By: Chloe Sension
Networking is heavily encouraged in law school, almost from day one. Of course, focusing on grades and academic achievements is essential too, but networking is often the key to getting jobs and internships. That has certainly been true for me. I have obtained all of my internships in law school, so far, through networking. The methods, however, might surprise you.
I moved to Chicago for law school, and I attend the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Law. Not knowing anyone here, except for a few aunts and cousins in the area who are non-lawyers, forced me to network right away. I attended student organization and bar association events, and I decided to start my legal networking by building my own identity. I made an Instagram account and connected with everyone whose bio description included “law student” or “lawyer” or “attorney.” One of those new connections was a civil rights attorney, Brian Orozco, who I saw was from California and reached out. He was also from Southern California, and he sent me a direct message offering help and advice. I responded and set up a Zoom meeting to meet him. A few months later when his firm was hiring summer interns, he remembered me. He reached out, encouraged me to apply, and I landed my first legal job ever – through Instagram!
That same summer, I was taking an accelerated class in appellate advocacy that ended with an internal moot court competition. Finding a passion for appellate work in the process, I excelled and advanced to the final round of the competition. The final round was judged by actual judges, including the Honorable James A. Shapiro of the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. After the final round of arguments, but before the results, Judge Shapiro offered to meet myself and my opponent for advice in the future. Again, I followed up. After winning the competition, I reached out to the judge, expressing my interest to connect. We met on Zoom, and during our conversation, he offered me a job. This past spring, I was his judicial extern.
Finally, while attending a Women’s Bar Association event last summer, the Riverside Social on August 24, 2022, I landed my 2L summer job. Attending a bar association networking event as a law student can be quite intimidating, especially when you go alone. I gravitated towards other law students at the event, and I met a few other young women who also attend UIC Law. In speaking with them, I shared my interest in appellate law. One of the women asked if I knew Justice Jesse G. Reyes of the Illinois Appellate Court. When I said no, she offered to introduce me (women supporting women is the best!). We walked over to meet him, and after an enjoyable conversation with the Justice, he offered me a job to work for him at the Appellate Court. Surprised and honored, I accepted. That is where I’ve spent my summer this year.
These experiences have shown me that while grades and school involvements are important, attending events, following up, and being open to opportunities from anywhere can often lead to where you want to go. None of these employers asked for my resume. None asked for my class ranking. I was hired because I networked, I reached out, I risked putting myself out there. I do concede that I am rather social and extroverted, which can help when networking. Nevertheless, I hope this piece of my story encourages other law students to seek opportunities in networking that are non-traditional, non-application methods to legal employment.
This article was originally published in the WBAI 2023-2024 Year in Review Newsletter on page 15.