WESLEY FORGIONE
<Osgoode Alum>
As I am writing this article, I am staring at the list of 10-15 lawyers and other professionals with whom I have connected since graduating from Osgoode and with whom I maintain an ongoing relationship. I began this list during my second year OCI’s to keep in contact with the firms and people with whom I shared a common professional interest. This list expanded as my law school journey progressed.
Through this article, I hope to assist students who wish to develop a similar list (if you haven’t started one already) and to share with you how I maintain these relationships. The ability to network will undoubtedly serve us well as young legal professionals.
Among the buzzwords we acquire as law students, the most pervasive are “Grades,” “Cases,” “Mooting,” “Extra-Curricular,” and “OCI’s.”
The term “Networking,” and its relative importance, seems to have received much less attention. Networking will not only help you learn about different areas of law, but it will help you make friends and contacts when your job search begins in earnest.
Beginning your list:
1) Take advantage of events offered through the law school, including meet and greets, lectures etc. Ask for cards, make a good impression, and if the connection is there, follow up!
2) Join organizations to which you might have familiarity. For example, I joined an organization affectionately known as CIAO (Canadian Italian Advocates Organization). CIAO is a collegial organization of Italian lawyers across Canada. CIAO has not only provided me opportunity to get involved in the community, but it has also provided me with the opportunity to network and get my name out there for when it’s time to apply for jobs.
3) Don’t be shy! When you meet people, try to exercise your EQ and find commonality. If you are in X lawyer’s office, and you see a snow-boarding poster on the wall, make the connection! If you love World of Warcraft and you can’t help but notice Y lawyer has a “Dark Elf” key-chain, make the connection! If you’re a “fashionista” and you follow Z lawyer’s fashion blog, make the connection!
4) Take, keep and organize business cards. Note on the back the commonality you shared with the individual, where you met them, what area of law they practice and any other pertinent information.
5) Keep a detailed list. I use the “Stickies” app on my MacBook, but Excel would work just as effectively
Maintaining your list:
1) Go through your list every few months and reconcile with your email. If you haven’t made contact with an individual for a while, send an email saying “Hi hopefully things are well . . .”
2) Use your EQ in setting the tone for communication. If the individual you are contacting is more formal, then communicate more formally. If the last conversation you shared involved laughing about drinking stories, then it’s probably safe to be a little more informal. Still, always keep professionalism in the forefront.
3) Exercise humility and respect. These individuals are likely taking time out of their busy schedule to communicate with you.
4) Don’t harass. Send a follow up email here and there to let the contact know you’re still alive, but don’t hassle. A simple “Happy Holidays” or “Hey, I have been following X case you’ve been involved in, here are my two cents.”
5) If the individual stops responding, don’t sweat it! There are plenty of fish in the sea.
6) If the conversations become friendly enough, invite the individual out to coffee. This will provide some good face-to-face time that will help you nurture the relationship.