My advice to the starting 1Ls (LONG)

[Matthies]

I moved this thread to the pre-law side as that’s where I meant to post it, I posted here by mistake! 

[Matthies]

see above

[TeeTwenty]

•Become a student member of the ABA, your state and local bar associations. This can range from free to $50 for a year. Be sure to sign up for any e-mail newsletters they have. DO THIS. Why students don’t join the professional organizations of the profession they want to work in amazes me. DO IT.

The ABA is takes political positions that many people cannot agree with or will not fund.

[Matthies]

•Become a student member of the ABA, your state and local bar associations. This can range from free to $50 for a year. Be sure to sign up for any e-mail newsletters they have. DO THIS. Why students don’t join the professional organizations of the profession they want to work in amazes me. DO IT.

The ABA is takes political positions that many people cannot agree with or will not fund.

Then do it till you get a job and make enough money to fund your own cuases. Or just join the local bar instead.

[ferbear]

I know have more friends who are judges and lawyers than I have friends who are classmates.

Matthies, I think this is great advice, but I'd add one caveat (which you note, but I think it's worth making the connection) -- the people you're in law school with will be your peers one day as well. Be careful about the impressions you make. Don't go so overboard with networking that your classmates hate you because they think you'll sell them out in a second. Ten years down the road, I'll remember the dudes who elbow in front of me at networking receptions to give out their 1L business card.

I'm not saying don't network -- just don't be blind to the fact that you have to work in the legal community with the same people you're trying to beat out for jobs. The same goes for summer associate classes as well.

[PaleForce]

This is great, thanks Matthies!

[likeitmatters]

•Start your job search from day one of 1L, look outside school, do not put it off and you will be far ahead of the curve. 

do you have any suggestions on how to job search outside of school, other than networking?  are there any good legal job websites or anything similar that you would recommend?

thanks for taking the time to give us advice!!

[Matthies]

I know have more friends who are judges and lawyers than I have friends who are classmates.

Matthies, I think this is great advice, but I'd add one caveat (which you note, but I think it's worth making the connection) -- the people you're in law school with will be your peers one day as well. Be careful about the impressions you make. Don't go so overboard with networking that your classmates hate you because they think you'll sell them out in a second. Ten years down the road, I'll remember the dudes who elbow in front of me at networking receptions to give out their 1L business card.

I'm not saying don't network -- just don't be blind to the fact that you have to work in the legal community with the same people you're trying to beat out for jobs. The same goes for summer associate classes as well.

Good point, although one would hope that goes without saying, but there have been some a-holes I have met along the way. None of them in networking functions just tools in general, they tend, at least from my experience, to be the ones who doing everything in their power (including sabotaging classmates if given the chance) to be ranked on top or get on law review. Those types don’t network anyway. To be good at networking you kind of need to be a people person and have social skills, so you would hope those type of people would relize being a prick is not the way to start out.

Ack is this on the studnet side? I meant to post on the pre-law side...moving now

[Thistle]

matthies knows what the hell he's talking about.  if you pay attention to ANY poster, make it this one.

[ferbear]

uhh, 1L business card?

It's an ugly, ugly thing.