You will be invited to participate in many networking opportunities (more if you decide to join student or professional organizations); in fact, you may sometimes feel a little inundated with invitations to networking opportunities (career fairs, speaker events, and award ceremonies and celebrations all count as networking opportunities). Networking may not be your cup of tea BUT.....law students often report that networking was helpful to their career search and many lawyers find themselves being required to carry on doing it in their professional lives. If you feel hesitant about attending networking events consider reaching out to a mentor, an advisor, or Career Services to discuss your hesitations and try to develop strategies for participating in ways that feel comfortable and manageable for you.
The following books can all be accessed via Loyola Law School's subscription to West Academic Study Aids.
Pay close attention to communications from the Office of Career Services and take advantage of their expertise. As a student you can sign up for one-on-one career counseling sessions, practice job interviews, and resume & cover letter workshops. This is also the office from which you will hear about career fairs, job postings, and networking opportunities. Career Services uses the digital learning platform Pearson (accessible to current Loyola law students) to post resources, data, and for booking career counseling appointments.
If you feel uncertain about anything related to career development (e.g., what career path/s you want to explore, when to start or how to go about your summer and post-degree job searches, whether a particular career fair is worth your time and travel expenses, whether there is any financial aid or scholarship money available to help with the cost of attending a career fair, what opportunities to pursue in furtherance of your career goals, etc.) the very knowledgeable individuals at Career Services are who you want to talk to. They are deeply invested in your success and will work with you to clarify your goals, identify opportunities that are aligned with your goals, and develop strategies to achieve your goals.
A good mentor can be a valuable resource when navigating the demands of law school and the transition to practicing law. Some of the law student mentoring programs listed below are also available to early career lawyers.
Joining professional organizations can be a good source of networking and professional development opportunities. Many professional organizations offer free or discounted membership to law students and/or first year lawyers. You can often find a calendar of events and/or information regarding the offerings and activities available through these organizations on their websites.
Loyola Law School students in need of professional clothing may schedule a time to visit and browse Quinlan Closet, a collection of new or gently worn professional business attire. Clothing can be borrowed and returned (where it will be dry cleaned and made available again) or kept, free of charge.
