Lawyers Who Launch

This week we are sharing four fall networking tips to help you kick off the year and set yourself up for success.

Tip #1 - Prepare Before You Network

Take some time to think about who you are and what you are looking for.  Write it down.  Practice it out loud until it feels natural.  You want to appear polished and not scripted.

While you prepare think about some of the most obvious and common questions you may be asked.  Prepare for how you will answer them.

Tip #2 - Follow Up with Your Networking Contacts

You already have a network of contacts that you can reach out to to help you on your law school journey.  Early in the semester is the perfect time to reach out to them and give them an update on what you’re doing now, what you did over the summer and what you are looking forward to doing this semester or next summer.  Because you are prepared, you can tell your networking contacts what you are looking for. 

Also think about how you can follow through for your contacts.  Can you make a recommendation?  Do you have an interesting article to pass along?  The follow through does not have to be major, but a simply thought will be appreciated and remembered.

Tip #3 - Look for Opportunities to Network

This time of year is when the networking really kicks off.  The networking reception at your law school is an obvious choice.  But do not limit yourself to those events with “networking” in the title.  

Think about student organizations you may find interesting.  So much networking happens in law school.  Find something that interests you and start building those relationships.

Tip #4 - Be Confident

You will be prepared, you network will be looking out for you, and you have interesting networking opportunities.  You are ready to network!

If you are looking for a strategic guide to networking look no further than The Law Student’s Guide to Networking.  This is the guide we wish we had when we were in law school and will help you develop a strategic networking plan that you can simply execute.

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship.  Please keep in mind that your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow.  This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

If you’ve been with us for awhile you know that we love to talk about creating and developing mutually beneficial networking relationships.  Today we are focusing a bit more on that “mutually beneficial” part and discussing why and how you can expand your networking for the benefit of others.

This expansion is critical for the success of younger attorneys as they are looking to grow and expand their networks.  An attorney fresh out of law school will have a less expansive and responsive professional network than someone that has been in practice for 10 years.  

We still appreciate those that brought us into their network largely for our benefit early on in our careers.  Networking events, client meetings, court appearances are just three of a myriad of ways in which we learned, grew, and expanded our professional networks.

This also goes hand in hand with mentorship.  A caring mentor is an invaluable resource, and sometimes hard to come by.  But having that connection with another person who is interested in guiding and supporting you is incredible.

For those of your further along in your career consider how you can use your network to someone else’s benefit and make room at your table for them.  For those of you on the other side, be a gracious guest and thoughtful mentee.

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship.  Please keep in mind that your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow.  This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

This week were have been inspired by Elyse Myers @elyse_myers on Instagram telling us all that sometime you just have to “do it scared.”  

Law school was hard and scary and intimidating for us and it still is for most of you.  From day one (and what felt like every day afterward) we both questioned whether we should be there and whether we would make it through.  Now that we are on the other side of it we can see that it was our nerves telling us that this would be a big challenge.  This is important. This is a priority.  And now we know that it was worth it.  But we see and hear so many of you now thinking those same things we thought.

Should I be here?  

Am I good enough?  

Will I make it through?  

How will I get through this?

Law school is one of those things that most people will simply have to do scared.  There are strategies for calming your nerves a bit.  Your emotions will ebb and flow.  But really you are going to have to do it scared.  So take a deep breath.  Focus your time and energies to do the work and do the work well.  Ask for help.  Give yourself grace when you make a mistake.  

Networking is another one of those things that many of you will have to do it scared.  So many people feel nervous, scared, anxious, or whatever other word you want to use about networking.  There are many reasons for that.  We discuss many of these issues throughout the podcast and even more comprehensively in The Law Student’s Guide to Networking.  But networking is a task you need to undertake to succeed in the legal field.  Which means, you need to do it, even if you feel scared or uncertain.  Take a deep breath.  Make a plan.  Reach out for help.  Appreciate the courage it takes to step outside your comfort zone.

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship.  Please keep in mind that your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow.  This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

LWL Design Shop on Etsy use code LWLPOD for 15% off your purchase


Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

Even though we may not be students anymore, the transition from summer to fall still feels like the beginning of a new chapter to us.  We think this is the perfect opportunity for some networking reflection.

