How to Build Professional Connections as a Paralegal

Quick Highlights:

• Start networking early and begin building legal connections during college through networking events, internships, and leveraging school resources.
• Engage in networking through professional associations, industry conferences, and online platforms like LinkedIn.
• Continuously nurture and maintain your professional network, even after securing a job, to aid future career transitions.
• Use mentors for guidance and to avoid common career missteps.

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a paralegal, it is important to learn how to network as a paralegal. Legal networking tips can help you start building legal connections for finding out about job opportunities and locating good references. With the best professional networking in law, you can get support during your job search and have an easier time garnering references from professionals in the industry. 

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• Is a Bachelor’s in Paralegal Studies Worth It?

Understanding the Basics of Networking

At its heart, networking for paralegals is all about relationship building. There is an old saying that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When it comes to finding jobs, this saying is incredibly true.  

When you have built a professional network in the legal field, you can hear about jobs before they are listed online. Instead of having to send an application through an automated application system, you can get your resume seen by a hiring manager right away. Once you have an interview, the hiring manager is more likely to hire you if you have a professional reference who already works for the company. 

There are many benefits to learning legal field networking strategies. Other than hearing about potential job openings right away, you can get career advice for paralegals and extra support. Developing professional relationships in law circles allows you to get new perspectives. More importantly, learning how to network as a paralegal will open up new opportunities that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. 

Starting with School

One of the best legal networking tips is to begin your legal industry networking years before you try looking for a job. Many schools host networking events for paralegals and opportunities for connecting with lawyers. You can capitalize on these opportunities to develop a professional network that you can later use after you have finished your college degree.   

Utilize School Resources

When you’re still in school, you don’t have to work hard to find potential networking opportunities. Often, schools will host career fairs and legal job networking events. As you reach your final year in school, your school may even give you legal internships and networking opportunities for post-graduation.  

Beyond career fairs and internships, you should try to form relationships with your professors. Your professors have experience working in the industry, and they know every student who has graduated before you. Because of this, they can often help you with building legal connections. 

Join Student Organizations

While you are still in school, you can start joining legal associations. For example, you may be able to find relevant student groups. Many schools have a legal studies association or paralegal club where you can meet peers who have similar interests.  

Leveraging Internships and Practical Experiences

Another one of the best legal networking tips is to sign up for internships. Internships and other practical experiences allow you to meet other people who work in the industry. Other than gaining work experience, these internships are an opportunity for you to garner references and personal recommendations. 

To maintain the network you build during an internship, you should ask for an email address, phone number, or other contact information from the close connections you form. Then, ask the connection if you can use them as a reference. If you do need to use the person for a reference in the future, make sure to give them a heads up if someone may be calling them about your job application. 

Another way to build your network is by adding people to your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a popular site for professional networking, and it is an easy way to discover potential opportunities in your industry. 

Attending Industry Conferences and Seminars 

If you’re struggling with professional networking in law environments, try taking part in an industry conference or seminar. Many people sign up for industry conferences to network with other professionals. In addition, these conferences are an excellent way to educate yourself about the industry. 

You can also try approaching speakers after they have finished talking. Introduce yourself and discuss something interesting you learned from their speech. Then, offer your business card. They only have so much time to talk to people at the event, so be as concise as possible. 

Joining Professional Associations

Next on the list of legal networking tips is to try joining legal associations. There are many different legal groups and community organizations that can help you with learning how to network as a paralegal. Some of these associations are even exclusively focused on paralegals. 

For example, you can start by joining the National Association of Legal Assistants. For additional paralegal professional development, try joining the American Bar Association.

These types of legal associations are especially useful for paralegal career networking because they host conferences and educational events where you can meet other people. They also provide educational materials and support with getting your paralegal certification.   

In addition to going to paralegal-specific associations, you can also try networking through community organizations, like local charities. Many business groups and charities host regular networking and fundraising events. 

Engaging With Online Professional Networks 

If you live in a small area, networking for legal job success doesn’t have to occur in person. You can also use online platforms for building legal connections. For example, many legal professionals are on LinkedIn. 

To succeed with online networking for paralegals, you should start by improving your LinkedIn profile. You should completely fill out your job history and educational experience. You can also ask people who are in your current professional network to provide you with recommendations, so potential employers can gain a better understanding of who you are as a worker.    

Building and Maintaining Relationships 

You don’t want to use legal networking tips during college and forget about them after you start your career. The average person will have 12 jobs in their lifetime according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While your current paralegal job might be your first position in the field, it likely won’t be the last job title you ever have. 

Because of this, it is especially important to maintain the job connections and network you have built. At some point in the future, you will most likely need to reach out to this network when you decide to pursue another position in the future. 

Some of the best networking skills for legal professionals involve maintaining your existing professional network. On a simple level, maintaining your network involves staying in touch with your connections. Reach out to them from time to time to see how they are doing and update them on changes in your life. 

You can also go beyond simply staying in touch. As your career develops, you may want to reach out to your network to ask for career advice. Other people have experienced similar job complaints and promotions in the past, so they are excellent resources whenever you have a question. 

As a part of staying in touch with your network, you should look for ways to be helpful to your connections. Basically, figure out ways to add value to the relationship with your peers and mentors. This may be through recommending them for a promotion, telling them about a potential job opening, or offering them career advice when they need it. 

These relationships are intended to be multi-directional, so don’t simply ask for help all the time. There needs to be a give-and-take. Whenever possible, provide other people with the same kind of support and advice you want to receive. 

Learning From Mentors 

The reason why you want to work on professional networking in law is so that you can advance your career. As a part of this goal, you should take time to listen to feedback from your mentors. There are many missteps you can make during your career, and your mentors can help you avoid these common problems. 

If you don’t currently have a mentor, you can start by looking for someone with more career experience than you. For example, try looking for someone who has the job title you want to have in five years. Then, you can try reaching out to them on LinkedIn or in person. You could ask them about meeting up for coffee so that you can ask them for career advice. 

During the coffee meeting, be approachable. Express the type of mentoring you are looking for and demonstrate a willingness to do the work required to progress in your career. Then, be respectful of the other person’s boundaries and time. They may be able to serve as your mentor, but you should also understand if they aren’t able to make that time commitment. 

Begin Your Professional Networking in Law Today 

By learning how to network as a paralegal, you can take the next step in reaching your career goals. The best legal networking tips involve building legal connections, reaching out to a mentor, and maintaining your professional network. Over time, these steps can make a major difference in your career. 

To achieve your career dreams, you need to begin networking as early as possible. The best legal networking tips start while you are still pursuing your college degree. Then, use these tips to maintain and grow your professional connections for the rest of your career.