[TRANSCRIPT] How Attorneys Can Network: Why Networking is Essential to Attorney Success

Today is actually a very important webinar. It's about networking and it's something that a lot of people don't traditionally think about in this day and age, in terms of a really good way to get a job they think in terms of applying places online and other sorts of ways that certainly have always been almost as long as I've been working have been good ways to get jobs, but at the same time I think networking really makes a big difference.
 
It makes a big difference. Most of the most successful attorneys are networked. And that's one of the reasons why this is such an important presentation, so I'll give the presentation and then after today's presentation we'll take a quick break and then I will come back and we'll do questions, which is my favorite part of the week.
 
So, you guys will be able to pretty much ask about this or any other questions they may have about anything. So most successful attorneys are quite networked and a lot of attorneys, unfortunately, don't network. And now work means that they have a large circle of people that they give them information that they otherwise might not have.
 
And they're also able to make themselves known to a large pool of people that they might not otherwise know. And when you know about jobs developments within your firm, things going on in the legal market, ways other people are getting business and making money all these things can be very helpful to your success as attorney.
 
In fact, I would argue that, honestly, the most successful attorneys out there are, whether it comes, whether it's about getting business or whatever. They really are networked quite well. And being known to sources of information are relevant. Your career is even more important.
 
So today I'm going to talk about networking and your legal career. I'm going to discuss the value of networking to find a job inside of a firm. And then I'm also going to discuss its value to keeping a job. And then why people that don't network often have quite a few problems in there, honestly, when it comes right down to it, if you're quite networked you often don't need to look for a job.
 

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Jobs will come to you and you'll constantly be all sorts of opportunities will be presenting themselves that you normally wouldn't become aware of. So, the first part I'm talking about today is the importance of networking and finding a job inside of a law firm. And honestly when you look at all the studies most people learn about jobs through people that aren't their close friends.
 
So, most studies have shown there's lots of studies that other people find out about jobs for other people. So, in the late 1960s, there was a graduate student at Harvard, and he did a study about how. And he subsequently published a book on this and other finance in the mid-nineties. And this book offers a lot of findings about how people learn about their jobs.
 
And what he did is he interviewed a lot of people and asked him to identify the five people they spent the most time with and then draw a diagram as to how those people were connected to each other. And at the time it was, pretty well known that most people were learning about the job, different jobs for the people in that advertised.
 
And so, he asked the people that he interviewed, to identify the person from their last job. And what was interesting was that the person that he identified was never one of the five plus friends. And when he asked them who the person was the people almost responded that the person was an acquaintance, not a friend.
 
And so, he interviewed, E 282 technical managerial professional workers. And he found that of the 56% of people who found their jobs for personal contacts, only 17% learned about their positions through close friends. So, the lesson behind this seems to be that most people actually do learn about jobs through people who are outside of.
 
Works. People whom you're closest to tend to have access to the same information you do, but people outside of your group are likely to be exposed to information that you're not exposed to. And so, if you want to learn about a job, it's often important that you have access to people that are outside of your existing network of close friends.
 
And there's really no reason to suspect that this logic wouldn't also apply to attorneys. And in my experience, this is actually even more appropriate because I think about less than 5% of all attorneys get positions for people that are in their immediate circle of influence.
 
I've certainly heard of that happening, but most people find it through other people that aren't immediately connected to. And one of the interesting things, I remember that when I was young attorney and practicing law was an individual who's, considering one of the most successful attorneys in the country send a group of out their first-year associates and myself, that one of his biggest mistakes was not making more friends and getting closer with people when he was in law school.
 
And at the time I remember being amazed by this statement, because I saw this first in this, someone that was remarkable. He was very successful and I had a hard time believing, an attorney can be much more successful than he was. But what I did not understand was that he believed that if he properly network, even at that early stage, he could have been much more successful, but he wasn't at that point.
 

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So regardless of how well you network in law school, when you commence the practice of law and, throughout your entire career being able to network as something that is going to be very important to your current job search and your present job. Your future job search, because if you're able to network beyond, your immediate social ties, like people that you know closely then it's going to be very helpful for you.
 
When you're seeking a position and large law firms tend to emphasize things like the bill, your billable hours how meticulous you should be. And the stress and demands of the practice law will often undermine the importance of networking because the law firms don't necessarily reward you for networking.
 
