. He probably forgot the details of that case about sea turtles (there are two...). Just relate.