To do this, we have a simple four question model that will guide us through the reflection into a plan for the rest of the calendar year.

Question 1

What types of referral am I asked for?

Reflect on the last six months, what types of referrals have you been asked for?  What types of professionals have your clients needed?  When your networking contacts ask you for a referral, who are they looking for?

This question will help you first identify how you can be most helpful to the people in your professional network.

Question 2

Do I have these professionals in my network already?

Taking your answer to question 1, look at the referrals you made.  Where you able to make referrals within your established network?  Did you move outside of your network?  

This question will help you identify whether you have connections with the people that your professional network is looking to be connected with.

Question 3

What types of professionals refer to me?

Now you are going to look to your incoming referrals, specifically the sources.  Who most often refers to you?  What types of professionals are they?  Where are your potential clients looking when they are connected to you?

This question will help you identify more specifically the sources of business coming into you.

Question 4

How can I strengthen and grow those relationships?

Here you want to identify the places that your referral sources congregate.  This will vary between industries and practice.  

This question will help you identify where the people are that you want to connect with.

Now you are ready to synthesize your information and make a plan.  Depending on your personal responses you may seek to focus on developing more referral sources or perhaps professionals to whom you can refer clients.  Perhaps you now wish to broaden your base of contacts in a specific profession.  You may also wish to deepen relationships with your existing contacts.  Mostly likely, you are looking for some combination.  This time of year is great for making that intentional plan as you look to the coming year.

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Use promo code LWLPOD for 15% off now until September 30, 2022

_____________________

Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship.  Please keep in mind that your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow.  This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

LWL Design Shop on Etsy use code LWLPOD for 15% off your purchase


Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

In honor of all of the bar exam takers last week, we are celebrating!

The bar exam is a notorious milestone, for good reason.  If you have ever taken the bar exam you understand why it has this reputation.  No matter the results, just making in to the point of completing the examination is an accomplishment that cannot be overlooked.

Take this as a sign that you should be celebrating this major achievement.  Bar exam eligibility is such a challenge that should not be underestimated.  

But we all know that the end of the bar exam marks the beginning of the waiting game of finding out the results.  This is brutal and a challenge unto itself.  We recommend developing some strategies for what you will tell yourself when those worries and doubts creep in.

It is not just you that wants to know how it went, you have family and friends that have watched you along this journey and they want to know too.  Inevitably, well-meaning people will ask you those questions that you are avoiding in your own mind.  Plan now for how you will respond so that when they do ask you are prepared.  They are not trying to stress you out, they care about you and want to know.  A generic response and a swift topic change will hopefully do the trick.  For close family and friends you may want to get ahead of it and be more direct about your concerns and your desire not to stew over the results.

A great way to spend the time after the bar exam is working on your network.  Whether you have a job now or not, you likely have more time than you did in school.  Now is the perfect time to update your network, attend networking events, and intentionally expand your network.  The Law Student’s Guide to Networking is a great resource to develop an intentional networking plan.

No matter how you spend your time now - make sure you celebrate!

Are you starting law school or know someone who is?  My Law School Journey:  A Three Year Journal is now available as a digital journal!  This digital journal provides daily prompts to reflect and record your law school journey.  Check out our Etsy shop and get your's today!

Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship.  Please keep in mind that your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow.  This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

LWL Design Shop on Etsy use code LWLPOD for 15% off your purchase


Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

This week we had the opportunity to speak with attorney and author of Balance is Bullsh*t - Ashley Manzi.  When Ashley started writing a blog about her life as a mom while working as a full time attorney she never would have imagined that years later she would have the opportunity to turn it into a book.  

We sat down with Ashley and discussed her journey to law school, her life as a family law attorney, writing her first book, and, of course, how networking has helped her navigate it all.  Ashley shared some of her law school experiences, not measured by a transcript, that helped propel her on her path to eventual partnership.

As someone who understands the value of a network within a referral based practice, she discussed her view of referrals.  Ashley does not keep track of referral one-to-one, but she does appreciate the value of referring to someone she knows and trusts and maintains that standard for herself.