They reward you for hours and the quality at work many times, but in terms of direct reward, but many attorneys think that a lot of times, once they're joined a large law firm, that all they have to do really is get, do the best work they can and nothing more they're going to do well, but this is just not true.
 
And I think that most firms, most attorneys at shine law firms, when they're out of school, won't really stay there longer than a couple of years. And most of them join another large law firm as well. And gods are pretty good, most cases that they're also going to be at the same law firm for a short period of time as well for a couple of years.
 
So, if a young attorney goes to a large law firm and closes the door, puts on blinders and they work as hard as they can. They're making a mistake. They're not networking as well. There's a fallacy in thinking that if you just work as hard as you can then you're certainly going to have a long-term success and that's not the truth.
 
The success of most partners and other individuals is really in most cases, more due to networking than the quality of their work in many cases networking is what get you work. So, the work you get inside of a law firm typically comes from networking and work almost always comes from partners.
 
Who've managed to make contacts outside the firm, which come from networking. And these partners often have gotten involved in the community and met people outside of their immediate group of people, and that have given them business and spread the word about the attorney and their good work and networking.
 
And the idea is being able to get a position through networking and the legal job was very subtle because you typically need to have a large group of people with whom you associate both inside and outside of your law firm. And I think you're much more likely to get a position from someone outside of your immediate group of attorneys that you may be associated with than people that are necessarily your close friends.
 
And, if you know a few people and you stay close to them you're like the only benefit from, again, the information that they have alarm was always already know what that information is. But the thing is that when you're exposed to lots of acquaintances and other people, you're going to learn a lot more information and the number could be 10 to 20 times as much information it's a lot.
 
And I go out of my way to try to, interact with groups and different people, because I want to be exposed to different types of information about how to do my job or to think about the world. And, really when you are exposed to lots of different people, it can help you quite a bit.
 
And he knows a recruiter. I spend a lot of my day talking to people about job openings. And when I recruit, I've often noticed that the best attorneys are our people who are the most open to speaking with me. In fact, when I first started this several years ago, I was very surprised.
 

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Even as a young recruiter, I would call it. Partners very successful partners and they would be very chatty, but when I would call attorneys that weren't as chatty, they would hang up on me and be mean, these tended to be people that weren't as successful. And the most successful attorneys are typically actually very nice to recruiters and anybody.
 
That's providing them information and one interesting thing too, is there's lots of sources of leads that recruiters use are things like the top 40 liars, under 40 in California are America's top trial lawyers. And, if you call people from these lists or interact with them, they're almost always happy with their current positions and unlikely to move, but they're almost always as well very open to speaking.
 
They're not a guarded, they're not they're interested in any information they can get. And they're just very nice people. And they often asked to send you your card to connect with them. And they always take the time to speak. They returned calls and this is, these are the attorneys that are supposedly like, the most in demand.
 
And so why is it that the best attorneys are the nicest and the easiest to get through to when the others aren't?
 
 And so, I think it's the reason that a lot of attorneys are getting on this last 10 considered such good attorneys is because they're very good at networking in the first place.
 
However, they do it they're often able to get the attention of people in the media and other attorneys and other firms. And because members of the public are nominated for these lists and the ability to, as attorneys to get media acknowledgement is meaningful, but many of them are getting this acknowledgement because they're so networked and they're there, they're talking to people and they're out there.
 
And I was always intrigued because I know when I, whenever I read this last, I know that there. The attorneys out there that are often, far better attorneys who don't make this less, but those attorneys in terms of their technical proficiency, but those attorneys are often not as networked they're not, they don't have people speaking up for them and saying nice things.
 
And in a lot of my conversations with attorneys that have made these last I think that one of the reasons I take my phone calls and speak with me is because they highly value any type of network or connection they can get. And a telephone call with me. It would be often very annoying to a less savvy attorney, but by networkers it's typically going to be something that's very important to them because they're going to learn and I think they value anytime someone can provide them any form of information that they may not be exposed to in their day-to-day practice and life.
 
They're very likely to be interested in it. So, when you learn about how, when you look at how most interviewers learn about jobs in my opinion, they're often learn about them through networks that are really outside their immediate spheres of influence. So, the question is, that I would be asking if I was watching this as, how do you network to find a position and I've listed some of the ways that I believe are really good to do it.
 
