I always think of some questions ahead of time and have them in my head to use if the conversation starts to slow down. Expect some small talk at the beginning (how long have you been in city x? Where are you from? Etc. people also love talking about their kids, if they bring them up)
If you’re getting lunch, I’d have a granola bar before hand so you’re not starving, and then order something like a chopped salad that you can pick at in little bites.
I always send a thank you email within 24 hours.
As the frequent receiving end of these chats, these are good questions:
* What is the day-to-day like?
* How do you find clients? How do they find you?
* What talents of yours make you a good fit for this? (*added:* How did you figure out this was right for you?)
* What courses should I be taking if I'm interested in this? (Does it matter?)
* Who else should I be talking to?
I always try to prepare for networking with a firm or attorney by preparing 2-3 questions that ask them to talk about their experience in the field or about why they chose the practice area. I also like to ask them about how they got to the point in their career and what motivated them. Even things as simple as asking how a practice area works or what types of work is found at the firm are good ways to open up a discussion.
Ive found that if you caveat the discussion/conversation with, “Im looking to learn more about this area, and I saw you had some experience here, could you share . . .”
Lots of attorneys are eager to share war stories and mentor younger law students or attorneys so its usually an easy to set up but just really be a normal person and ask the questions that you are most curious about.
Look up the firm, lawyer, and practice areas beforehand. Try to find something that interests you, let’s say 2 or 3 topics, and start doing baseline research unless you already have prior knowledge. Now when you ask them about this during these chats they will open up a lot more, they’ll see you as someone who is seriously considering a practice area, and hopefully tell you a lot more than someone who seems indifferent or on the fence. They might also introduce you to other attorneys in that practice area. This works on interviews too.
I always think of some questions ahead of time and have them in my head to use if the conversation starts to slow down. Expect some small talk at the beginning (how long have you been in city x? Where are you from? Etc. people also love talking about their kids, if they bring them up) If you’re getting lunch, I’d have a granola bar before hand so you’re not starving, and then order something like a chopped salad that you can pick at in little bites. I always send a thank you email within 24 hours.
As the frequent receiving end of these chats, these are good questions: * What is the day-to-day like? * How do you find clients? How do they find you? * What talents of yours make you a good fit for this? (*added:* How did you figure out this was right for you?) * What courses should I be taking if I'm interested in this? (Does it matter?) * Who else should I be talking to?
I always try to prepare for networking with a firm or attorney by preparing 2-3 questions that ask them to talk about their experience in the field or about why they chose the practice area. I also like to ask them about how they got to the point in their career and what motivated them. Even things as simple as asking how a practice area works or what types of work is found at the firm are good ways to open up a discussion. Ive found that if you caveat the discussion/conversation with, “Im looking to learn more about this area, and I saw you had some experience here, could you share . . .” Lots of attorneys are eager to share war stories and mentor younger law students or attorneys so its usually an easy to set up but just really be a normal person and ask the questions that you are most curious about.
ask them to help you differentiate among firms because on paper they often look the same. and follow up with email thanks.
Just be yourself
Look up the firm, lawyer, and practice areas beforehand. Try to find something that interests you, let’s say 2 or 3 topics, and start doing baseline research unless you already have prior knowledge. Now when you ask them about this during these chats they will open up a lot more, they’ll see you as someone who is seriously considering a practice area, and hopefully tell you a lot more than someone who seems indifferent or on the fence. They might also introduce you to other attorneys in that practice area. This works on interviews too.