Top Law Schools

Inspired by this thread: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=297923

Currently a 3L and looking into changing firms/markets. I'm wondering if you talk to people by grabbing coffee or simply making phone calls? I get the feeling that face-to-face conversations might leave a better and more lasting impression, but I may be wrong.

For those who have successfully landed something via networking - how do you talk to the people you'd want to network with? Were you flying out to meet them if they weren't in the same city? Or were you just making phone calls one after another?

Start early. Send out a lot of emails starting with your school network. If local, ask for coffee face-to-face. If not, ask for phone call. Don't fly somewhere just to talk to someone. You only get about a 20% yield in networking -- that is, 80% of the people end up being folks you don't connect with.

Talk to them ostensibly about what their experience was like, and play the lost law student card. Don't ask for anything, except other people who might be helpful. You want to wait until you've established a relationship with them.

You'll get an 80-90% response rate if you send a nice email highlighting a connection. People love to help. I graduated a few years ago and have only gotten one of those phone calls, which I bent over backwards to assist. Be politely pushy.