I'd like to mention that I've noticed known a lot of people that have done nothing but networking and not been able to find a job, but often You know the answer the people that don't get jobs through networking, this is pretty basic. It's often that they just don't want a job.
 
And in many times the attorneys are very easy to spot because they lack the enthusiasm engagement and interest of someone who's going after something that they want. If you're not really interested in that you don't really want something, then, then you probably, aren't going to come across as really one really pushing here, different connections with people and trying to do whatever you can to make sure you get a certain job or not.
 
And that's important. So, the better you'd network the better off you're going to be. So just going to offense is not going to help you if you don't really want a job. And if you really want it. You're going to have almost like a, a major enthusiasm that's going to come through that, your network, and then people are to want to, hire you or, they're going to, and you're going to be excited.
 
You're going to ask questions to get to the next step. So, the first thing you need to understand though, is that, how you network with everyone really counts. And this is one of the most important things. So how you act among friends what you say, what you don't say all that stuff matters.
 
And the thing is that you have to remember that everything you say and do counts. So, if you're going to get, if you're going to network into a job, you need to be the kind of person that is referrable. And that if it comes across as someone that you would want to refer, I you would want to refer someone that liked their job.
 
You wouldn't want to refer someone that didn't talk negatively about everyone. You would want to refer someone that worked hard and didn't cut corners. So, if you think about all those things, if you can develop a good reputation for yourself and you're helping other people, and you're seen as a force for good, and you're honest, and you volunteer to attend things that don't seem important.
 
All these things count and People need to see you as the sort of person that they would want to refer, that they would want being their attorney. If they had an issue or they would want work in their firm if they had a firm. And so, everything that you've ever done it was probably known by someone.
 
Every time you've done something good, every time you've done something bad. And you, it's known and you want most of that conversation, that stuff to be positive. And if you become a topic of conversation or if someone is interested in passing along your name then there's definitely going to be a good general opinion expressed about you and you want that opinion to be positive.
 
And you want people to think that you're the sort of person that can be recommended. So just remember, when you're working on anything or any firm, you're working at you want to always leave people with a very positive taste in their mouth, even if that you don't get along, there are things aren't going well.
 
Ultimately you want their memories of you to be positive. And then I emphasize this to a lot of people at it's not something that people always agree to. But I do think it's very important to make yourself known to lots of different people. And one of the reasons that companies and people hire advertising agencies and public relations firms and all those sorts of companies is they want to make themselves known and they want to be people, large audience that people know who they are.
 
And be able to get the attention to people. And attorneys use recruiters because recruiters have the ability to make, under large groups of people, if they know what they're doing and the right people and get their attention. And, a product is not, will often not sell and unless a large group of people knows about it.
 
And that's just how it works. And if you think a little bit about this. If people don't know who you are and they don't, they're not talking about you, but they're not seeing you, how can you possibly get a job? The only way to get a job is, to be seen. And so good recruiters will get you seen.
 
And, are very good at that. Networks can also help you the larger network many times and the more indirect contacts the better and smaller cities recruiters are often not used in certain practice areas. They're not in smaller cities as well because everyone knows each other, but in large cities there's many practice groups that, are very networked and everyone, bankruptcy is an example where attorneys in some markets are very well networked.


So having a network and people saying positive things about you is very important. And bankruptcy attorneys and Silicon Valley are a perfect example. They’ve always there’s never a ton of them. And so, they tend to know each other very well, and they share opportunities about the work coming in and different opportunities.
 
I've seen in different downturns, several since 2000, bankruptcy attorneys banding together and protecting each other when there’s a lot of work because they know about all the opportunities. They rarely use recruiters because they’re very networked and share information with each other. If there’s work at their firm, they talk to each other about different opportunities. There's a very good network of bankruptcy attorneys, and it's like that in many parts of the country. When there's a good network, it's very easy for you to get a job and hear about jobs and things through your network, which is very helpful.
 
Every time I’ve tried to recruit bankruptcy attorneys in Silicon Valley, for example, and even LA to a lesser extent, they’re just very connected. They know each other and the opportunities in large and small firms. This can be very helpful to them when they're looking for different opportunities. There's informal information that can be very useful for them to find different positions.
 
