Career & Professional Development Blog

Networking or Information Interview Alert!!

From an alum:  Although you are not expected to be a subject specialist when you go for a networking or information meeting, you owe it to yourself and to your host to be more than minimally prepared.  You, after all, called the meeting.

Bad Beginning:   "Hi. I'm interested in construction litigation.  Can you tell me all about it?"

If your meeting is based on your interest in the lawyer's practice area and she has been working in the field for a decade, you ought to have reviewed her martindale.com listing, Googled her and be able to name the topic areas of her recent reported cases.  And yes, it would be excellent if you noted that she had litigated one of the really notable cases in her field.

Another Bad Beginning: "Hi. I'm interested in [your city], but I'm not sure what practice I'm interested in.  What's hot in [your city.]?"

Your networking connection just disconnected.  You have asked a busy stranger a question that he can't possibly answer in a helpful way. A smart lawyer knows that just because a practice is "hot" doesn't mean that any particular student or lawyer is right for it.  A busy lawyer my not have the slightest idea that an obscure practice area is the hottest ticket in town.  And this person doesn't have the slightest idea about who you are and in what area you might thrive.

Susan Gainen, University of Minnesota Law School

The legal field is cutting jobs - what now?

With the increasing downsizing/rightsizing (see last post), what are your prospects are going to be upon graduation?  What do you do to become or stay employed?  One option is to look outside the law.  As high school or undergraduate counselor probably told you, a law degree is always useful.  There are many fields in which a law degree will put you at the head of the list of potential candidates.  A few of the more popular ones include legal journalism, media relations, politics, and public affairs.  Your JD and concomitant familiarity with legal terms and the legal process is a big plus for employers in these fields.

Once you've identified some industries you'd like to pursue, how do you find these potential employers?  Again, look outside the law.  In other words, stop talking to lawyers.  Use the networking skills you've developed in law school to make contacts outside your comfort zone.  If you don't think you have the requisite skills, you career services office will be happy to help you develop them.  Much like rainmaking, searching for job prospects requires face-time and engagement.  The more people you get to know, the more opportunities will come your way.  And remember, ask for what you want.  If you want to pursue a job opportunity, make sure the people you network with leave the encounter knowing your goal.  Do so in a professional manner, and you'll see the benefits come back to you.

Christina Jackson, Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law

Legal Sector Loses Jobs for the Third Straight Month

The  New York Lawyer reports...Legal Sector Loses Jobs for the Third Straight Month  The "legal sector" includes lawyers, librarians, legal secretaries and paralegals, and for two months in a row, the sector has lost 1.4% of its job, a total of 1,900 jobs per month..  Yet another set of reasons to attach yourself to practice areas in growth modes or, at the very least, in strong holding patterns. 

New York Lawyer requires registration, but it is free.

Susan Gainen, University of Minnesota Law School