Why Networking Is Essential in the Legal Industry

The prospect of networking may or may not seem like an exciting endeavor for those in the legal profession as a law student, a recent graduate, or an experienced lawyer. Nevertheless, networking is essential to anyone’s success and can open doors you didn’t realize are possible.

I personally have received every opportunity within the legal industry through networking, cold emailing, and landing informational calls. From my first legal internship as a law student at Warner Bros., to my legal externship at Christie’s Auction House, to my summer associate job at Rosen Law Group, to building gigLAW – it was all completed through networking.

So, what exactly is networking?

Often used, “networking” is viewed generally as connecting with others via email, LinkedIn, on social media, or at in-person (pre-pandemic) or virtual (during/post-pandemic) events. However, I view networking in the legal industry as connecting with people who have experience in a specific field within the law that you are interested in, reaching out, hopping on an informational call, and simply learning more about those experiences.

Why is networking important?

Networking is essential for lawyers, law students and anyone in the legal industry, as this is probably the most effective way to progress your knowledge, communication skills, and relationships with others in the industry. Not only do people appreciate that you are interested in their stories, maintaining relationships will always somehow help you down the line.

Whether it is for general advice, referrals, introducing you to other connections, or amplifying a positive atmosphere around your own personal “brand”, networking allows you to demonstrate your trustworthiness, intelligence, and general likability.

The First Step

The first step when beginning to network is simply having the confidence to do so. Approaching anyone via email, phone call, or even in person can be a nerve-wracking (even daunting) task. Become comfortable within receiving plenty of “no’s” “Sorry – I don’t have the time” and the most common ignored emails. That is probably the biggest part of networking that you must be comfortable with.

Yet even with all of those rejections, the one or two “yes-es” may end up opening a door for you or providing you with information that never would have been possible without reaching out.

How do you find contacts?

When I first entered law school and had my heart set on Entertainment Law, I did a simple Google search on “entertainment lawyers NYC” or “entertainment lawyers LA,” prowled through hundreds of websites for email addresses of these attorneys and had a templated email ready to send to each email address I found. You can use this same method for any field within the legal industry.

My goal was simply to hop on a call with successful entertainment attorneys to “pick their brains” on how they got to where they were. The lawyers that did respond were so eager to share their stories and tell me about their passion for the field. From each call that I had, I took away new advice and information on how to apply the steps they took to my life.

These phone calls also helped me get comfortable with talking with extremely successful people, having the confidence to ask them hard questions and demonstrate my willingness to learn from them. Again, confidence is key!

Once You Land A Connection

When you finally get the person you’ve been reaching out to on the phone, speak clearly and again, confidently, and don’t just ask outright “hey, do you know anyone who can give me a job?” That is not the point of the call or the connection. The point is to learn more about people’s experiences and learn from them.

Take what they’ve learned and apply those principles to your own life. Each phone call you get can provide you with a wealth of knowledge by learning from other people’s experiences. Gaining this invaluable information is more important than anything else and if that person connects you with someone else who connects you with someone else that could potentially help you, then that is just the cherry on top!

ALWAYS SAY THANK YOU

When networking, hopping on informational calls, or receiving advice from anyone, it is ESSENTIAL that you take the time after the call to thank them for their time. Lawyers especially are extremely busy and for them to take the time out of their busy schedules is a very generous offer. Always, always send a thank you email, demonstrating your appreciation.

This will not only show your gratitude but will also show the lawyer or person you connected with that you look forward to maintaining the relationship, which is essential as relationships are truly what opens doors for you down the line.

Final Thoughts

My personal belief is that there is no such thing as luck – it is being ready for an opportunity when it presents itself. However, in order to have those opportunities present themselves, you must put the effort in to making connections with people in your industry and learning from them.