Winter break is just around the corner and if you are like me you are thinking it is not a moment too soon.  Even though all of us are ready for a much-needed break, I wanted to remind you that winter break is a perfect time for networking.  Many law firms and alumni associations host winter open houses or holiday receptions for law students and alums.  These receptions and open houses are an easy way to connect with alums and attorneys in your area, as well as a great way to start developing relationships that could be beneficial to you throughout your career.

For those of you who panic at the thought of meeting new people or are unsure how to start the networking process, columnist and New York Times bestselling author Harvey Mackay has a few suggestions for you.

“The ABCs of Networking”

If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts. I could lose all my money and all my factories, but leave me my contacts and I’ll be back as strong as ever in three to five years. Networking is that important.

The alphabet is a great place to start as you build your network — organize your contacts from A to Z. I’ve written two other ABC columns — the ABCs of selling and the ABCs of teamwork. Now it’s time for the ABCs of networking:

A is for antennae, which should be up every waking moment. Never pass up an opportunity to meet new people.

B is for birthdays. It’s always advantageous to know the birthdays of your contacts. You wouldn’t believe how much business our sales reps write up when they call on their customers’ birthdays.

C is for contact management system. Have your data organized so that you can cross reference entries and find the information you need quickly.

D is for Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty, my networking book.

E is for exchange and expand. When two people exchange dollar bills, each still has only one dollar. But when two people exchange networks, they each have access to two networks.

F is for Facebook and all other social media. These sites open unlimited possibilities for networking. Use them wisely.

G is for gatekeeper. There usually is a trusted assistant trained to block or grant your access. Don’t waste their time, and make sure you acknowledge their significant role in reaching the boss.

H is for hearing. Make note of news you hear affecting someone in your network so you can reference it at the appropriate time.

I is for information. You can’t (and shouldn’t) talk about business all the time. Learn everything you can about your contacts’ families, pets, hobbies and interests. Humanize your approach.

J is for job security, which you will always have if you develop a good network.

K is for keeping in touch. If your network is going to work, you have to stay plugged in and keep the wires humming.

L is for lessons. The first real networking school I signed up for after I graduated from college was Toastmasters. Dale Carnegie schools are designed to achieve similar goals.

M is for mentors. In the best of all possible worlds, your role models can become your mentors, helping you, advising you, guiding you, even lending you their network as you build your own.

N is for a network of contacts. A network can enrich your life.

O is for outgoing. Be the first to introduce yourself, lend a hand, or send congratulations for a job well done.

P is for people. You have to love people to be a good networker.

Q is for quality. A large network is worthless unless the people in it can be counted on to answer in an emergency at 2 a.m.

R is for Reciprocity. You give; you get. You no give; you no get. If you only do business with people you know and like, you won’t be in business very long.

S is for six degrees of separation, the thought that there is a chain of no more than six people that link every person. Someone you know knows someone who knows someone you want to know.

T is for telephone. Landline, cell, internet — this is a critical tool for staying in touch with your network.

U is for urgency. Don’t be slow to answer the call, even if you never expect to have your effort repaid.

V is for visibility. You’ve got to get involved in organizations and groups to get connected, but don’t confuse visibility with credibility. You have to give in order to get.

W is not only for whom you know, but also for who knows you?

X is for the extra mile. Your network contacts will go the extra mile for you, and you must be willing to do the same for them.

Y is for yearly check-in. Find a way, even if it’s just a holiday card, to stay in touch.

Z is for zip code — do you have plenty represented in your network?

Mackay’s Moral: You don’t have to know everything as long as you know the people who do.

Learn more networking tips at www.harveymackay.com

Many of you had questions about study abroad programs during your small study group meetings. For those of you that are interested in participating in either the Washburn Law Summer Study Abroad Program in Barbados or the Independent Study Abroad Program in Maastricht, the program information can be found under the Study Abroad tab on the Washburn University School of Law home page or at http://washburnlaw.edu/studyabroad/. Below you will find some general information about both programs. I have also included information on the law schools Visiting Credit Policy for student who are interested in participating in another law schools program.

Washburn Law Summer Study Abroad Program in Barbados

• This program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to understand their legal system more fully through comparative study of the Caribbean system while living in a stimulating West Indian university environment
• Any U.S. or Canadian law student in good standing at a law school who have completed one year of academic work prior to May 23, 2011 are eligible for the program.
• http://washburnlaw.edu/studyabroad/barbados/

Washburn Law – Maastricht Study Abroad Program

• This program is designed to allow Washburn law students to enroll in one semester (or in certain circumstances, one year) of international law and comparative law courses offered by the Faculty of Law at Maastricht University, in the Netherlands. Through their coursework, students will be exposed to the socio-legal environment of the Netherlands and Europe.
• Washburn law students who have completed one year of full-time study, and who are in good standing, are qualified to seek enrollment in this program.
• http://washburnlaw.edu/studyabroad/maastricht/

