Page 7 - Networking Receptions - Networking for Law Students Series_1 (1)

07

Networking Receptions
What to discuss?

You should at least be aware of the top news stories in the areas of politics, popular
culture, sports, and the law. Have an opinion and an informed basis for that opinion. There are
smart phone applications that can keep you informed and you can choose the categories.

The average law student talks about how hard it is being a student. I mean goes on and on.
A “boo hoo” story about how much work there is, how little sleep they are getting, how law school
took some getting used to, how they hate the Socratic method, how the professors are evil by “hiding
the ball”, how professors never answer their questions but pose another one, that there are so many
cases that they’ll be responsible for, that there’s only one chance to prove themselves (the final
exam), etc. Blah, Blah, Blah. Use the shared law school experience as a starting point but avoid the
lengthy ‘I’m a law student-woe-is me-stories’. The attorney is going to be put off by that. By and
large, the attorney was once a student and has ‘been there, done that’ and has had that conversation
with the other students present. Get into what the other person is doing. If you know of something
the person has written, give some kudos on it. They will probably be impressed that you saw it.
Distinguish yourself from the other students.

Get into a regular conversation about...well, almost anything. I have spoken about the top
news stories, the civil rights movement, sports, elections, my being from New York and how the state
we were in was completely different, etc. When you are shopping around for mentors or when you
are networking or seeking employment, no one wants to talk to or work with a stick in the mud with
nothing interesting to say. You can get straight A's in law school but still not get the job if the people
interviewing you/networking with you do not feel that you could relate to coworkers, relate to the
clients, or bring more clients in. And if you think about it, that makes a lot of sense. Put yourself in
their position. Why should someone have you, specifically, in their network? If you were a hiring
partner in a law firm, for instance, would you really want to hire some know-it-all with straight A's but
no social skills that might put off some clients and colleagues OR would you rather hire a B student
with excellent personal skills that both clients and co-workers could relate to on a personal level?

Sometimes the topics of discussion can veer off in an unexpected direction. Go with it or pivot!
During one reception, I had a conversation about those old “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”
commercials. And had a conversation about tomatoes. Yes, you read that correctly – tomatoes! The
person was an older member of the bar and had an avid gardening hobby and wanted to discuss the
burdens and benefits of growing tomatoes oneself as opposed to the purchase of tomatoes at the
supermarket.

I once spoke with an older gentleman about networking itself. I had been complimented on my
“boldness”. The gentleman noted that I walked up to him, unafraid, made eye contact on the way
over to him in addition to the eye contact we made while we were speaking. He liked the fact that I
was bold, especially since I was young & female. He said he didn't really see too much of that from
“us” and that led to another whole conversation as I certainly had an opinion on that statement. He
liked the fact that I wouldn't always just go along with everything he said. "I can see how you might
think that but consider this..." Another thing he said was that he liked that I wasn't "showy". I
dominated the conversation but that is different from trying to dominate the conversation. Leave 'em
wanting more.

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