Legal Networking Through Community Engagement

Dear law students, network now, often and never stop. What kind of networking did I do while in law school?” The honest answer? Not nearly enough. If I could go back, here’s what I wish I had done (and what I recommend to every law student now): Join and show up to local bar association events (even as a student member—they want to meet you!). Attend Kiwanis, Rotary, Toastmasters and Chamber of Commerce meetings—because these are the people who refer cases and shape your community. Volunteer for legal clinics, expunction fairs, and pro bono events. Ask practicing attorneys for coffee—not for a job, just to learn their story. Keep in touch with classmates in other areas of law or different cities. Say yes to invitations, even when I felt out of place or “not ready”. Join Facebook groups, local legal Listservs, or online forums where lawyers help each other. Follow up after networking events—not just meet people, but stay connected. Treat every class, internship, and job like a long-term relationship—not just a grade or a paycheck. I used to think networking was something you start after you pass the bar. But the truth is: networking starts the day you decide to go to law school. To any current law student reading this: You don’t have to wait until you feel confident. Just show up. Ask questions. Take interest in others. That’s how real networking begins. If you’re a practicing attorney, what’s something you wish you’d done earlier in your career?

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been putting together all the advice I’ve received over the past year or so, bits of wisdom from more than 40 lawyers I’ve had the privilege of meeting. After all these conversations, this seems to be the collective consensus on what a young lawyer should be doing: 🔹 Build a meaningful network. Your network is your most valuable asset, but don’t just build it for career growth. Use it to understand the deeper needs of the legal industry. Focus on genuine relationships, not just transactions. Join professional groups and engage with professionals beyond legal circles, including legal tech, business, and public policy. 🔹 Be curious and proactive. Reach out to experienced lawyers with personalized messages, attend events, and always follow up. Go beyond surface-level networking by asking meaningful questions about where legal services are falling short. Pay attention to recurring frustrations faced by businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals. These gaps often hold the biggest opportunities. 🔹 Offer value and stay engaged. Share insights, introduce contacts, or volunteer because in networking, "givers gain." Listen more than you speak, track patterns in conversations, and keep in touch with your connections even when you don’t need anything. Toronto’s legal market is small, and your reputation travels fast. Your biggest advantage won’t just come from networking but from using those relationships to identify and act on the legal industry’s blind spots. What do you think? Do you agree? Would you add or challenge anything on this list? Let me know in the comments! 👇 - - - Hi, I’m Claudio – a law student and podcast host. I’m on a mission to connect with 75 lawyers before I graduate. Follow me and tap the 🔔 to stay updated on this journey. Let’s connect!

There's a hard way to grow a legal network and an easy way. The hard way is reaching out to people and trying to find a connection. The easy way to grow your legal network is to leverage existing communities: 1. Focus on one community The real goal of building a legal network is joining a community. Communities can be based on practice area or affinity (e.g. South Asian lawyers). Some communities are formal (like a bar association). Many others are informal clusters of professionals. When you're part of a community, formal or informal, ideas and information flows easily. You're one of the gang, so people feel comfortable sharing insights and experiences because it increases the value of the community. 2. After identifying a community, reach out In the beginning, your goal is to connect with one person in a community, and learn what they do. You'll want to do some basic research on the industry - market trends, which law firms are leaders, what are new laws or regulations that are top of mind. But don't feel like you have to have all the answers - you're here to learn. But you're here to learn what a specific person does, so express curiosity about the person you're talking to. 3. Create triangles Ask new contacts in the community who else you should meet. Then meet them. You'll build triangle of relationships over time. You know Priya, you know Alex, Priya knows Alex. Priya knows you know Alex, and Alex knows you know Priya. These triangles form the basis of you joining the community and being part of the flow of exchange of ideas. 4. Help your community If there's a formal community, you can contribute through existing channels. A bar association might need people to present on CLE topics - you get a chance to show what you're learning and help others. For informal communities, you can make introductions to people who don't know each other. You can also help people by interviewing leaders and sharing job opportunities. 5. Be consistent Stay in touch with people. Pick a cadence that works for you and stick with it. You've done the hard work up front, now all you have to do is tend to your investment. If you want to stay in touch with people at scale, you can post on social media, run a newsletter, host a podcast. Ready to send that first message? Nothing like starting today.