Visiting Credit Policy

• For students that are interested in doing a different type of study abroad than what is offered here at Washburn here are some things to keep in mind.
• Washburn University School of Law accepts up to six hours of credit for students visiting at another law school on the following conditions:
  • The law school must be ABA accredited school.
  • The course grade received must be equivalent to C or better. Only course credit transfers to Washburn, not the grade.
  • Required courses and upper level writing and oral requirement must be taken at Washburn. A “Perspectives on the Law” course may be taken at another law school. Credit will not be given for courses that duplicate course completed at Washburn.
  • The course must be approved in advance of enrollment by the Washburn University School of Law Curriculum Committee. Students must submit an Application to Transfer Visiting Credit to Washburn Law, listing proposed courses byname and attaching catalog description of the courses.
• http://washburnlaw.edu/students/forms/visitotherschool.php

Study Abroad Frequently Asked Questions

• When do most students participate in a study abroad program?
  • Most students participate in a study abroad program the summer of the 1L year or during their 3L year, depending on the type of study abroad program.
• What do students do that are interested in participating in a study abroad and getting work experience?
  • Some students complete internships or externships before or after the summer abroad program.
• Where do I go to find information about the Washburn University School of Law study abroad programs?
  • Washburn Law study abroad information can be found under the Study Abroad tab on the Washburn University School of Law home page or at http://washburnlaw.edu/studyabroad/.
• Where do I go to find information about other schools’ study abroad programs?
  • The National Jurist has a wealth of information about other schools’ study aboard programs, http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/study-abroad.

With the kick-off of this year’s Mentor Program right around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to talk about what being a mentee entails.  Your mentor, depending on your needs and goals as a mentee, could potentially greatly influence your law school success and satisfaction.  A mentor’s particular influence and activities depend on many different factors, including your own needs and goals; the mentor’s abilities, interests, and temperament; and the “chemistry’ between you and your mentor.  Ida O. Abbott, Esq. recently published a booklet on ways to make mentoring successful through The Association for Legal Career Professional.  Here are few of Ms. Abbott’s suggestions to help you work effectively with your mentors. 

1. Taking mentoring seriously.  Mentoring relationships requires serious commitment from both you and your mentor.  In Today’s fast-paced, high-pressured world, you, the mentee, must take responsibility to ensure that mentoring occurs. 
2. Demonstrate your commitment.  Mentors are more willing to give you their time and attention when they know that you are committed to your career and your profession. 
3. Demonstrate your worthiness.  Show your mentor that you are worth the time and effort that mentoring requires. 
4. Be curious and eager to learn.  Let your mentor know you welcome hearing new ideas and different perspectives. 
5. Expect guidance, not rescue.  It is not the role of a mentor to solve your problems, correct your mistakes, or get you out of difficult situations.  Go to your mentor for advice and suggestions, ask your mentor to help you explore various work and professional options, but do not expect your mentor to take care of problems for you. 
6. Be clear about parameters.  With your mentor, go over details of how you will work together, including:
   1. When, where, and how often you will meet.
   2. How you will communicate
7. Let your mentor know the kind of help you would like.  It will be easier to establish your relationship and set mentoring goals if you are clear about how your mentor can help you. 
8. Stay alert for learning experiences.  Every professional encounter is a potential learning experience.  The advantage of having a mentor is that you can ask questions about and discuss these encounters. 
9. Be a keen observer.  Mentors are often excellent role models.  Observe how your mentor handles clients, colleagues, work challenges, and ethical issues. 
10. Solicit your mentor’s advice.  If you want advice or guidance, be as specific as possible.  State the facts, the dilemmas or issues you face, and the kind of advice you want.  This makes it easier for your mentor to respond meaningfully. 
11. Ask for feedback.  Make it easy for your mentor to give you feedback.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, the above referenced booklet is available in the Professional Development Office.   Good luck! 

Thanks to Ida O. Abbott, Working with a Mentor 50 Practical Strategies for Success (2d ed.2006)

Call-back interviews happen in many different ways.  They can take place at the interviewing law firm, here at the school, or over a meal.  If your call-back interview takes place over a meal always remember, when you are eating with potential employers you are still being interviewed.  Do not let the relaxed atmosphere lull you into relaxing your guard.  Callista Gould, a certified etiquette instructor with the Culture and Manners Institute, lists ten tips to make sure your table manners are ready for the call-back meal interview.         

