A Recent Graduate’s Observations
As a recent law school graduate faced with the present economic climate, networking is more important now than it has ever been for an individual in my position. Finding networking events is not difficult, however, finding fruitful events can be. Having attended past networking events I was usually faced with a large room filled with hundreds of attorneys, often only meeting and conversing with a few. While it is possible to leave such an event with positive results, often that is not the case.
While searching for new networking opportunities I was introduced to Daniel Felix who invited me to attend both the North Suburban event as well as the Downtown event held this month by Lawyers Connecting. When I arrived I was introduced to the members in attendance and given the opportunity to share my background and goals. While almost all of the members are in private practice, most have had past experience working in larger firms. This not only allowed me to gain insight into how to evaluate opportunities in large firms but also gave me perspective into the options that private practice creates.
An added bonus to my experience was the presentation made by the guest speaker. The subject happened to be finding ways to increase your marketability. While the intent of the presentation was to help the members present to recognize and better utilize their unique selling points, I may have gained more from the discussion than anyone else. Developing yourself as a new attorney is critical and I believe anyone who has recently graduated could benefit by attending smaller events which are more focused on professional development and enrichment, which I learned is the case with Lawyers Connecting.
By: Daniel Lenzini
IL Bar Results Expected 10/11/11
Area of Concentration: Trial Advocacy
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/daniel-lenzini/5/3b7/144
DLenzini@gmail.com