Get Active on Your Professional Social Media Accounts
Soon after being accepted into law school, I contacted a few law students that were in my network to ask them for advice on what to expect during 1L. Ali, a 3L at Windsor Law and a former colleague of mine, sent me some general advice. At the top of that list was to get on Twitter professionally.
I had been a Twitter user since high school but my account consisted mostly of memes and relatable content. Shortly after accepting my offer to Osgoode, I created my professional Twitter account and followed many lawyers, law schools, law school professors, law students and even the courts (yes the Superior court of Justice and the Supreme Court of Canada have Twitter accounts, follow them). Since joining, I have been a frequent user of #LawTwitter and personally think it is a great source for networking with members of the legal profession. As a student, I also use LinkedIn to provide my connections with personal updates regarding my studies, my work or general experiences that lead me to reflect on my career.
As a result of the pandemic, using social platforms to establish a brand is not only an opportunity but a necessity. Law firms, large companies, and governments were forced to transition to a work from home model, with everything being shifted to an online platform. The courts in Ontario took longer to adjust but are now using Zoom to hold court appearances and trials, as well as Twitter to share updates with the profession. While COVID-19 has created many challenges for us as law students (the biggest being learning the law from home and suffering from “Zoom Fatigue”), the fact that everything is online presents a huge opportunity to participate in online discussions and create connections that might assist with job opportunities. At the very least, having a presence on #LawTwitter will provide you with more job opportunities as many solo practitioners and smaller firms advertise part-time student work and summer/articling positions. Due to their resources and needs, many firms do not participate in formal recruitment processes.
The following are some accounts that have stood out to me and have shared numerous anecdotes of the connections they have facilitated, which demonstrates the power of social media in a professional context. I encourage you to follow these accounts and use their posts as inspiration to start writing your own content and becoming more engaged with the legal profession on #LawTwitter and LinkedIn.
LinkedIn
Alex Su
Northwestern University Prizker School of Law
Director of Business Development
Large LinkedIn following both in the US and Canada. He posts regularly and also hosts monthly Zoom networking meetups for members of the legal profession and anyone who is interested in making new professional connections.
Conrad Flaczyk
McGill Faculty of Law
Lawyer, Knowledge & Innovation at Norton Rose Fulbright
Large LinkedIn following in Ontario, with over 24 thousand followers. Conrad posts almost daily and often opens up his inbox to receive inquiries from students regarding job hunting and interview advice. He brings a modern and candid perspective to the practice of law including reflections about the real demands of the profession.
Twitter
Peter Sankoff
@petersankoff
Professor at the University of Alberta Law and Associate Counsel at Bottos Law Group
Co-host of Paw & Order Podcast
With almost 5000 followers on Twitter, Peter created the “100 Interns Project” where he assisted students in the spring to find paid summer jobs. Not all lawyers looking for help were able to afford it so #LawTwitter helped to fund this initiative. Overall, #LawTwitter raised enough funds to provide 100 students with summer positions. This is the best example of how powerful opportunities can arise when you are connected to the legal profession on social platforms.
Sara Little
@sara_m_little
Windsor Law
Articling student at Brauti Thorning (Civil Litigation and Criminal Defence)
Sara is a recent graduate with a growing online presence. She maintains a professional Twitter account but also shares aspects of her personal life and struggles as an articling student during COVID-19. This account is a good example of how to use Twitter to provide comments on court decisions, trending topics and content that will gain the attention of members of the profession. She also runs a legal summary website for recent ONCA and SCC decisions, which you will not find on traditional case brief sites.
On a lighter note, if you want some relatable legal jokes and memes follow these accounts:
@BadLegalLLP
@SCC_Case_Tweets
I encourage you to be open minded about posting on both these platforms and sharing personal experiences or thoughts about current issues in a professional manner. Since the first day of law school we are told to not be afraid to send a “can I buy you a coffee?” e-mail to network with members of the profession. However, that is no longer an option right now. Creating a personal professional brand for yourself may allow you to have more meaningful and long-lasting online interactions with members of the profession.
Follow Valentina on Twitter at @valentinamgalv