How to Actually Network

There are many ways to network, and no one way to do it correctly. At the end of the day, networking is about connecting with people – it’s something we do naturally, not an entirely new skill that needs to be learned. But if you need a quick cheat sheet or place to start, I have found these specific action steps to be fruitful:

1. Attend an event or panel. Many law firms will host panels with different focus areas (for example, a specific practice area, or a panel focusing on women/first-generation/diversity lawyers), and organizations will host information sessions on what their attorneys do and how you can make your application stand out. Student organizations at your law school will provide many opportunities and bring lawyers right to you, so take advantage of the events they put on for you!
2. Find an attorney whose career path you admire or who is doing the type of work you might want to do. Introduce yourself and ask a couple of questions. You might want to do some research beforehand, depending on the type of event.
3. Send the attorney a follow-up email after the event asking for 20-30 minutes of their time to chat more about their career path and work. This is especially useful if you attended a virtual panel where you didn’t have the chance to interact one-on-one with the attorneys.
4. Set up a phone or video call and ask about their work, career path, advice they might have for someone in your shoes, and anything else you’re genuinely curious about. Some questions I like to ask:
   • When/how did you decide to go into [practice area]?
   • [If attorney worked at multiple places] How were your experiences different?
   • Is your work transactional, litigation, or regulatory? How did your experiences inform whether you wanted to do transactional, litigation, or regulatory work?
   • What does your day-to-day look like? What type of work are you doing most of the time? Who do you typically interact with?
   • What is most challenging and most rewarding about your work? Do you feel like you’re making a positive impact?
   • Do you have any advice for a law student looking to pursue your practice area? Is there anything you wish you had known about [practice area], or anything you wish you knew as a law student?

5. Follow up within 24 hours after the call with a thank you note, highlighting a couple things they said that stood out to you. Provide an update periodically (e.g. your summer internship, or something in the news that is relevant). If you’re applying to their organization, definitely let them know – they might offer to look over your resume or cover letter (or you can ask if they would be willing to do so – they’ll likely say yes, unless they’re on the hiring committee), or even refer you to the hiring manager (but don’t ask them to do this if they haven’t offered!).

Here are some additional tips to expand your network:

• Reach out to 2Ls and 3Ls at your school, especially those who worked for the organizations you’re interested in. They were in your shoes not too long ago and usually are more than willing to share their experiences, insights, and words of encouragement with you!
• Attend conferences. I attended an environmental law conference last year and ran into an attorney who I had met over email before law school by attending a virtual panel. We had been in touch sporadically over email since then, but at the conference we finally met in person, and soon after that I got an interview with her organization which led to an internship offer!
• Don’t underestimate the cold email! I have found cold emailing can work quite well. If there was an attorney whose career path and practice area particularly interested me, I would reach out to them directly, even if they had no affiliation with my school or anyone I knew, and I often got a response. Lawyers like to talk about themselves and are willing to help out when they can!
• Know that there is an abundance of resources available to help you. Use your alumni network. LinkedIn and your Career Services Office are great resources to connect with the alumni who are most relevant to your career interests. Take advantage of your Career Services Office — it’s their job to help you find jobs! Don’t hesitate to reach out for feedback on your resume and cover letter, or ask for advice on finding a summer position that’s right for you – they can connect you with the right people and direct you to the right opportunities.

Networking isn’t rocket science! Not every connection will lead to an interview or a job offer, but you never know when it will. Even if doesn’t, many connections will lead to other connections, and open doors somewhere down the road. There’s no such thing as a wasted connection or wasted time connecting with someone.

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