Most large cities have individual networks of people, and sometimes there's not a lot of crossovers in those networks. It can be very difficult for attorneys to develop networks of any substance in those markets. Often, there are not a lot of attorneys who realize the importance of all this network. There are often many outside organizations and things for them to get involved in. There’s so much going on many times that it’s difficult to even imagine. There's an endless supply of groups and things. In LA, there are so many legal groups that meet almost every day.
 
I used to wonder why attorneys and others could have so much interest in all these groups. I thought you'd almost be better off picking up a treatise and reading about it rather than going to an event because you'd probably get better information. But when you go to meetings and conferences, it’s different. Even if you have to drive there, pay for parking, and sit in an auditorium, you meet people and learn things. You’re connecting and putting a face to names, and you may develop the opportunity to ask questions personally and get information you might not normally get.
 
The more you go to these meetings, the more familiar people will become with you, and the more familiar you’ll become with them. Networking events are where a lot of information comes from because you can get jobs and client referrals from them. When a lot of people know you, they often mention you when things come up, which can be very helpful.
 
They mention your name to companies that need help with something if they don't do that type of work. You'll have the opportunity to do favors, sometimes being asked to do secretarial work like keeping minutes at one of these groups or making a connection. These favors exist as a positive thing because over time they can lead to reciprocity.
 
Going to networking events and keeping in touch with people ultimately increases your networking possibilities because you learn things. If you take an interest in certain causes or sit on boards, or write books and papers, this increases the likelihood that people will want to talk to you. Everything you do involving interacting with other people will increase your networking possibilities.
 
One of the largest functions of my job is making networking happen for attorneys looking for jobs. There are lots of ways you can network when looking for a job, and a few things work really well. Most people don’t have huge networks, especially attorneys because of how the legal market works. Recruiters, in particular, help people network. When times are good, many people don't think highly of recruiters, thinking they’re just making a simple introduction. But many times, this ignores the reality because the reason most recruiting firms and recruiters aren’t that successful is they’re not good networkers. They don't know how to bring people together. Many recruiters aren't experts in networking candidates with jobs or with each other.
 
A few years ago, I heard a story that seemed strange at the time but became more meaningful. I met this person in Beverly Hills through my wife. He had come to the United States from a foreign country not too long ago, didn't speak much English, and opened a pawn shop. The business of this pawn shop was loaning money to stars and others when they had financial problems. They would typically borrow money using expensive cars, jewelry, and he would loan them pennies on the dollar in exchange for the title to the goods. People were charged interest, and if they didn't pick up the goods after a certain period, he took possession of them. He became extremely successful doing this, living a nice lifestyle in Malibu.
 
I asked a couple of people about him and how he became so successful because I didn’t understand how owning a pawn shop could make someone so successful. It was a very competitive business. He had an interesting business model, but there was more to it. When he came to the United States, he didn't have significant money. The first thing he did was start asking who the best public relations person in Los Angeles was. He asked around for months and was reportedly told of someone with a far better reputation than everyone else. He called the public relations person and was rudely told by the receptionist that the person didn't take new clients unless approached first.
 
The man kept calling for months and eventually got through. He talked about how much he wanted her to work for him and how he’d heard great things about her. After a couple of minutes, she quickly got off the phone when he told her he ran a pawn shop. The next morning, he went to the public relations firm and told the receptionist he wanted to see her. The receptionist made a phone call and told him she wouldn’t see him, but he hoped he would wait. He waited, and over the next few weeks, he came by the public relations firm and sat in the waiting room every day until it closed each night. After two weeks, the receptionist finally told him she’d see him now. He met with her, got on his knees, and begged her. He was a former commando, having been in the special forces or equivalent. She finally agreed to represent him.
 
What he understood, and what many candidates of most legal recruiting firms fail to understand, is that certain people, by virtue of their position in society, are very well-placed in networks and can influence public opinion. A good recruiter can influence the course of your career because they're well-networked, constantly speaking to law firms about their needs, and are a voice inside the legal profession. This isn't much different from what a public relations person can do for a company or individual. Good recruiters can influence law firms and make your case heard.
 
