Growing your Legal Network? Here’s Where to Start

By Leeann Bushnaq

We all know that networking at law school is vital and adjacent to our studies. It is a skill that should actively be honed and sharpened. While networking may seem daunting, it offers real benefits: from learning about different areas of the profession to landing your dream job, or even simply connecting with those around you whom you might not otherwise meet. As clerkship applications near and we look to maximise our networking skills, here is networking 101 that explains how to best take the initiative to help you make the most of your efforts and build solid connections.

First of all, it’s worth sharing what networking really means. Networking has a reputation for being forced, awkward and intimidating, but only when it’s viewed as a transactional interaction. It’s important to remember that networking instead is all about meeting people, having a genuine interest in their work and asking the right questions that help you connect with them while getting the information you need to help you in your progress as a budding lawyer. 

So, what can you do to make sure that you’re effectively networking during your time at law school?

Make the Most of University Opportunities

The Melbourne Law School presents many opportunities for individuals to network, offering both student organised initiatives and official programs.

The Melbourne Law School Mentor Program: This program connects both Juris Doctor and Melbourne Law Masters students with law professionals from within the community. Mentees are provided a year-long mentoring opportunity where they are encouraged to meet approximately quarterly to participate in activities including coffee catch-ups or informal meetings together to discuss goal setting, law and career-related topics, more formal meetings to seek advice regarding subjects, job interviews and internship opportunities, work shadowing where appropriate and broader introductions to the mentor’s professional network.

Melbourne University Law Students Society (MULSS) and other law association events: Several portfolios within the MULSS offer opportunities for students to put their networking skills into action through organising and facilitating networking events, Q&As and law-related panels. For example, the Careers portfolio within MULSS rallies to ensure that students have ample opportunities to connect with industry professionals face to face in ways that don’t involve a cold email and cover a broad range of topics including clerkship information and networking sessions, and panels to gain more specialised industry trends and knowledge.

You can also find the other portfolios within MULSS organising events that give students the chance to meet legal practitioners from a diverse range of firms and backgrounds. Other student associations around the law school also provide students the opportunity to connect with industry professionals who are aligned with their clubs’ purpose!

Attend Law Firm Events

Law firms advertise several initiatives and programs to students allowing them to connect with both legal practitioners and talent acquisition/hiring managers. These events differ from firm to firm but are all designed to give students insight into a firm’s culture, practice areas, and people.

These events usually involve presentations from junior and senior lawyers about their firms’ vast range of work within their varied practice groups, cultural initiatives, office tours, networking drinks and Q&As with graduate recruitment teams.

Some events also incorporate practical workshops into their programs to enable students to develop their resume writing, research and other foundational skills.

These events are particularly valuable as they permit firms to share their values and demonstrate their unique value propositions, which allows students to determine how a firm aligns with their own career goals. 

Network Broadly

A large part of leveraging networking involves using it to learn more about areas that are foreign or unfamiliar to you. You don’t need to only speak to people working at your dream firm or in your preferred practice area. Stepping outside of your comfort zone and exploring different areas of law which you haven’t previously been exposed to can broaden your thinking and open up new, previously unconsidered possibilities.

Whether it’s public interest law, academia, policy work, or in-house practice, finding ways to connect with lawyers, volunteering services, teachers or those around the law school who are experts in interest areas that haven’t been front of mind for you might lead to a shift in the career you pursue. And don’t worry, even if those conversations don’t change what areas of law you want to pursue, they demonstrate your curiosity and could potentially help affirm your path.

Network at a Grassroots Level

The power of peer-to-peer networking shouldn’t be underestimated. Our peers are the people we will run into at the workplace, either working directly alongside them or in proximity to them.

We can all benefit from taking the time to get to know our peers outside of structured settings. Whether it’s a coffee after class, a chat during a social event or through a competition or extracurricular activity, we can learn a lot from each others’ legal interests, experiences and otherwise. These organic connections, built on mutual respect and support, often prove just as valuable as connections made through formal networking.

It’s hard not to be shy when networking, but using these avenues can position you well to learn more about what you want to gain from your studies and future legal career. By approaching each networking opportunity by being natural and authentic, being well-researched and having a genuine mindset, asking good questions, and taking the time to follow up and nurture your connections, you’ll be laying the foundation for a fulfilling and well-supported career.