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Law Schools | MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2014 | S7

Relationships

A Distinguished Career Starts

With Networking

BY JACK KILLION
T
o me, a really successful lawyer has
it all by:
• doing great, impeccable client
work

• having a loyal client base despite
often paying above market fees
• attracting new clients and clearly
being a rain maker partner in the irm
• having great working relation ships

and friendships with others in the irm
• enjoying an interesting personal life
with time to pursue his/her passions
and interests
• inding time to ind ways to give back
to the community

• developing and pursuing a broad
range of interests
• having a solid family life with all mem-
bers thriving

I know many, many good attorneys who
can check off some of these boxes. I know

very few who can check them all off.
Almost all law schools turn out graduates
more than capable of being good lawyers.
So, if the class room isn’t where the super, CK
really successful lawyers separate them- TO
selves from the herd, when and where does BIGS
the separation happen?
I maintain the factor that generates the
top, mind-boggling successful lawyers

from the rest is their ability to network networking”which is not terribly useful or for me to teach in the MBA program at that people I need to connect with to achieve
and develop important long-term relation- helpful. They need to be shown how.
major university for 10 years.
my goal(s)1
ships. And the shift from good to really suc- Serendipitous or random networking is a • getting connected with and beginning
cessful starts when the nouveaux attorney What Is Networking?
great way to practice your basic networking to develop the relationships with the people
recognizes that networking is a key factor skills of talking with strangers, learning to capable of helping you achieve your goal(s).
for long-term professional and personal Networking basically involves constantly ask good questions—the kind that lead to
success and starts developing these skills talking with people, looking for good con- more substantial relationships, breaking
sooner rather than later.
nection points, deciding whether or not this the ice and making quick decisions about Networking While in Law School
Networking should be taught at least is potentially a viable long-term important this being a relationship worth pursuing Most law schools are fertile networking

starting in high school. We bought our son relationships. If it is, then over time take longer term.
grounds. That’s where law students may
his irst business cards when he was 12! important steps to grow the relationship.
Targeted networking is the kind that law have the opportunity to “network” with:
For sure it should be taught in college but Networking can be done serendipitously, students and practicing attorneys should other law students; the alumni; adjunct
seldom is. And I think law schools should which means talking to people everywhere be doing. It involves:
professors, full time faculty members and
ind time and ways to help their students all the time—sitting next to someone on a • setting some goals, i.e., developing a the administrative staff, guest lecturers,
hone these abilities. Law schools can be bus, train or airplane, standing in the check- stronger relationship with the dean or a law suppliers to the school, parents of other
rich networking opportunities. Instead, out line at the food store, at one of the kids’ professor, inding a summer internship with students and even possibly paying and pro
in most universities and law schools the team games or school event. This is typi- a top 5 law irm in the anticipated practice bono clients of the faculty practicing law.

students are simply told “you should be
cally a low-yield way to get major beneits area, creating a mentorship while still in law Often law students at one law school in
from networking, but occasionally you hit school, creating opportunities to shadow an area have opportunities to network with
a nugget. For example, initiating a two- or successful lawyers, landing a major new contacts available at other law programs.
JACK KILLION is co-founder and partner in three-minute conversation in a checkout Fortune 500 client
And law students can certainly dig into
Bluestone + Killion, a irm coaching professionals line, with it turned out to be the dean of a • looking into my network of “clusters” their past and network with former col-
and corporate leaders to accelerate their own careers.
major MBA program, created an opportunity
of contacts to see who can connect me with
lege connections, previous » Page S9