I’ve worked with many candidates who didn't get a single interview before I represented them, and once involved, some had job offers within a day or two, often from the same firms that initially didn't work with them. There are certain things a good recruiter can do that are as profound as what a good public relations person can do. A good recruiter can add value and credibility, and this is why they don't represent everyone. Good recruiters have high standards for their candidates, spend a lot of time and effort on each candidate's behalf, and can only work with a few people at a time. They must believe in the candidate and their reasons for getting a job to be successful. If a candidate doesn't really want a job, the recruiter won’t want to help them either.
 
In the legal recruiting world, many people aren't good at it because they're not well-networked or don’t nurture individual networks. When you’re using someone to network on your behalf, you need someone well-placed who knows what they’re doing. Recruiters charge employers fees, so the firms they deal with are likely to be the best firms. Most firms now use recruiters, but the best firms expect you to use a recruiter. The involvement of a recruiter adds value, and the best firms are often suspicious of candidates not using a recruiter, thinking there might be something wrong.
 
It's like a famous movie star approaching a studio without an agent; the studio would think it's strange. This is similar to the best attorneys approaching law firms. They expect you to use a recruiter in most cases. Smaller firms might try to get a better deal without a recruiter. Most attorneys don’t have the credentials to deal with top recruiting firms, just like most actors and actresses don’t have the credentials to deal with top agents. The legal placement market is different. Most firms are happy to use recruiters if you have experience in a certain practice area and are good at your job. However, many people don’t fit that bill, making it hard to develop a network.
 
In major cities, if you're an attorney, recruiters can help you network. One reason to use recruiters is that they can help you network. If you're looking for a job without a recruiter, you need to create your own network quickly. I recommend applying to all firms in the market that match your interests. This can be very effective.
 
The point is you need to do whatever you can to network, and developing a strong network will be very helpful for your career and job search. Networking is also crucial for keeping your job inside a law firm. You need a strong network within your organization to survive. Many people lose their jobs inside law firms not because of poor performance but because people don’t like them.
 
If one person high up doesn’t like you, it can hurt you. They may slight you, talk behind your back, start rumors, and speak negatively about you to others. The only way to defend yourself is if you have a strong network. A network can tell you who to avoid, who has power, who’s on the way out, who has a lot of work, and more. This information is useful and can help you survive and thrive in your career.
 
Being unnetworked can lead to significant long-term problems. Networking is valuable, and I want to talk about how not networking can hurt your legal career. In college, I was one of 10 good students nominated for scholarships and other things. One student was very close to a well-known professor. She told him her first choice for law school, and a few days after sending her application, she received an acceptance letter.
 
In law school, I noticed another student spent a lot of time with a famous professor who became the dean of another big law school. She was always debating with him. I thought she was wasting her time, but later realized she was smart for building that relationship.
 
The professor said something when I was on the phone, something like this: He said, "Your grades are fine. So, work hard. I've already talked to X from my firm. They're not going to make her an offer. She belongs with you, and if you make an offer, accept if she's perfect. I already spoke to your friend, who told me to make an exception on the grades for me."
 
At the time, I had no idea that this sort of thing went on. She ended up at a really good firm, something that she probably wouldn't normally have gotten into. What happened is someone had gone to bat for her, whether with or without her knowledge, I don't know, and got her a great job. Somewhere near her, there's probably someone very powerful, and that person can get you started, as these two people got their boosts from powerful and well-networked professors. If these students hadn't taken the time to get to know and work with these professors as they did, these results may never have occurred. These students did a really good job networking with just one person that was key. One got into a top law school in the United States, and the other one got into probably the top firm. I think there was a lot of networking going on in the background.
 
So, imagine if in your legal career you're able to put yourself in the corner of 10, 20, 50, or a hundred people like that. That's what happens when people become prominent, like the President of the United States. How does a man from a blue-collar family in Arkansas become the President of the United States? How does a Hollywood actor become the president? I once heard something about Bill Clinton that he never forgot a face. Anybody that he met, and I'm not sure if this is true, but I do know he used to keep note cards. I've heard stories about him walking up to people he met for a moment 20 to 30 years previously and saying hello and asking about their life and family all over the United States. There are well-networked people whose careers are in the stratosphere, all sorts of people, many of whom you wouldn't think are really great attorneys for many reasons. But they are considered good attorneys by the public because of the way they network themselves. They are more influential and make more money than most attorneys because they are networked and known to people.
 