Tackling Table Manners

Tips for Your Team

Here are ten errors to avoid:

1. Delay of Game:  Arrive early for your business meal, whether you are the host or the guest.  Do not order alcohol while you are waiting. 
2. False Start:  Wait for the host to tell you where to sit.  Place your napkin on your lap when your host does and being eating after your host.  Order first, then talk business. 
3. Illegal Procedure:  Napkins are not for blowing your nose or spitting out unwanted objects.  Blot your lips with your napkin between food and drink.  Remove unwanted objects with thumb and index finger, cupped fingers or discreetly moving the object from your mouth to the fork or spoon. 
4. Pass Interference:  When someone asks for the salt or pepper, you may not intercept and use it for yourself.  The same goes for shared dishes, which are passed to the right (counterclockwise).  Salt and pepper are passed together, one in each hand. 
5. Illegal Use of Hands:  Do not reach for items beyond your grasp.  Say “please pass the…” and “thank you” when it arrives. 
6. Illegal Motion:  Keep your elbows in.  No elbows on the table except between courses when there is no food on the table. 
7. Unnecessary Roughness:  Be kind to the cook, especially when dining in someone’s home.  Do not say you do not like something.  Let the host/hostess know when you do.  (This is delicious!)
8. Technical Foul:  Do not lose patience with the wait staff – kill them with kindness.  Try not to send anything back, unless it is so undercooked it is crawling off the plate. 
9. Unsportsmanlike Conduct:  Do not talk or take a drink with food in your mouth.  Do not use a toothpick or chew ice.  No grooming at the table – do not use a comb, nail clippers or apply lipstick. 
10. Fumble:  If you spill something on another person, such as a glass of wine, apologize and offer to reimburse him or her for the cleaning expenses. 

When the meal is over, do not stack the dishes or push them away.  Leave your napkin slightly crumpled to the left of your place setting. 

If you need additional information on what to do or not to do during a lunch or dinner interview see Kimm Alayne Walton, Guerrilla Tactics For Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams,  614-628 (2d ed. Thompson/West 2008)(1995), visit the Culture and Manners Institute online at www.cultureandmanners.com, or stop by the Professional Development Office.  Good luck!

1. Try to use a common font when typing your documents.  Examples of common fonts are Arial, Garamond, and Times New Roman.
2. Indents should be preset.  Do not use the spacebar or multiple tabs for spacing. 
3. Use Microsoft Word Version 5.0 or higher for the best results.
4. Do not encrypt files or use password protection, locks, macros, frames, or tables. 
5. Do not force your margins.  A minimum margin of three-quarters of an inch is recommended. 
6. Do not use page breaks. 
7. Do not use headers or footers. 
8. Avoid extremely long files names.  For instance a document named My_Cover_Letter_For_Pricewaterhousecoopers_For_Fall_2010.doc should not be used. 
9. Your resume should be limited to one page.  If your resume is longer than one page, it must not exceed the maximum file upload size of 200KB (200,000 bytes.)
10. If your PDF file does not convert properly, upload it in the original file format (e.g. MS Word) and let the system complete the conversion. 

Wondering if you should move on from your first job? Check out this article first published in the KBA’s Young Lawyer’s Forum in Spring 2009.

What if Your First Job isn’t the Right Fit

PSLawNet has added a new resource to their site: State and Local Government Resources, available at www.pslawnet.org/stateandlocalgovernmentresources. This new page includes links to hundreds of state and local government agencies that hire attorneys and/or law students. It is searchable by state via an interactive map and includes listings for many major city employers as well.

This is a great article on approaching your job search and explains why not to bulk e-mail your resume, how to plan your day, how volunteering can help, the importance of building human networks, and what to avoid on the Internet.

This is a cautionary tale. I write it so that you can learn from my mistakes. I was one who did not attend bar events as a student. I did not take advantage of the many networking opportunities available to me during my time at Washburn Law. I would send several applications for jobs, and just wait for the rejection letter that would inevitably come weeks or sometimes months later, if at all. It was not until I graduated, passed the bar and started working in the PDO that I recognized the importance of following up…it truly is the most important thing you can do after sending an application. To steal imagery from Margann Bennett, picture a busy employer with a large stack of application packets on her desk. Finding you a job is not on the top of her to do list. But finding a job is on the top of your to do list. You can make yourself stand out by simply picking up the phone and calling. All you have to say is, “Hi, this is ______, I’m calling to make sure you received my application packet and to let you know that I am still very interested in the position.” And be prepared for a phone interview on the spot (see below). Even if the employer tells you that she is still reviewing applications, undoubtedly, your packet just got pulled from the stack and placed on top. I am proof that following up with employers is worth the effort.

I sent application packets to four employers on a Thursday afternoon. Two weeks went by and true to form, I forgot to follow up. It was Friday (two weeks and one day later) at 3pm when I finally started making follow up calls. The first employer I reached asked if I was returning his call from the day before. I had missed his call! He explained that they were setting up phone interviews to decide who to invite down for an in person interview and asked if I had time right then. I did, and proceeded to have a 45 minute phone interview. At the end of our conversation, he asked if I could come down the following Monday and interview. I said yes and the interview went well. By the time I got home (after lunch and a three and a half hour drive) the day of the interview, I received an offer. I can’t help but think that if I had not followed up I would not have had another chance at this opportunity. Clearly they were ready to hire, as they offered me the job the same day as the personal interview, so I doubt they would have called again. Beyond this, I can’t help but wonder if I would have been successful in my job search sooner, had I followed up with all the potential employers I solicited.