How To Make Money From Holiday Networking Events

It is extremely difficult for young attorneys to generate business, but holiday parties are great places to start trying.

I had the pleasure of attending the Above the Law holiday party last week, and it was an awesome event!  It was great to meet so many people from every part of the legal community, and it is always a pleasure to hang out with all of the editors and staff at Above the Law.  Holiday events like the Above the Law party are not only great opportunities to score free food and booze, but can also be used to expand your professional network.  If you make the right contacts, you can also use such events to originate business and be rewarded accordingly.

As I mentioned in a prior Above the Law article and on my own website, I made extra money during my student debt repayment saga from bonuses I received for generating business.  I used any additional money I made from origination bonuses to pay down my student debt.

In order to meet potential clients and cultivate contacts, it is necessary to appear at as many networking events as possible.  The holiday season is the perfect time to attend such events, since many organizations host parties and outings that can be very beneficial when trying to originate business.

The first part of any networking strategy is to seek out worthwhile events to attend.  When looking for networking events, it is important to first research whether any organizations that you are already a member of are holding such events.  Alumni groups are a great source of networking opportunities, and I regularly attend events sponsored by my law school and my undergraduate alma maters.  Not only is it great to catch up with old friends at alumni events, but potential clients naturally have an affinity for other people who attended the same schools as them.  All told, meeting fellow alumni could be a great way to generate business.

If you are looking for additional ways to network, it might be worth it to join a bar organization, and it is even more beneficial to serve on a committee of a state or local bar association.  I did not pursue this option when trying to generate business, but friends tell me that lawyers they met from local bar association events routinely refer business to them.  You could also join organizations connected to your religious background, and at my peak, I attended events from half a dozen groups associated with my religion.  All told, there are many ways that you can find networking opportunities, and it is important to rely on existing and new connections when seeking out events to attend.

When you attend networking events, it is important to find the right people to talk to in order to maximize your chances of making meaningful connections.  I personally try to connect with people who are older than me, but not old enough to be my parent.  It is fine to connect with peers, but it is not likely that people less than 10 years removed from law school will be able to refer you business.  It is also tough to network with older people, since they will just try to be your mentor, and it is difficult to convince people decades your senior that you are experienced and competent.  I find that networking with people more senior than me but not too much older provides the best chance to make a meaningful connection.

Probably the most awkward part of networking at a holiday party is breaking the ice to start a conversation.  Fortunately, there are many openers that can be used on pretty much all attorneys.  You can start a conversation by asking about where the contact went to law school or what types of law that person practices.  Around the holidays, it is always great to ask about what holiday plans your contact has.  It is also a good idea to break the ice with information about yourself that might be interesting.  Since I am 6’8’’ tall, people usually ask me questions related to my height, and I have canned, funny answers for pretty much any question that I could be asked about being tall.  Any interesting tidbit about yourself could be a great way to stand out and connect with contacts at holiday networking events.

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It is also important to follow up with everyone you connect with at these events within a day after meeting them.  Usually, I write down some details about a contact on their business card so I can easily remember information about the person.  After an event, I typically email potential contacts, and I try to make my messages as personal as possible.  It is also important to keep emailing contacts so that they keep you in mind should a business opportunity arise.  If your firm writes newsletters, it is easy to send these publications to potential clients.  Even if your firm does not have this resource, it is simple to send contacts news stories and other materials they might find interesting.  This requires a little more effort, but keeping in touch this way places you on the radar of potential clients.

I am not going to lie, it is extremely difficult for young attorneys to generate business, and only around five percent of the contacts I cultivate lead to potential business.  However, you miss all of the chances you do not take, and the holiday season is a great time to attend networking events.

And even if your efforts to generate business are unfruitful, there is still a great chance you’ll be able to score free food and booze along the way!


Jordan Rothman is the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a personal finance website discussing how he paid off all $197,890.20 of his college and law school student loans over 46 months of his late 20s. You can reach him at Jordan@studentdebtdiaries.com.

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