In the large firm arena, aside from the media, there are lots of attorneys who are very well networked both inside and outside their law firms. They are so well networked that their law firms would likely never want to risk losing them. They are the law school classmates that call you every six months to see how you're doing. They are people that meet lots of people all over the country. These are the sorts of attorneys that have the most business and the most power inside law firms and people who really succeed in the practice of law. They succeed because they have the ability to connect with numerous people.
 
So, if you fail to network with associates and partners, you will eventually run into problems. If you fail to network outside of your firm, you will also have more difficulty getting a job and having security. You need to do whatever you can to network. It's important. You need to meet people. You need to leave a positive impression, and you need to stay in contact with people. I think a lot of times when people fail in the practice of law, it's because they are not networked. I see regularly, daily, several times a day partners from major firms who don't have a lot of business. Many times, these partners may have risen through the associate ranks based on their hard work and dedication and became partners because they had people in their corner who were well-networked, but the firm also had enough work to support them. They may not have risen like that if the firm didn't have a lot of business. This is a very dangerous position to be in because a lot of people make partner in law firms that don't have a lot of business. If you don't have a lot of business, you're going to be let go if the firm's work is drying up and going away. It can't be any other way.
 
Your partner needs to be self-sustaining in terms of their work. If you sit in your office all day and night, just churning out legal work and not networking with clients and other people, your contribution will be limited to that. If you try to bring in your own work, your contribution is greater, and the firm will want to keep you around. When I talk to partners with business, I ask them how they did it. They always say things like, "Lots of dinners and bottles of wine," or similar statements. The idea is that if the partner is networking and out there, they are typically bringing in business and work. The people that do bring in business are the ones with the best careers.
 
I've seen partners from major law firms have to set up their own shop after they were let go from the firm. I've even seen people go so far as to open diners in small towns after losing their jobs because there's nothing else, they can do—they're just not networked. You need to understand that your ability to succeed as an attorney is going to be dependent on networking. You can't have longevity without it. You can't stand out if you're not well-networked. You can't learn about new jobs if you're not well-networked. You can't get business if you're not well-networked. You can't protect yourself if you're not well-networked. All of these things are unbelievably important for your long-term success in the practice of law. Your ability to network is going to be very important.
 
One of the greatest tragedies of law school is that networking is hardly emphasized. Larger firms don't necessarily care. They will bring in people with business, and certain people will emerge with business. They don't need to train you in these things. There are lots of people with lots of work, so no one is going to tell you that you have to do this stuff. I'm telling you; you have to protect your career. The only way to succeed is to go out and form these networks and then use these networks.
 
I remember once, when I was fairly new to practicing law, that I had a friend who made partner fairly quickly. He told me, "You don't have to work all the time. No one is ever going to tell you that. It's not in their best interest. You need to make time for yourself and your own networking. If you work all the time, you'll never have time to do the things you want to do for yourself." I thought that was a good point. Essentially, what he was saying is you can't work all the time. You need to do other things, and networking can certainly be related to getting business. That is one of the most important things.
 
I'm going to take a quick break, and then when I come back, we will take questions. Any questions you have about today's presentation or anything else that I spoke about today, you can ask. This is a good time, whether you're a young attorney or an older attorney, to ask questions. I'll take as much time as you guys have for questions. Thank you.
 
Okay, we'll start with questions. I got a shirt to change here, so give me one second. The first question—this is my favorite part of the week—is taking questions. Give me one second. Any questions you guys have, by the way, are all good questions, so don't be afraid to ask them. A lot of people typically will ask questions about the webinar or about their careers in general. Let me open up the screen again. Just give me one second here.
 
Okay, first question. This is nice. The first question is, "This was a wonderful presentation cutting to the heart of success. What would you recommend as a good first step in networking for a 56-year-old solo practitioner who really has no network?"
 