Balance is Bullsh*t, details Ashley’s life being a mom and working outside of her home trying to keep everyone and everything afloat.  Her relatable tales tell the story of how we all are just flying by the seat of our pants and just hoping we survive.  These personal stories are universal to the struggles that so many of us feel but are not always comfortable acknowledging out loud.  This is a must read for all of the law moms out there!

To learn more about Ashley Manzi and Balance is Bullsh*t, visit her website www.ashelymanzi.com.

Have a great day!

Haley & Amy

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

Taking final exams and waiting for your final grades can be excruciating. If you are disappointed in a grade that you received, take a deep breath. We are here for you. While we are not saying that grades are not important, your grades do not define you.  Your transcript does not measure your ability to learn practical skills, real legal skills, or networking.  There are three things that you can do this summer that can have more impact that your transcript.

1. Practical Experience.

It’s one thing to read about property, outline, and study for a final exam.  It is quite another to represent a buyer in the purchase of their first home.  That is real world experience you can only gain on the job.  Law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer.  This summer if you can surround yourself with lawyers you can really see how they take that skill and apply it to real facts and law.  The summer fact patterns are real, and so are the stakes.  Taking time to not only do your best work but to observe those around is an experience that cannot be duplicated in school.

The more practical legal experience you can be exposed to, the more you can narrow down the areas of law that you may be interested in to figure out what area of law you would actually want to practice in. 

Another practical experience you are able to have during the summer that is not part of your legal education is the opportunity to work with paralegals and legal assistants.  A solid support base as a practicing attorney is critical and these professionals know how to get the job done.  Capitalize on every opportunity you may have to learn from this group.

2. Networking.

The attorneys, experts, financial professionals, support staff, and more all have their own professional networks.  The summer is your opportunity to expand your network by networking with the people you work with.  Set the right first impression by doing your best work, on time.  Then you can nurture those professional connections into networking contacts.  

3.  Rest.

The importance and impact of taking some time to rest and recharge over the summer cannot be overlooked.  The law school schedule is intense.  The summer is a brief respite from that schedule.  Capitalize on this and see those you may not have seen much during the semester.  Allow yourself to rest in order to come back recharged and ready to tackle the new semester.

P.S. - If you are looking for more on how to leverage your summer connections into networking contacts, the summer is the perfect time for The Law Student’s Guide to Networking course and book!

Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

We have long advocated for mission statements, both professional and personal.  This week we are taking it a step further and talking about why law firm mission statements are beneficial and how to get started.

A mission statement is a summation of your goals and values.  It answers why you do the work you do the way that you do it.  As an attorney, having a mission statement can give you a clearer lens to look at the work that you do each day.  As a law firm, a mission statement can help guide you as you make decisions that impact the firm from the practice areas you specialize in, attorneys and staff that you hire, firm expectations, and so much more.

Attorneys are often pulled in many directions in a given day.   Just professionally, we have to meet the multiple needs of multiple clients.  We may have to manage support staff and associate attorneys.  We have to meet filing deadlines, we have to follow the deadlines given to us by a judge.   A mission statement is a clear vision of why you are doing the work that you do.  

We recommend asking yourself three questions when developing a mission statement:

What do I value? 

What do I offer? 

How do I offer this? 

Creating a mission statement for your law firm requires a similar thought process, but if you have partners, your shared mission statement has to reflect your shared vision. 

Haley recently joined a larger firm with a long-established mission statement.  This tells Haley a lot about the firm that she joined.  It also helps her build trust with her clients that the vision of the firm will continue to align with the work that Haley has always provided.  

A firm mission statement also helps in the interview and hiring process.  Finding candidates that are not only quality but will fit in with the goals of the firm can be difficult.  A mission statements allows potential candidates the opportunity to understand more about the firm and whether it is a place that is a fit for them.  It allows the people within the firm a base from which to explore questions during the interview, understanding the mission of the firm as a whole.

Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship.  Please keep in mind that your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow.  This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

LWL Design Shop on Etsy use code LWLPOD for 15% off your purchase


Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

We are now officially in summer mode.  While that means the days are longer and the weather is warm, our calendars and to do lists are busting with new projects and obligations.  This week we are sharing five wellness tips to help you avoid burnout and enjoy all of the fun that this time of year has to offer.

Wellness Tip 1

Schedule breaks.

Then actually take those breaks.

