0L Summer Networking? Forum

[skitlets]

I'm taking the summer off before law school. I'm from the Bay Area but will be going to school in Irvine. My goal is to find work in the Bay Area for the summers and post-graduation.

What are some ways I can build and maintain connections before I leave the area? I don't have many friends or family in the legal field so I figured the earlier I started, the better.

[boredatwork]

You could resume bomb some small firms, see if you can get a file clerk job or check craigslist for said job. Either way just write a cover letter explaining that you want to work in the bay area and are going to ls in the fall etc. You could also join the student division of the ABA and gain some network contacts that way.

[presidentk1]

Is joining the ABA worth the $60?

[minnbills]

I'm an 0L so sorry for the intrusion but I'm doing some 0L summer networking too so just a quick word- make sure to look in places within your personal network that might not be an obvious source of contacts.

I coach a high school sport and mentioned in my speech at the banquet that I was heading to law school and had maybe 10 parents who were law school graduates come up to me afterwards.

Make sure also to ask your family and others you know if they know attorneys and if they would be willing to introduce you. I'm meeting with an attorney whose wife plays tennis with my mom, for example.

[boredatwork]

Is joining the ABA worth the $60?

My dad thinks it is and I trust his opinion (been practicing law for 40 years) He also thinks that if you join now you might be able to convince a firm after law school that the contacts you make there are worth them paying for you to stay an ABA member. Oops just saw the forum this is posted in, shouldn't have replied. I apologize.

[Lwoods]

I'm taking the summer off before law school. I'm from the Bay Area but will be going to school in Irvine. My goal is to find work in the Bay Area for the summers and post-graduation.

What are some ways I can build and maintain connections before I leave the area? I don't have many friends or family in the legal field so I figured the earlier I started, the better.

Join a volunteer organization/alumni organization/young professionals social group.

Networking is essentially just making friends with people in high places...and you never know who might end up in a high place. I actually built a relatively large network in my current city through the Junior League. While only three members of my non-school friend circle here are attorneys, a number are also in positions of influence at some of the bigger local companies. Note: two of three are NOT JL members but I met them through JL friends. So, don't limit your networking to attorneys but instead befriend young professionals in their late 20s/early 30s.

Joining the local bar, meeting lots of attorneys, etc. never hurts, but you're most likely to get the leg up if you're forming those closer relationships. Imagine you're an attorney: would you rather help out that kid you met at some meeting or the person you've gotten to know through a number of interactions and genuinely like as a person? In my experience (from both sides), it's the latter. Meeting with lawyers can serve as that jumping off point, too, of course, but the key is building and maintaining. Do NOT start a networking relationship by sending a resume.

You should also use your current network. Since you're from the Bay Area, I imagine you have a lot of friends from high school (and college?) working in the area. Maintain those relationships and meet their professional contacts, too.