One thing I didn't touch upon today is a book called "Never Send a Resume." I really like that book, and I've sent it to people before who have lost jobs and brought up a lot of the same things you have. Even as a solo practitioner, a lot of times people aren't necessarily building networks. When you're not building networks, it can be somewhat discouraging when you start trying to build one. What they say in this book is that you should always write down a list of a hundred plus people that you know. They could be friends, past acquaintances, just people that you may not be in touch with, family, and others that you may have had some sort of personal or friendly relationship with in the past. Write all those people down. They can typically be past colleagues and all sorts of people. When you write all that information down, most people can come up with about a hundred people that they know. Some people can come up with 200.
 
Once you write down that list, get in touch with those people. Try to call them and make personal contact with a phone call or meet them. Tell them that you saw something that reminded you of them and just try to check in. You don't talk about the fact that you're looking for work. You don't talk about the fact that you're looking for a job. You just basically ask them about themselves and check in to see how they're doing. Typically, at some point, they'll ask you about yourself, and then you tell them something along the lines of, "I'm looking for a position," or "I'm doing this," or "I'm just trying to get out there and meet people," and that you hope they're doing well. That's one of the first steps to networking. Do that, and then people will often remember you and refer things to you. If they know of leads, even if they're not good contacts, they'll often reach out to you and tell you about those leads. People love providing people with leads.
 
There are some articles that I've also written that aren't based on this, but they are on my blog site, which needs
 
 to be redone in a serious way. You can find them on HarrisonBarnes.com about networking, and they kind of teach what I'm talking about here. This is one of the things that I recommend.
 
A lot of times, I do Zoom calls all day, and I like Zoom, but I also think that there's so much more you get when you meet people in person. For networking, I think you need to always write down people, past colleagues, and others with whom you hope to have leads and so forth. That's one way to network. Another important thing is learning how to be vulnerable. When you're vulnerable, people will relate to you. People want to help those who are vulnerable. One of the problems with attorneys is that most are afraid to be likable. They're afraid to show weakness with clients and people at work. But in your personal life and with friends and acquaintances, vulnerability goes a long way. It's something that I personally believe is very important because when people like you and see you as human, you become much more likable. If you tell people what you're trying to do or any struggles you're going through or connect with them on a personal level, people typically like you much more, and that's a good way to network. Networking is not just about being very personal in terms of being seen; it's also about being liked, and people like people who are vulnerable. This is one of the things I would recommend in terms of how you network.
 
Fifty-six years old is not old. I know attorneys in their mid-eighties still working. You're basically halfway through your career, if that. People will probably live even longer in the future, but those are some of the networking strategies that I think are most important. When you write down a list of people, when you call them and make contact with them and make an effort to check in with them, people like that. There was one attorney I knew who sends a long letter every year, about five to ten pages, about what he's doing. He talks about everything you can imagine—his diet, operations, trips, anything. I get this letter every Christmas, and I love it. Sometimes he includes a picture. I haven't even seen the guy in 20 years, but he sends this to all these different people. Because of that, I always think of him, and I've gotten him job interviews and business, all because he sends me a letter, he's probably sending to hundreds of other people every year.
 
His letters show vulnerability. He talks about himself, his mistakes, and things you wouldn't normally think someone would talk about in a letter, especially an attorney, and it works. The point is that when you can be vulnerable and connect with people, they will want to help you. One of the things I've always done is have a personal blog where I try to write about personal things. I don't do it from a business standpoint. I do it because I've learned a lot of things myself, and I try to share them with others. At the same time, when you can learn to be vulnerable and get in touch with people, it can help. Posting on social networks, connecting with people, or liking posts in your personal life can carry over into your professional life.
 
Thank you for that question, by the way. That was a great question.
 
Mary asks, "As a law student, rising 3L, what should I bring to network to get a first-year job given that there are no in-person events? Should I be cold emailing partners at firms that look interesting?"
 
Yes, you should be cold emailing partners. I actually prefer printed letters. Even though a lot of people send emails now, I like printed letters. I like voicemail messages sometimes, though those can backfire to some extent. It's always a good idea to speak with the recruiting coordinators inside law firms. Ask them questions. Many of them are very nice and can help you. Even if they can't help you at their firm, you can ask them what they're looking for and so forth. If they can't help you, they can often make recommendations for other places that might be good fits.
 
I recommend networking by getting involved in groups. Get involved in as many groups as you can—religious groups, sports groups, and groups with other attorneys, wherever you can. Learn information from them. In my role as a CEO, there are all sorts of CEO groups. Every time I get involved in one of these groups, it blows my mind because there's so much information that I'm not aware of. The success of most CEOs is proportional to their network.
 