Scheduling a few short breaks throughout your day can help you refresh and recharge in order to tackle that ever growing to do list.  Set your tech aside.  Do not read or respond to emails.  Do not do something for someone else.  Our favorite thing to do during these breaks is to simply go outside and breathe.

Wellness Tip 2

Avoid multitasking.

Multitasking is often not as effective or efficient as we would like to believe.  Try to do one thing at a time.  Our best tip for actually accomplishing this is to keep a pad close by.  When you think of something else that needs to be done or something to talk about with someone else you can easily write it down.  Now you won’t forget and you are not allowing yourself to be distracted into another task.

Wellness Tip 3

Move your body.

We all know the health and wellness benefits of regular exercise.  Find something that you actually enjoy doing and get that blood moving through your body.  Between online offerings, in person options, and the simple act of walk down your own street there is something for everyone.

Wellness Tip 4

Shut off your phone.

Again, we all know that our phones keep us awake and interrupt our sleep.  But…it is SO HARD to actually do!  Set a reminder on your phone right now for a time that you will silence your phone and put it away tonight.  You might be wondering what you will do after that.  Check out Wellness Tip 5 for the answer.

Wellness Tip 5

Replace screen time with a book.

We both love reading and have made a habit of reading at night before we go to sleep.  Just like with the exercise, find something that you actually enjoy.  It can be as serious or as silly as you want.  But reading at night is a great way to unwind from the day and get yourself out of that endless scroll.

Let us know which tips you try!

Have a great day!

Haley & Amy

P.S. - Haley mentioned her love of Elin Hilderbrand at the end of the episode.  Here are some links to a few of her favorite beach reads.

The Paradise Trilogy

The Rumor

The Identicals

Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship.  Please keep in mind that your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow.  This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

LWL Design Shop on Etsy use code LWLPOD for 15% off your purchase


Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.

When you are looking at your task list at work, or your pile of files, or your ever growing inbox of unread emails you may feel like groaning. But if we tried reframing our daily attorney work, our continuing education, and our networking from “have to” to “get to.” 

This is not a magic fix-all solution and we certainly are not telling you that you should be happy all of the time.  We all have hard days and serious challenges.  The world is a hard place sometimes.  However, we all get into the rut of everyday life that can make everything feel like we have lost choice over our lives and we are just run by expectations of others and never ending to do lists.  This mindset shift attempts to help you take back some of the control over your day.

Starting with our daily law practice tasks. Look to the deeper meaning of your practice.  How are you serving your clients? Instead of saying I have to draft this brief, reframe it as, I get to draft this brief and advocate for my client.  I get to seek justice.  I don’t have to draft a will.  I get to give my client’s peace of mind.  I get to use my mind to craft creative solutions. 

Thinking about getting to do something rather than having to do something inherently implies a choice that was not there before.  It does not mean that it isn’t hard or challenging.  But that affirmative choice is powerful.  It also acknowledges the privilege that you get to do something not everyone gets to do.

Practical Exercise

Grab a piece of paper or open a document on your computer.  Write down five things on your work task list.  Now change them into “get to” sentences.  Give it a little context.

How does that feel?

It probably isn’t life changing, but does it move the needle even a little bit?

Now You Get to Network

Networking is not natural for most of us.  Whether you are applying to law school, have been in practice for 20 years, or are somewhere in between, chances are you have at least internally groaned at the thought of networking at some point.  It is so easy to push networking off to the side because it is not something that we actually have to do. No one is going to give you a grade on networking or take you license for failing to network.  

So if you do not have to network, why are we talking about networking?  

That is because networking is a gift we give our professional selves and our practices.  We get to network.  We get to put ourselves out there and share our expertise with potential clients, referral sources, and colleagues.  

Effective networking will allow you to expand your practice and your career.  It is something you get to do in order to boost your success.  You should be excited about networking because it is networking that will ultimately save you time and energy as you move along in your career.

We are sharing the strategies and tips that we actually use in our practices.  We use these strategies to expand Lawyers Who Launch to reach more of you.  Once you have a plan, networking is not hard, but it does take time to building those mutually beneficial networking relationships that we talk so much about.  So stop wasting time on ineffective networking and start using your time to actually build your network, because you get to network.

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.