EXCLUSIVELY FOR LLM

STUDENTS

• Discuss the importance of networking to

your job search.

• Discuss different websites to use to

support your networking.

• Discuss the informational interview.

• Practice networking.

• Networking has multiple purposes, all of which will

support your professional development. Some of these

purposes are:

• Develop contacts within and outside your professional

practice area to obtain knowledge about a particular

field of law or business.

• To find someone to act as a mentor to assist you with

your professional goals.

• To communicate with someone to learn about potential

job openings.

• For the purposes of your job search, the

ultimate goal of networking is to find a job!

• The vast majority of jobs are NEVER

advertised on job boards or websites.

Therefore, most of these jobs are filled

through NETWORKING (i.e. speaking with

people who can position you to secure

employment.)

• Your network is made up of various types of people:

• Family

• Friends

• Classmates

• Professors

• Law school administrators and staff

• Law School and Undergraduate Alumni

• Co-workers

• Members of groups or religious institutions you are affiliated with

• Other professionals working in an area of industry you are

interested in

• There are a number of resources available to identify

people to network with. Some of these are:

• SCU Law Jobs

• LinkedIn

• Facebook

• California State Bar Website

• Martindale.com

• Undergrad alumni associations

• Attending professional networking events

• Attend events presented by groups you are affiliated with

• As international LLM students, you each have a unique

background that can be leveraged to meet people in a

field of law or business you are interested in.

• In your search, and in addition to contacting alumni from

Santa Clara and the other schools you have attended,

you can also search for people in the area who have a

shared nationality. This can lead to learning about

different groups or organizations in the area that you can

join, which will increase your network and potentially lead

to more job opportunities.

• Start by reviewing the contacts you have already made:

• Review your existing contacts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other

social media sites.

• Create a spread sheet of your network:

• LinkedIn is a great resource to find potential connections

to expand your network.

• You can find connections by utilizing the “Connections”

tab, and then clicking on “Find Alumni.”

• The alumni search is a great tool to use to find alums

practicing in fields that you are interested in.

• Also, it will provide an easy way to search for people who

might share your background, nationality, or other

common interests.

• Once you locate people you wish to contact, you can

either contact them through LinkedIn, or find their firm

website, and obtain their work email and contact them

through that method.

• Another resource you can use to identify potential

contacts is through the State Bar of California Website.

• Website address is www.calbar.ca.gov.

• Martindale.com is another attorney search tool that you

can use to identify potential contacts.

• Use the “Advanced Search” tool, and you can then

search for attorneys by location, practice area and law

school.

• The purpose of locating potential contacts is to now

contact them and begin expanding your network.

• This can be done by contacting the people you identified

through:

• Email

• Telephone Call

• LinkedIn

• The goal is to set up an informational interview.

• An informational interview is a meeting with your contact for the purpose of learning about the following:• Information about the person’s practice area.

• Information about being a practicing attorney.

• Advice for entering the person’s practice area.

• Advice about professional associations to join.

• Potentially finding a mentor in the person that you are meeting with.

• Introduction to other contacts.

• Resume feedback and review.

• Interviewing coaching

• POTENTIAL JOB LEADS

• However, an informational interview is NOT a job interview, and you are not meeting this person for the explicit purpose of asking for a job. Although that may be implied, you want to approach this interview as a way to expand your network and learn as much as you can about a particular practice area and practicing as an attorney.

• The most direct way to contact someone for the purpose of setting up an informational interview is to send an email.

• The email can be very simple as follows:

• “Dear Mr. Smith,

• My name is Greg Cohen, and I am current LLM student at Santa Clara University School of Law, focusing on Intellectual Property. I see that you are an alum of Santa Clara and that you are currently practicing as an IP litigator. I have a strong interest in this field of law, and I would like to learn more about your practice. Please let me know if you have some free time in the next couple of weeks to meet. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.”

• Additionally, if there are other shared commonalities that you have with the person, reference those in the email as well (i.e. – shared nationality, groups, etc.)

• Do your research on the contact and the contact’s

firm/company.

• Be prepared to state your goals, and what you are looking to

do in your legal career.

• Be focused on the contact, and have questions ready to ask

that person.

• Most importantly, DO NOT ASK FOR A JOB! The purpose of

the interview is to obtain information and to make the contact

feel comfortable with you. If the contact asks you about your

job situation, then the door will be opened to discuss, but do

not put pressure on your contact by asking for a job.

• Do not offer your resume, cover letter or references unless

asked to do so.

• You do not have to wear a suit or be overly formal, but you should dress in business professional attire.

• Arrive on-time, but no more than 10 minutes early for the interview.

• Turn off your cell-phones, and do not look at your cell phone at all during the meeting.

• When greeting your contact, it is customary to shake hands, and provide a short greeting such as “Hello Mr. Smith, it is very nice to meet you, my name is Greg Cohen” and “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”

• Do not sit until the contact directs you to sit down.

• Be sure to make good eye contact, maintain good posture, to be enthusiastic and smile!

• Shake hands again when leaving, and remember to thank the person for taking the time to meet with you “Thank you again Mr. Smith for meeting with me, and thank you for the great advice!”

• Now that you have secured the informational interview,

you will need to be prepared with some questions to ask:

• Ask about the person’s experiences doing the work and their path

to get the position.

• Ask about the person’s typical day in the practice.

• Ask about the person’s greatest challenges in practice.

• Ask about what they most/least enjoy about the practice.

• Ask about what they think you should focus on in being an

international student as it relates to securing a job in the practice

area.

• Ask for any other advice regarding your job search, resume,

interview skills, etc.

• After your informational interview, you will want to follow

up with your contact. You can do this by sending a

simple email as follows:

• “Dear Mr. Smith,

• Thank you for taking the time to meet with me earlier today. I

greatly appreciate all of the information and advice you provided. I

will follow up with Joe Bronco as you suggested. Thank you again

for your time, and I will talk to you soon.”

• If you discuss job opportunities with your contact during

your informational interview, you can then reference that

in your follow up email.

• You will want to be organized in keeping track of your

networking activities.

• Make a spreadsheet:

• Everyone pair up, and take 2 minutes each practicing

asking questions and trying to obtain information from

your partner.

• One person will act as the contact, and then switch roles.

• We will discuss what you learned, and what difficulties

you may have in networking.