By: Kandice Thorn
I've said it before, and I'll say it again (emphatically): law students should join bar associations. If you haven't joined a bar association yet, I urge you to consider joining one. Student membership is typically steeply discounted and bar associations are an incredibly rich source of opportunities for networking, volunteering opportunities, and just learning more about a particular area of practice.
Showing posts with label bar associations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bar associations. Show all posts
Monday, September 22, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
CLEs as a Networking Venue
By: Kandice Thorn
I frequently mention that one of the best ways to network is to go where the lawyers go. Since all practicing lawyers are required to complete a certain number of CLE credits every two years, lawyers can always be found congregating at Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses.
You do not need to feel like you have to "work the room" in order to make CLE attendance worth your while. If you get only 2-3 contacts to follow up on (including, even, the names of presenters), you will be in a good position. You can then follow up with requests for informational interviews or other questions relating to the presentation.
While many CLE courses are expensive, you should not hesitate to reach out to the organizers to ask if they award scholarships or fee waivers for students. Many organizations will happily do this. Check bar association websites for their CLE offerings, as well as private companies such as PLI (Practising Law Institute).
Don't forget to dress professionally when you attend a CLE. Also be sure to show up on time and look engaged with the presentation in order to put your best foot forward.
I frequently mention that one of the best ways to network is to go where the lawyers go. Since all practicing lawyers are required to complete a certain number of CLE credits every two years, lawyers can always be found congregating at Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses.
You do not need to feel like you have to "work the room" in order to make CLE attendance worth your while. If you get only 2-3 contacts to follow up on (including, even, the names of presenters), you will be in a good position. You can then follow up with requests for informational interviews or other questions relating to the presentation.
While many CLE courses are expensive, you should not hesitate to reach out to the organizers to ask if they award scholarships or fee waivers for students. Many organizations will happily do this. Check bar association websites for their CLE offerings, as well as private companies such as PLI (Practising Law Institute).
Don't forget to dress professionally when you attend a CLE. Also be sure to show up on time and look engaged with the presentation in order to put your best foot forward.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The Best Way to Jump Start Your Networking
By: Kandice Thorn
If you are looking for a good way to jump start your networking, in my opinion there is no better place to start than with membership in a local bar association. Most bar associations offer student memberships at a steeply discounted rate. Some of the benefits of bar association membership include:
If you are looking for a good way to jump start your networking, in my opinion there is no better place to start than with membership in a local bar association. Most bar associations offer student memberships at a steeply discounted rate. Some of the benefits of bar association membership include:
- Opportunities to work alongside prominent practitioners in a variety of areas through committee membership
- Career-related programming
- Programs and conferences in substantive areas
- Social events
- Pro bono opportunities
Bar memberships simply give you a lot of bang for your networking buck, giving you access to tons of practitioners with whom you can interact in a variety of settings. Joining is easy and can be done online. There are many bar associations out there, but we recommend two that are local and are particularly active: the New York City Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers' Association. Make it a goal to join one of these organizations by the end of the month and you'll be surprised by the number of opportunities that come your way.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Informational Interviews, Part II: Setting Up an Informational Interview
By: Kandice Thorn
Last week's post, Informational Interviews, Part I: Myth Busting, debunked some common misconceptions about informational interviewing. This week, we will discuss how to land an informational interview, including targeting people you would like to interview and setting up the interview.
Last week's post, Informational Interviews, Part I: Myth Busting, debunked some common misconceptions about informational interviewing. This week, we will discuss how to land an informational interview, including targeting people you would like to interview and setting up the interview.
Monday, January 14, 2013
New Year's Resolutions
By: Kandice Thorn
It's never too late to make a New Year's resolution, is it? With the new semester starting, it may be a good time to consider some career-related New Year's resolutions.
The best way make your New Year's resolutions stick is to make your resolutions doable--small steps that will lead you to your ultimate goal, rather than lofty objectives that leave you wondering where to begin. Below we have taken some New Year's resolutions that don't work and reformulated them into achievable resolutions you can start doing today.
Hopefully the resolutions below will inspire you to create your own achievable resolutions.
It's never too late to make a New Year's resolution, is it? With the new semester starting, it may be a good time to consider some career-related New Year's resolutions.
The best way make your New Year's resolutions stick is to make your resolutions doable--small steps that will lead you to your ultimate goal, rather than lofty objectives that leave you wondering where to begin. Below we have taken some New Year's resolutions that don't work and reformulated them into achievable resolutions you can start doing today.
Hopefully the resolutions below will inspire you to create your own achievable resolutions.
Monday, August 27, 2012
A New Year for Networking
By: Kandice Thorn
Welcome back to our returning students, and welcome to our new students! I hope you are all refreshed from a wonderful summer and ready to begin an exciting new semester. From a career perspective, I hope you will channel this energy into the single most important aspect of your job search: networking.
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