Networking and Relationship Building
During your job search process you will want to spend time building a network and creating relationships with lawyers who are in fields of interest to you.
This process will give you an idea of what lawyers in a given field actually do every day, and how best to position yourself to obtain a job.
Note: Please do not contact alumni and/or practitioners for employment or business purposes but rather contact them with the goal of obtaining informational interviews, asking for advice on practice areas and seeking information on legal trends and hiring in diverse geographic locations.
LL.M. Alumni Database
Office of Graduate Careers has created the LL.M. Alumni Database which has names and contact information of recent graduates from the LL.M. program. These recent graduates have indicated that they are willing to serve as a resource about career planning for current LL.M. students. You can review their details sorted by country of first law degree; LL.M. degree program; or current location (sorted by city, country).
Hoya Gateway Law Hub
Hoya Gateway Law Hub is an innovative program that facilitates career-related conversations between current Georgetown students and alumni. Students may use Hoya Gateway Law Hub to connect with alumni for in-person, one-on-one meetings in the form of an informational interview, resume review, mock interview or job shadowing.
Office of Graduate Careers manages a LinkedIn subgroup, LL.M. Careers, for Georgetown Law LL.M. students and alumni to connect with one another and with the LL.M. career advisors in Office of Graduate Careers. LL.M. Careers is a place for Graduate Career and Professional Development to post career-search-related content and a place for students and alumni to form relationships and to foster productive career development discussions.
Search for alumni from Georgetown and other schools you have attended. Enter the name of the school in the search bar on the top left, then click on “See alumni.” To narrow your search, type additional information or use the filters LinkedIn provides.
Please refer to our Career Manual and Handouts for more information on LinkedIn and other social networking sites.
American Bar Association (ABA) Calendar
For a comprehensive listing of ABA Section events scheduled during the year, visit the ABA Calendar. Consider joining a Section covering your area of professional interest, or even a Committee within a Section.
District of Columbia (D.C.) Bar Calendar
For a comprehensive listing of Washington, D.C., Bar events scheduled during the year, visit the D.C. Bar Events Calendar. Consider joining a Section covering your area of professional interest, or even a Committee within a Section. You should also consider attending events scheduled by the Maryland or Virginia Bar Associations.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
Georgetown Law offers comprehensive CLE programs throughout the year for attorneys practicing in the Washington, D.C. legal community. This resource is particularly good for more experienced LL.M. students and usually free of charge for Georgetown Law students. Just take your GOcard. Visit the Georgetown Law CLE Calendar.
People Resources
- Peers – Current Georgetown students are an invaluable source of information and potentially vital connections. Talk to classmates, peer advisors, and Law Fellows about their career path and connections.
*Don’t forget alumni of your undergraduate institution as potential peer contacts as well. - Friends/Family – Students often underestimate the value of their personal network. Talk to friends and family about your career goals and employers of interest, and you may be surprised what connections you uncover.
- Former colleagues – Maintaining connections with colleagues and supervisors from prior jobs and internships is a critical piece of building your professional network. These people know your skills on-the-job and are frequently well-positioned to forward you opportunities or speak on your behalf.
- Georgetown Law Career Advisors/Faculty/Administrators – Do not overlook the value of the in-house Georgetown network. Georgetown Law faculty, career advisors, and administrators have vast personal networks in addition to knowing years (sometimes decades) worth of alumni, and they are happy to facilitate introductions.
- Careers Programs – Take advantage of networking programs coordinated by the Office of Graduate Careers to meet new contacts, especially our employer receptions and Lunching with Lawyers. See the Programming Calendar and read the weekly Graduate Connections newsletter for information on upcoming programs.