Transcript Networking For Lawyers

Professional Online Image
Chapman Law School
Laurie Rowen and Erin Giglia
Co-owners/founders - Montage Legal Group, LLC
Why is a Professional Online Image
Important?
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Initial Job Search – Law firms will definitely Google you, so a professional online
image is step 1 in the job search process. Online image can break your job
search!
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Career Success - A professional online image can help you switch jobs or obtain
clients, whether through referrals from lawyers or directly from businesses.
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Social media is used for networking, and your online image is the only thing
people see.
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Potential employers and potential clients may currently be “friends” or
“connections” with you, so start being professional TODAY.
Social Media Options
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LinkedIn
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Facebook
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Twitter
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Google+
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Blogging
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New options will continue to arise
Social Media – General Advice
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Remain professional – professional photo, professional updates, and
professional comments on other people’s social media content. The same
rules apply to Twitter.
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Limit content - Don’t put anything up you that don’t want a prospective
employer, client or contact to see.
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Spend an appropriate amount of time on the appropriate social media
pages (i.e. increase LinkedIn time and decrease Facebook time)
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Social media is especially useful for shy people, who are able to appear
confident and personable over social media
What is a Personal Brand?
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Your Personal Brand is the powerful, clear, positive idea that comes to mind
whenever other people think of you. It’s what you stand for—the values,
abilities and actions that others associate with you. It’s a professional alter
ego designed for the purpose of influencing how others perceive you, and
turning that perception into opportunity.
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Who are you?
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What do you do?
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How are you different or special?
Creating Your Personal Brand
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Brainstorm with friends.
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What are your strengths? Emphasize them. Show, don’t just tell.
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What is your specific specialty? There are thousands of lawyers, so what
makes you unique?
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Personal branding takes time. Every case you have, article you write,
presentation you give will all contribute to your brand. Be strategic.
Refining Your Personal Brand
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What is your goal? Make sure your online image matches where you want to
be.
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Controversial topics – politics, religion. Be mindful of alienating your
audience.
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How personal is too personal? Your call! Be aware of the consequences.
Your Online Photo
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LinkedIn – Your LinkedIn photo must be professional, and always in a suit or
similar business attire. Make the photo look like it’s professional, even if
your friend is taking the photo. Get a headshot.
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Facebook – While interviewing or searching for a job, even your Facebook
photo should be professional, but less so than your LinkedIn photo.
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Photos that you posted, or where you are tagged, can be “fun” but untag
yourself in inappropriate photos.
Twitter – If you have a twitter account, the photo should match your
LinkedIn photo.
Using Social Media Properly
Humor has a time and place! Would you hire this guy?
Facebook Do’s and Don’ts
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Do - Share the successes of both your friends and some business contacts
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Do – Be mindful of your online image. What are you trying to portray? Be
consistent across mediums.
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Don’t – Complain - about anything - ever.
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Don’t – Over-share numerous personal details (how potty training is going,
how many illnesses have befallen your house, what you just ate).
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Don’t – Share any details at all about your past or current clients or cases, or
about your interviews.
Linked In – What It Is, and Is Not
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What is Linkedin?
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A social/business network; can be used as a contact management system.
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Gives people the ability to find you and your resume, use it as a tool to find
others, and manage your own contacts (assuming they are on Linkedin).
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A place to share and read business/professional information and articles.
What Linkedin Is Not.
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Linkedin is not a replacement for networking in person or for “real” relationships
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It’s not a fool-proof way to organize all contacts.
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A place to have social conversations
Linked In Advice
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Have a complete, accurate, and up-to-date profile, including areas of expertise,
articles published, presentations, honors/awards.
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Create “vanity profile”: i.e. www.linkedin.com/in/eringiglia
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Post updates, share your contacts’ accomplishments – they may return the favor.
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Decide whether to be an “open” or “closed” networker; for “open,” connect w/
super connectors to increase 2nd and 3rd degree connections
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Don’t use automatic request “I’d like to add you to my professional….”
