Why Does Your Law School Alumni Network Matter?

Taking advantage of your law school's reputation does not have to end at graduation, and getting the most out of your built-in alumni network can help you become an even more successful lawyer. Here is an overview of why your law school's alumni network is a valuable resource and how you can use that network to your advantage!

Benefits of Professional Networking Among Law School Alumni

Keeping in touch with your fellow alumni can provide a wide range of benefits, especially when you are diligent about starting as early as possible. Here are some of the most significant ways that getting to know as many members of your law school's alumni network as possible can help you find and succeed in your career!

Form Lifelong Connections

The legal field is generally smaller than it might seem to be; being made up of fewer individuals than many other fields makes it a close-knit community where many members have natural connections to one another. This means that knowing the right people can often play an important role in finding and accessing new career and professional development opportunities. Alumni of your law school are often one of the most beneficial groups of connections.

Although it is possible to have a successful career without being intentional about taking every opportunity to build professional connections, it is often much more difficult to find opportunities that are the best fit for you and be seen as the best fit by those that are making hiring decisions. Individuals or groups that are responsible for selecting new team members often have their own networks in mind when thinking about their top preferences, so having those connections can be extremely beneficial.

Learn About the Best Opportunities for You 

Many positions that would be a good fit for you, conferences and other professional development events, and other opportunities that can help you hone your skills and find a career that best matches your strengths and preferences can be challenging for people with fewer connections to find. Details about these opportunities are often spread through word of mouth, which means that not taking the time to get to know the right people early on can continue to impact you long past law school.

Get to Know Lawyers That Are Most Like You

While the legal field is quite small on its own, this is even more true for emerging and current lawyers from various minority groups. A small percentage of lawyers and law students are BIPOC, first-generation, or members of other minority groups, which means that it can be even more beneficial for these individuals to be intentional about connecting with people that are most like them. For example, the Black lawyer community is very small. However, it is an extremely supportive group that wants to help other Black lawyers succeed!

Ways Alumni Can Benefit Law Students 

Networking can also provide a wide range of benefits for current law students. While the opportunities forming relationships with colleagues can create are often the first that come to mind when considering the benefits of networking within the legal field, students often find that they are more successful in school and better prepared for their careers when they have opportunities to network with and otherwise benefit from alumni prior to graduation. 

Start Building Professional Networks Early

Graduation is often too late to start building professional connections, especially in a field as interconnected as law. Attending events while you’re in law school gives you the chance to start taking steps to get to know people that may benefit you in the future. Alumni can also use these opportunities to identify the most promising new members of their field and keep them in mind when considering who might be a good fit for new positions that open up at their firms or otherwise near them. 

Offer Mentorship Opportunities

Professional networking is not limited to forming general relationships with others in the field for law students. Students can also benefit from one-on-one mentorship from an individual that is currently successful in a specific area of law that they are most interested in pursuing to obtain in-depth insights about what that area typically looks like and what they should be doing as students to get there. These personal relationships often continue long past law school and serve as some of the closest contacts both members have in the field when navigating challenging aspects of the position and considering potential next steps. 

Provide Firsthand Information for Prospective Students 

The overall experience a particular law school's students typically have is more complex than what can easily be placed on a website, and not every school's experience aligns with the image they want prospective students to obtain from their website at all. Alumni can play an important role in filling in this gap for potential students by providing them with more in-depth information about specific classes, instructors, and general expectations than what websites may show. Recent alumni can be especially helpful when it comes to providing firsthand information about their experience attending the school, which can help students gain a better understanding of what a particular program will look like than what a website can provide. 

Being a BIPOC or first-generation student especially comes into play here. Recent alumni will be able to share what their experience was like, if they felt like they had safe spaces, and even what professors to avoid, if possible.

Networking can also introduce you to specializations within the legal field that you may not have previously considered, which means that getting to know as many people as possible can be an important step in making sure you select the best aspect of law for you. 

How to Learn About Everything Your School's Alumni Network Has to Offer 

While the bulk of networking in the legal field often comes after graduation, there are also countless opportunities for students to start getting to know people that may be valuable to them as they progress through law school and enter their careers. Understanding how the schools you are considering handle alumni relations before you even apply and taking every opportunity you can to network once you become a law student are important steps to take to increase your chances of knowing the best possible people to help you find the right opportunities for you after graduation. 

Research Alumni Relations as a Prospective Student 

Having a strong alumni network available to you after you graduate from law school is important, which means it is never too early to consider how schools that might be a good fit for you stay in touch with their alumni and create opportunities for alumni to support both one another and current students. Learning about how the schools you are considering handle alumni relations during or even prior to the application process can be an important step in determining whether you will have the networking opportunities you want available to you as a law student and after graduation.

Many alumni are excited about their school, and they would love to have a prospective student reach out to have an informational interview with them. This is a great opportunity for you to begin building your legal network and get in touch with someone who has lived experience at the school you’re interested in.

Network With Alumni as a Student 

Taking every opportunity you can to build connections with others in your field as a student can be a helpful step in gaining an edge over your competition once you enter the legal field. It is never too soon to begin getting to know both recent alumni and leaders within your field. Forming connections with the right people can go a long way toward helping you understand what is expected of you as a law student and start creating potential contacts with people that play a key role in helping you find the best possible opportunities in the future. 

Beyond Barriers Student & Alumni Network

At S. Montgomery Admissions Counseling, we are here to help you find a law school that is a good fit for you and make the most of the time spent working toward your goals. Aside from one-on-one application support, joining our private packages or boot camps means lifetime access to our Beyond Barriers Student & Alumni Network!

This gives you the chance to connect with hundreds of students who we are currently working with or who have already matriculated through law school! Our alumni offer mentorship, as well as a support network for students at their own school or affinity groups you identify with. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of networking before, while, and after attending law school and learn more about how we can support you on your journey!