I've found that very successful corporate attorneys typically have huge Rolodexes. They can get anything done, whether it's finance or something else. They have all these contacts, and that's what successful corporate attorneys do—they take care of their networks. When you're applying to get a job in a new city, you should be contacting people, asking alumni from your school for information interviews, and getting as much information as you can. People like to help other people and make recommendations. It's just something I would recommend.
 
The problem a lot of law students and attorneys have is a lack of vulnerability. If you're vulnerable, it can create problems because you feel like you don't want people to know about your weaknesses. But vulnerability is actually the key to strength. There are books by Brené Brown about vulnerability and why it's a good idea. I would recommend reviewing her work. There are all sorts of exercises that can help you. One of the mistakes I made early in my career was not networking well.
 
There are certainly online groups you can join. I'd love to start networking groups online for attorneys. We have another site called Top Law Schools, and I would recommend reviewing that. There's a lot of sharing of information about employers and other topics, and people can comment anonymously and ask questions. That could be very helpful.
 
Another question: "Would starting law school in my thirties be a problem?"
 
The answer is no, unless you mind working long hours when you get into your thirties. But I don't think starting law school in your thirties is a problem at all.
 
"When it comes to job seeking, I never ask a good network for help. It may damage relationships, or it's about pride. What is your thought?"
 
I don't think you necessarily ask your network for help, and I agree that it can sometimes telegraph weakness. Instead, get in touch with people and just ask them how they're doing. Do not ask for help. Ask people in your network and then listen. That's it.
 

About Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes is a prominent figure in the legal placement industry, known for his expertise in attorney placements and his extensive knowledge of the legal profession.

With over 25 years of experience, he has established himself as a leading voice in the field and has helped thousands of lawyers and law students find their ideal career paths.

Barnes is a former federal law clerk and associate at Quinn Emanuel and a graduate of the University of Chicago College and the University of Virginia Law School. He was a Rhodes Scholar Finalist at the University of Chicago and a member of the University of Virginia Law Review. Early in his legal career, he enrolled in Stanford Business School but dropped out because he missed legal recruiting too much.

Barnes' approach to the legal industry is rooted in his commitment to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. He believes that the key to success in the legal profession is to be proactive, persistent, and disciplined in one's approach to work and life. He encourages lawyers to take ownership of their careers and to focus on developing their skills and expertise in a way that aligns with their passions and interests.

One of how Barnes provides support to lawyers is through his writing. On his blog, HarrisonBarnes.com, and BCGSearch.com, he regularly shares his insights and advice on a range of topics related to the legal profession. Through his writing, he aims to empower lawyers to control their careers and make informed decisions about their professional development.

One of Barnes's fundamental philosophies in his writing is the importance of networking. He believes that networking is a critical component of career success and that it is essential for lawyers to establish relationships with others in their field. He encourages lawyers to attend events, join organizations, and connect with others in the legal community to build their professional networks.

Another central theme in Barnes' writing is the importance of personal and professional development. He believes that lawyers should continuously strive to improve themselves and develop their skills to succeed in their careers. He encourages lawyers to pursue ongoing education and training actively, read widely, and seek new opportunities for growth and development.

In addition to his work in the legal industry, Barnes is also a fitness and lifestyle enthusiast. He sees fitness and wellness as integral to his personal and professional development and encourages others to adopt a similar mindset. He starts his day at 4:00 am and dedicates several daily hours to running, weightlifting, and pursuing spiritual disciplines.

Finally, Barnes is a strong advocate for community service and giving back. He volunteers for the University of Chicago, where he is the former area chair of Los Angeles for the University of Chicago Admissions Office. He also serves as the President of the Young Presidents Organization's Century City Los Angeles Chapter, where he works to support and connect young business leaders.

In conclusion, Harrison Barnes is a visionary legal industry leader committed to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. Through his work at BCG Attorney Search, writing, and community involvement, he empowers lawyers to take control of their careers, develop their skills continuously, and lead fulfilling and successful lives. His philosophy of being proactive, persistent, and disciplined, combined with his focus on personal and professional development, makes him a valuable resource for anyone looking to succeed in the legal profession.

About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.