Few students enter law school knowing for certain in what area of the law they'll eventually practice. From serving in public interest and government positions to big-firm practice or solo practitioner settings, the options abound—and they can be daunting.Thanks to Regent University School of Law's Office of Career & Alumni Services, Regent's law students had the opportunity to meet attorneys from a wide variety of practice settings at the recent speed networking event on Wednesday, Feb. 8. The annual event is designed to expose students to the career options open to them.
Over the course of a dozen brief one-on-one networking rounds, held in the Robertson Hall atrium, more than 50 law students were able to explore multiple practice areas while conversing with local attorneys. Twenty-five local attorneys ranging from corporate counsel, public defenders, solo practitioners, judicial clerks and government lawyers attended the event.
This particular event is a huge boon to the students, who often find themselves with internship offers before they leave the building.
According to Kathy Stull, assistant director of Career & Alumni Services, this year three law students were offered internships from local attorneys as a result of the speed networking event.
"This year's speed networking was a huge success," Stull said. "It's one of our biggest and most popular events all year, and it's indicative of the lengths the Office of Career Services goes to enable our students to own their careers."
Quite often events like speed networking are just the beginning of the school's long term relationship with local attorneys and firms. According to Stull, students who attend such events are able to arrange for future interviews with attorneys in attendance, and the attorneys themselves often decide to pursue regular on-campus interviews as a result of their positive experiences.
Each year, in addition to interview coaching, resume blitzes, online social networking workshops and over 40 professional panels and events programming, the law school's Office of Career & Alumni services holds over 1,300 on-one-one career counseling sessions with current law students.
Learn more about Regent Law's Office of Career & Alumni Services and view Regent alumni employment and Bar passage statistics.
By Sean Kirnan