What Are The 10 Proven Networking Essentials for Lawyers?

 

SUMMARY

This article outlines the importance of legal networking for lawyers, providing essential tips for success. It explains why it is crucial to network and how to do so without drinking and breaking down barriers in legal practice. Additionally, this article highlights why continuing to network throughout your career is critical and the benefits of using a legal recruiter to get the best jobs in law firms. Legal professionals can make meaningful connections with these tips and advice to help progress their careers and find new opportunities.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS ARTICLE

 

• What is legal networking?
  Legal networking is the process of attending events and connecting with other legal professionals to grow your career in the legal profession.
   
• What are the benefits of attending a legal networking event?
  Attending a legal networking event can help you meet potential new clients, make important contacts, and strengthen relationships with other legal professionals.
   
• What are the pros and cons of drinking while networking?
  Drinking while networking can make it easier to make connections at a networking event, but if you stay moderate, it can help your legal networking efforts. Therefore, if you choose to drink, always stay under control.
   
• What are the advantages of legal networking?
  Legal networking can help break down barriers, such as when women want to progress in their legal careers. Additionally, continuing networking throughout your career is essential to stay connected with past clients and look for new connections among legal professionals.
   
• When is it appropriate to use a legal recruiter?
  Using a legal recruiter can be beneficial when you are looking for a new job, as they have extensive knowledge of openings in the industry and excellent connections with law firms. Additionally, they work in your best interests to help you land the best positions, helping to save time in the job search process.

Networking with the right people is crucial to making a successful law career. By improving your networking efforts, you can discover many career opportunities you did not realize existed. In addition, by continually looking for networking opportunities, you can connect and build relationships with other legal professionals in the industry. However, to ensure you build a strong network that furthers your career, you must know the top networking essentials.

Unfortunately, many attorneys think a great legal career comes about by conducting a job search online and applying to the top law firms. While that may land you a good job, you limit your options by failing to develop a professional network. Simply put, you limit access to jobs within your firm or other happenings in the legal industry.

Why should you always be looking for new connections for your legal network? How can developing a network of professionals in the industry and outside it further your law career? How can legal networking events help you generate business?

This article answers those questions and more. Additionally, you will find top networking tips to ensure that your professional network works to make you one of the top attorneys in your practice area.
 

What is Legal Practice Networking?

Legal practice networking refers to making connections with professionals in various practice areas. However, you don’t need to limit new connections to attorneys in law firms. Networking can take place at in-person events, on social media platforms, or anywhere where people in the legal community meet. Some of the most important connections happen between law school classmates.
 

The Importance of Law Practice Networking for Attorneys

Networking for anyone practicing law is one of the most important career moves. Making connections with legal professionals expands your circle of influence. In addition, every networking opportunity represents a way to connect with other lawyers who can help further your legal career.

Here are a few reasons why networking events can help your career.
 

• Expand your job search: Networking opportunities enhance your job search. If you have a robust network of other people in the legal profession, you may get jobs from people you barely know.
• New career opportunities: Legal networking can help guide you through your career journey. You can meet potential clients, find a mentor, find financing opportunities for business development, and connect with professionals in other industries.
• Develop social and professional skills: One of the benefits of having a good professional network is that you can develop a new skill set. For example, you are more aware of local events, courses, and trends in the industry. Additionally, you also get to learn from others in various practice areas.

In my experience, only around five percent of people get law positions through people in their immediate circle of influence.

For example, a famous book, “Don’t Send a Resume,” has a simple suggestion. When looking for a job — in the legal world or elsewhere — write down 100 people you know. Then give them a call to see how they are doing. Let them know you are looking for a position if it comes up in the conversation.

According to one of the most successful attorneys in the country, his biggest mistake at law school was not networking enough. This was because he realized that his legal networking efforts would have paid off later. In addition, he realized that he would have gotten better jobs faster had he paid attention to each networking opportunity.
 

The Ten Best Legal Practice Networking Essentials to Further Your Law Firm Career

The best networking tips are not related to how to make connections with other legal professionals. Instead, they relate to making each networking event you attend useful for your career in law. Following these tips will help you land jobs in top law firms across the country.
 

1. Law students should start legal networking while at law school

As a law student, you should realize that networking events in law school are crucial for your long-term success. Therefore, if you are still at law school, boost your networking efforts by attending as many events as possible. Many of the connections you make will be invaluable career assets in the future.

What are the best networking events to attend at law school? Here are a few to consider:

• Make connections with other lawyers through alumni and undergraduate institutions at law school.
• Attend events at the local bar association. These include social events, mentor programs, and local meetings.
• Expand your social media network using LinkedIn and Facebook groups. Connect with classmates, professors, former colleagues, law professionals, and old friends. Also, use relevant hashtags to help expand your social media network and build online relationships.
• Volunteer or do pro bono work. These opportunities expand your connections, and you can meet fellow like-minded attorneys.
   

