Dear 1L – OCI Networking Tips:

Dear 1L – OCI Networking Tips:

Before On Campus Interviews (OCI) for law-firm recruiting heat up, invest some time networking with lawyers on this platform.

It may seem a daunting task. Here are some tips. 

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🔷 TIP 1: MAKE A PLAN.

As with most things, you’ll have greater success if you plan in advance. Once identifying an attorney with whom you’d like to connect or speak, what will you do?  

Don’t just wing it. Have a roadmap. 

🔷 TIP 2: IDENTIFY RESOURCES.

Before identifying or reaching out to unfamiliar lawyers (through LinkedIn, or otherwise), prepare three lists: 

• One containing the top ten or so law firms you’ll target in OCI.

• A second with professors, alumni, upper class members, friends, and family that may have connections at the firm.

💡 Law school professors can be a particularly helpful resource that often goes overlooked.

• A third of anyone and everyone that you, your friends, or your family knows who might have helpful contacts.

🔷 TIP 3: PROCEED THREE-TWO-ONE.

Don’t start your networking shooting for the stars. Reach out to personal contacts and alumni first. 

Those on lists two and three can help you identify individual lawyers at target firms. You’ll also be MUCH better-positioned to reach out cold to someone if you have a name recommending them.

🔷 TIP 4: DO SOME HOMEWORK. 

Before approaching anyone on your lists, and particularly those at target firms, you need to do some due diligence.

    ✏️ HERE ARE TWO PRE-“COLD CALL” TIPS.

    1️⃣  Research.

In this day and age, there’s no excuse for not learning as much as you can about someone before reaching out. Lawyers’ time is precious. Don’t waste it.

🔸 Read and study their LinkedIn profile and firm website. Look at their publications list. Know something about a few topics they wrote or spoke about.

🔸 The last thing you want to do is ask them some question to which you could have already learned the answer through a simple search. 

To be sure, public information will not cover everything relevant you’d like to know, but by preparing in advance, you’ll feel much more comfortable making that ultimate “cold call.”  

You’ll also save yourself the embarrassment of sounding like you’re reading from a generic question list that you blindly ask every attorney you meet.

    2️⃣  Give before you ask to take.

🔸 Follow the “target” lawyer on LinkedIn before trying to connect. Start to read their posts and comments. Start learning about topics that interest them. You may find some shared interests.

🔸 Try to identify something you might offer. Liking and commenting on their posts is the easiest way to start. Try to strike up a pre-cold call conversation. 

You may end up not forced to make a “cold” call after all.

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Lawyers:

What is your best advice for law students seeking to network with lawyers on LinkedIn?

Thank you for any words of wisdom.

Fondly,

💌 Amanda

P.S. Follow —> #Dear1L (1,180 followers) to receive future letters in your feed.

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