Associations and Contacts

On Sep 30, the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) held a law student welcome reception.  The reception included free food and spirits.  When law students hear the word "free," their hearts skip a beat!  Law students love free stuff, especially food and alcohol.

The purpose of the reception was not to feed the law students; instead, the evening's purpose was to introduce the students to the section and committee groups at the SDCBA.  These are much like any other special focus group - each has a theme and a common core group of lawyers.  The groups socialize, hold meetings about events affecting their specialized concern, and fulfill the bar association's requirements for continued education.

The SDCBA encourages law students to join some sections and committees.  At Cal Western, the school sponsors the students for up to three sections (membership in the SDCBA and the individual sections requires dues - the school pays for the first year and the three sections).  Another "free" event for students - they know how to motivate us!

The key to these events and meetings is face time.  While a first year law student's time is occupied for the most part with school and, for some, family, meeting and mingling with local lawyers is crucial to internships and jobs.  Allowing the lawyers to get to know you and recognize your face aids in the internship process and the job application process.  (Realize, I'm not talking from experience; I'm only repeating items spoken by the lawyers and 2L's and 3L's.)

But it makes sense.  If faced with hiring an intern or a new lawyer, the firm will be more inclined to hire someone the firm knows and likes.  For the firm to know you and like you, you have to get your foot in the door.  The meetings and events sponsored by the local bar association are a way to do it.

The SDCBA event was a RSVP event.  I was disappointed to see a table of name tags late in the event.  This means numerous students signed up for the event, but for one reason or another, failed to show up.  Obviously, those of us who did show up benefited from the non-attenders - we now have a leg up on them. 

I was disappointed because those non-attenders do have an impact on the rest of us.  A bad apple in a bushel can influence the sale of the entire bushel.  I hope, though, the impact is minimal.

Associations (net working) and contacts are crucial to life after law school.  Better to start early than later.