2. Be enthusiastic when attending networking events

For some attorneys, attending networking events is not an easy task. However, making the right connections will not be easy if you are not excited and engaged. You really have to want it and make your enthusiasm come through. What can happen is that you end up in a law firm doing a job you probably hate.

Here are a few tips to make legal networking events more successful:

• Bring business cards with you to share with potential connections. Some people say they are defunct. However, a business card is excellent for connecting with professionals and prospective clients.
• Prepare conversation starters. This could be a list of hot topics on industry events or news. This makes it easier if you have to approach a potential client. And the best idea is to choose subjects you already know. This way, you can share your skills, expand your experience, and answer questions.
• Don’t be afraid to share some personal information.
• Connect with people after the event by emailing them or adding them to your LinkedIn network.
   

3. Being referable is key to successful networking in the legal industry

If you are a legal professional with an interest in furthering your career, you must make yourself referable. This means that you cannot act inappropriately in your law firm or with clients. Being referable means guarding your most valuable asset among legal professionals -- your reputation.

Remember that you must have an excellent reputation when it comes to networking and word of mouth. For example, associates must demonstrate they are hard-working. Also, you can never be dishonest in your practice area or get involved in shady deals.

If you have a reputation for honesty and hard work, you will have no trouble finding referral sources in the legal field.
 

4. Build networks with more than just attorneys

When networking in the legal world, it is always a good idea to connect with various groups of people. Basically, the more groups you can get involved in, the better. Remember that your business development depends on reliable referral sources to get new clients. However, you can also keep up to date on local trends.
 

5. Your networks are more important than the law school

In my experience, it is a myth that attending the top law schools gives you better legal networking opportunities. Although attending a top law school ensures a solid education, it doesn’t determine how successful you will become. Networking does. Therefore, regardless of the school you attended, networking will further your career the best.
 

6. Your peers shape your legal career goals

Another essential fact about legal networking is that your peers shape your goals. What often happens in school — whether you attend a top university or a mediocre one — is that your expectations and thought processes align with those around you.

Here is an example. Suppose you attend one of the top law schools. In that case, success could mean becoming a professor in a Top Ten law university like Yale. However, say you attended a lower-grade school. In that case, success may mean working to become a partner in a big law firm in New York.

Remember, you can find excellent legal networking events whether you attended Yale or Michigan. And when you work in the legal field, all that matters is billing people for your legal services and keeping clients happy. Therefore, as long as you work hard and attend networking events, you can enjoy long-term success in your career. 
 

7. You don’t have to drink to network successfully

It is true that a legal networking event often includes drinking. However, it is vital to remember that you do not have to drink to make connections with the right people. And just because the networking events are cocktail parties doesn’t mean you must. However, drinking while networking has its pros and cons.

Sometimes, it is easier to make connections at a networking event if you drink. It is a good way to meet people and can be a topic for conversation. In some cases, it can help to create relationships and form bonds.

However, drinking can harm your legal networking efforts if you go overboard. Therefore, if you choose to drink — and remember, it is not a requirement — ensure you always stay under control.
 

8. Networking can help break down barriers in a legal practice

One of the advantages of legal networking is that you can use it to break down barriers. A common barrier is when women want to progress in their legal careers. However, many law firms want to bring in successful women attorneys, and making the right connections can help them find the best jobs.

Therefore, always focus on networking and expanding your connections as much as possible.
 

9. Never forget the importance of networking in a law firm

Many lawyers aim to attend events early on in their legal careers. However, it is essential never to forget the importance of continuing to network throughout your career. This includes connecting with past clients and looking for new connections among legal professionals. To progress your career, you need word-of-mouth referrals and to be known in a wide network.

10. Use a recruiter to get the best jobs in law firms

For legal professionals, it is always necessary to create connections with others in the industry. However, in many cases, using a legal recruiter is the easiest and fastest way to get a new job. This is because a top legal recruitment agency has a lot of information about openings in the industry. In addition, they have excellent connections with law firms and better understand current trends.

However, there are several additional reasons for using a legal recruiter to find your dream job in the legal profession. Here are a few:

• The right legal recruiter can network you into positions you would otherwise find impossible.
• Legal recruiters can help prepare you for interviews.
• They have a vast network of contacts with law firms across the country.
• They work in your interest to land the best positions.
• You can save time when searching for a new job.

 

Networking Essentials for Lawyers - In Conclusion

Networking events are vital for attorneys to meet new clients, connect with other legal professionals, and help develop their legal careers. Therefore, if you can attend a networking event, view this as an opportunity to invest in your long-term success through legal practice networking.
 

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