NWLSO at UCLA: 2008-2009 Event Recap

Since March 2008, chapters of Ms. JD's National Women Law Students' Organization have been meeting on campuses accross the country. At UCLA Robin Shofner and Hilda Montes de Oca have been responsible for leading a particularly vibrant chapter. To learn more about how to start a NWLSO chapter of your own get started here. What follows is a series of examples of events you might put together collected from UCLA's 2008-2009 event announcements:

WOMEN IN THE MILITARY: Fighting Sexual Assault in the Military – Angie’s Story

A Documentary followed by a Discussion of the Issue and the Military Policies and Legislative Proposals Seeking to Combat the Problem

“Army Sergeant Angela Peacock joined the military in February 1998.  She wanted to travel, serve her country and gain some life experience.  In 2001, while deployed in South Korea, Sergeant Peacock was raped by a fellow soldier.  She was encouraged by her command not to tell, so she held it in, and in 2003 she took it to Iraq with her.  She led her unit courageously, but silently struggled until she couldn't stay quiet any longer. Out of Iraq and back at home, Sergeant Peacock decided to take control of her PTSD - a result of both her military sexual trauma and combat stress - and take her life back.”

Sergeant Peacock will speak in public for the first time on January 26, 2009 at UCLA School of Law.  Following a screening of the brief documentary that tells her story, Sergeant Peacock will be joined by a panel of speakers who will discuss the issue of sexual assault in the military, including current military policies and legislative proposals to address the problem.

Networking Advice for Law Students Part V: The Harder You Work, The Luckier You'll Be

In the first four installments of this series I recommended you:

• Network with people you genuinely enjoy and in activities you find interesting.
• Take advantage of existing networks around you: in your legal market, from your alumnae associations, through affinity groups, and in your bar association's work.
• Don't waste opportunities to make new connections: follow-up for real, by email, by phone, on business cards, and after social and professional events.
• Earn your network's support by being a resource to those within it. 

Not surprisingly, this all takes a lot of work and attention. But it does pay dividends. And it gets easier, just like anything, with practice.

In my household growing up there was an expression I liked: a person makes her own luck. Recently I heard an attorney offer a similar sentiment: the harder you work, the luckier you'll be. This is true in so many aspects of the profession, but it's certainly the key to a successful professional network. 

Do yourself a favor and set aside a regular period of time each day, week, or month to check in on your networks and work on maintaining and developing connections. It doesn't have to take time away from other work. Have following-up on business cards from a reception earlier in the week be the thing you do in lieu of surfing the web in between focusing on an outline or paper.  Make a date with a potential mentor to have coffee near their office - but don't waste time going there and back and breaking up your day, just study at that cafe all afternoon. 

Alright ladies, that's it. Get out there and start schmoozing!

Networking Advice for Law Students Part I: Don't Waste Your Time Being Miserable - Network Through Something "Interesting"

I've already mentioned how important effective networking has been in my own career path. Now I'd like to share some of the tricks I've picked up along the way. First up: putting networking in a compelling context, or what I'm calling "Don't Waste Your Time Being Miserable - Network Through Something Interesting."

By this I mean networking in situations and with people you find interesting, entertaining, or otherwise worthwhile. I don't know about you, but I have to really bring my A game to make much of your basic wine and cheese event. I'm at my best when I have a built in topic of conversation in common with whomever it is I'm trying to shmooz. 

So I tend to avoid the straight mixer-style events. Instead I aim to attend the program-followed-by-reception model of networking opportunity. That way I and my conversation partner have just sat through the same lecture/panel/demonstration/video when we're swaying by the makeshift bar balancing cocktail napkin, cheese plate, and wine glass.

The point is: set yourself up for success. Go somewhere with something to talk about besides yourself. Give yourself an opportunity to connect with someone on a substantive level. 

After the jump: other ideas for ways to make meaningful connections and a preview of the rest of this series. 

Networking Matters

I know it's hard to make conversation at cocktail receptions, follow-up by email, reach out for advice, and ask for favors. But it's worth it. How do I know? Because every single job I've ever had I got because someone (almost always a woman) I knew through my professional and social networks helped me get it. Yup.

Job 1: I got my first job in high school as a ballet dancer and instructor because one of my teachers knew another teacher who knew a company director ...

Networking is hard

Okay, so I'm the lawyer who has been writing the seven part series titled "A Junior Associate's Networking Plan".  I know, I know, I owe Ms. JD a couple of installments of that series, which I promise to get to soon.  Anyway, I recently found myself on the receiving end of a friend's networking efforts and it was hard for me.  Therefore, I thought I would write here to tell you about how hard it was for me but also share how I talked myself into doing that which I knew I should.

Background:  My good friend, who is an attorney in my town, has decided to run for the board of directors of our local women's bar association.  This is something that I have strongly encouraged her to do and totally support.  In fact, it falls under items II and IV of my so-called "Plan".  I am also involved in the same bar association and regularly attend events and chair one of the association's committees.  Through this, I have formed relationships (both working and personal) with a number of the group's members.

Part IV in Series: A Junior Associate's Networking Plan

Today's post in the series I've named "A Junior Associate's Networking Plan" is Community Involvement.  See here for the start of this series.

Part III in Series: A Junior Associate's Networking Plan

Okay, so now to Part III: Law School Network and Alumni Groups.

I have found that the typical advice, both formal and informal, to a junior associate trying to start building her professional network is that she should start with keeping in touch with law school classmates.  Therefore, I have built that into my networking plan.

Building Relationships with Professors: Easier Advised than Done

Fall is the time of year for Tips - hundreds of helpful lists of "Tips for Surviving-and-Thirving in Law School" are published across the internet, indoctrinating hopeful 1Ls into the rigors of outlining, the socratic method and "not getting too stressed out." 

One of the most common tips, along with "Don't be a Gunner!" is "Get to know your Professors." These tips generally recommend seeking out time with faculty during office hours, volunteering to be a teaching assistant, or writing a note with a favorite faculty member. As a 3L Student who has done all of these things, I can tell you - building relationships with professors is great advice - but like "don't get too stressed out," extremely difficult to accomplish.