Networking Importance Forum

[Anonymous User]

How hard should I be trying to network as a 3L if I already have a top firm job lined up. I had a ton of contacts in my desired market from pre-OCI networking and am mainly wondering if it would be worthwhile to reconnect?

Upshot - how big a part of long term big law success is networking (especially in a cross-firm capacity)?

[The Lsat Airbender]

How hard should I be trying to network as a 3L if I already have a top firm job lined up. I had a ton of contacts in my desired market from pre-OCI networking and am mainly wondering if it would be worthwhile to reconnect?

Upshot - how big a part of long term big law success is networking (especially in a cross-firm capacity)?

What are your career aspirations? Network with people who might help you with your goals over the next few decades. It's as important as you want it to be.

[Lacepiece23]

How hard should I be trying to network as a 3L if I already have a top firm job lined up. I had a ton of contacts in my desired market from pre-OCI networking and am mainly wondering if it would be worthwhile to reconnect?

Upshot - how big a part of long term big law success is networking (especially in a cross-firm capacity)?

Networking is one of the most valuable things you can do as a lawyer. You don’t have to be a rainmaker connect with people over breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but you should keep in touch.

In five years, you want to feel comfortable with as many people as possible reaching out to you if you need something and you to them if you need something. You never know if you will.

[Anonymous User]

How hard should I be trying to network as a 3L if I already have a top firm job lined up. I had a ton of contacts in my desired market from pre-OCI networking and am mainly wondering if it would be worthwhile to reconnect?

Upshot - how big a part of long term big law success is networking (especially in a cross-firm capacity)?

Networking is one of the most valuable things you can do as a lawyer. You don’t have to be a rainmaker connect with people over breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but you should keep in touch.

In five years, you want to feel comfortable with as many people as possible reaching out to you if you need something and you to them if you need something. You never know if you will.

Who are those ppl for a 3L though? Is it worth trying to force a network with people at firms in market. It seems like a long shot that "knowing" one random partner or associate has a tangible benefit. So should you just wait until practice and things happen organically?

[Lacepiece23]

How hard should I be trying to network as a 3L if I already have a top firm job lined up. I had a ton of contacts in my desired market from pre-OCI networking and am mainly wondering if it would be worthwhile to reconnect?

Upshot - how big a part of long term big law success is networking (especially in a cross-firm capacity)?

Networking is one of the most valuable things you can do as a lawyer. You don’t have to be a rainmaker connect with people over breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but you should keep in touch.

In five years, you want to feel comfortable with as many people as possible reaching out to you if you need something and you to them if you need something. You never know if you will.

Who are those ppl for a 3L though? Is it worth trying to force a network with people at firms in market. It seems like a long shot that "knowing" one random partner or associate has a tangible benefit. So should you just wait until practice and things happen organically?

Great networking should never be forced I agree there. But you can always stay in touch and generally show interest in the other person. Try to form mentors with these people. Stay in touch. Grab lunch.

It’s some work, but it pays off. You never know when it will though. Also, these people all know more than a random 3L about life and practice. There’s always something to learn from these people.

If you do a great job and build friendships, I can almost guarantee you that some of these people will be in house one day. And they’ll definitely send work to their mentee.

Only a small percentage of lawyers will do this though.

[hangtime813]

IMO, all law school networking is really establishing that initial base/reputation of being a friendly/approachable individual when you come across other lawyers or law students. You never know who will be on the other side, your boss, a client in the future etc.

Networking in general doent really have any downside, especially if you are in a niche area. Like others said, its best for the network to grow organically, but you have to position yourself to do so (join sections, bar associations, even linkedin, etc.).

[bretby]

In my experience, the most important networking is with peers/people slightly ahead of & behind you. You lay the foundation now of being smart, friendly, and a good person to know and keep up the connections in a non-forced way and it can pay dividends in the future in terms of referrals, etc. This is also true of college friends in other industries. (I didn't understand how college helped with networking until long after college when friends started to be in positions of some authority wherever they ended up). Having coffee with random partners or people you don't know well from other firms will be less likely to be of significant help, though building relationships with partners you work with in an organic way can be helpful as you transition away from the firm as they might have their own connections built through networking that can help get your resume pulled from the pile when you apply for a position elsewhere, be it another firm, government, or in-house.