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#1 Tip: Add connections in “Linked Contacts” and a “Relationship Tab” will
appear….PLEASE USE IT! http://contacts.linkedin.com/
New “Linkedin
Contacts”
• Automatically
knows the date
you connected
• Records how you
met
• Take private notes
• USE IT!
How to Use Linked Groups
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Linkedin Groups allow you to have connections that you never would have
met, and allows you to send “InMail” to these people.
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Join all Alumni Groups (high school, college, law school, etc.)
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Join local bar association groups, industry groups, or create your own
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When you post an update in the group, it will automatically send a message
to everyone in the group
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Don’t be annoying with too many post, don’t beg for a job, and don’t complain
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Post articles to start discussions
What is Twitter?
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Facebook is for friends and family, Linked-in is for business contacts, and
Twitter is for the general public, i.e. people you know and don’t know
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Terms: Following, tweeting, retweeting (i.e. sharing) @ symbol and # symbol
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If you have limited time, focus on Linked-in v. twitter
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Should you even have a Twitter account while you are in law school?
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Primary use during job search: Use it to “retweet” articles, ideas, and blog
posts of various law firms and lawyers, giving them “publicity”
Social Media - Ethical Issues for Lawyers
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Read and Understand Bar Rules
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All of the same rules of professional conduct that apply to lawyers apply to
lawyers online – Duties of candor, to maintain client confidences,
competence; advertising and soliciting rules; improper contact with parties;
ex parte communications, etc.
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Trouble arises because communications are easy, instant, and often informal
or spur of the moment.
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Online behavior is often permanent!
Advertising and Solicitation
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California Rule of Professional Conduct 1-400 – Communications may not: (1)
contain any untrue statement, (2) present anything false, deceptive, confusing,
deceptive, misleading to the public, (3) omit facts necessary to prevent
misleading the public, (4) fail to clearly indicate the communication is a
solicitation, (5) be transmitted in any manner which involves intrusion, coercion,
duress, compulsion, intimidation, threats, or vexatious or harassing conduct, (6)
state “certified specialist” unless they hold a current certificate.
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A member shall retain for two years a copy of any communication made by
written or electronic media. Upon written request, the member shall make any
such copy or recording available to the State Bar, and, if requested, shall provide
to the State Bar evidence to support any factual or objective claim contained in
the communication.
Common Mistakes Made Online
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Complaining online
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Sharing too much information
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Posting too much
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Posting inappropriate information or photos
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Exaggerating or flat-out lying in self-descriptions
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Poor grammar and misspelling words
What to Do After Your Set Up Your
Professional Online Image
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Use LinkedIn to “follow up” with people you meet online or in
person
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Continue to follow up with connections periodically using social
media
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Follow and write for legal blogs
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Set calendar reminders to follow up, and then follow up MORE!
Following Up – Three Easy Steps
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#1 Send contact an email (same night/next morning…at least within 18-24 hours)
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#2 Connect on LinkedIn
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Where you met, or if online, who connected you
Something personal you remember about them or your conversation
Remind them you are a law student looking for opportunities
Possibly attach your resume
Use notes section/relationships tabs so you can remember when and where you met them later
#3 Follow up: How can YOU help them? What do they want?
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REFERRALS: Refer them cases in their specialty
PUBLICITY: Share their articles or blog content on your social media
PERSONAL: Offer to help with their charity, listen v. speak to learn more about them
Social Media – How to Benefit from Blogs
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Subscribe to law firm blogs…you might learn a lot!
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Lawyers spend a lot of time blogging, and love when people read their posts.
Let lawyers know you are reading them by:
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Liking or commenting on post on Facebook
Commenting directly on their blog
Emailing them that you like their blog post
Sharing their blog post
Offer to write a guest post for their blog
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Lawyers are busy and most would love for a law student to prepare a guest post for
their blog on almost any legal topic. Offer, and follow through.
Social Media is Here to Stay
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Social media is not a trend. Invest the time to learn about all types since it
can only benefit you in the future.
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Like business Facebook pages, and continue to “like” their content.
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Share their articles on your own social media pages
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Congratulate contacts when they switch jobs or their Linked-in status
changes
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TAKE AWAY: Your online image matters from Day 1, never stop refining it