With final exams in full swing here at Vanderbilt, the minds of many law students, both in Nashville and elsewhere around the country, have likely started to wander into thoughts of how they will be spending their winter break. Indeed, as front lawns and shopping malls are increasingly festooned with all manner of decorations, it is hard to ignore the fact that the holiday season is upon us.
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While many law students are eager to spend the holiday break engaging in some of their favorite activities which might have recently fallen by the wayside, such as eating a homecooked meal or sleeping, this extended period of time off also presents a prime opportunity for students to engage in the vital task of networking. This networking can take the form of continuing already established outreach, but winter break also provides a unique networking opportunity, the holiday party.
Aimed mainly at 1Ls, but occasionally open to all law students, these holiday parties serve as an opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with a particular legal employer (note that these parties are thrown almost exclusively by law firms) while providing the employer with a chance to put faces, and perhaps, more importantly, behavior — more on that in a moment — with the names on the job applications that they have received or will soon receive. Yet despite the seemingly straightforward rationale for all parties involved, these holiday soirées can occasionally flummox students.
The most frequent question I have fielded on the subject is, perhaps, the most straightforward one: “Should I go”? The short answer is, sure, why not. An opportunity to consume some free food and drinks while learning about a place you might spend the next 30 years of your life sounds like a decent way to spend a late December evening. At the very least, it will be more productive than your eighth viewing of A Christmas Story. Plus, the budgets for these receptions tend not to be on the low side. While you likely will not be served a homecooked meal, unless your family has a few Michelin chefs among its ranks, odds are it will be some of the better food you will come across during the holiday season. But while I advise students to go to these receptions, I always add on, or at least imply, the phrase “if you can.” While these receptions can be valuable for both students and employers, they are not mandatory. If a student is very interested in a California firm but is heading home to Indiana for the holidays, they should not feel compelled to add a costly (both financially and in terms of time) California leg to their winter vacation. A half-hour drive is a worthwhile investment, but not a cross-country trek. Similarly, if a reception is scheduled for a time when you will already be back on campus for the Spring semester, do not feel like you need to choose between attending a party or class. If you cannot attend a holiday reception, but still want to show an employer the extent of your interest, send them a note apologizing for not being able to attend while iterating just how much you would like to work there.
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Once the decision is made to attend an employer holiday reception, the follow-up question I receive is along the lines of “What should I do when I get there?” This can occasionally prompt an internal, or possibly external, response in the form of a question, “Have you been to a party before?” No, this is not an opportunity to recreate your greatest partying moments from college, or even from the previous semester of law school, but it is still a celebration. Students do not need to bring notes or be prepared to speak eloquently on the Erie Doctrine. Do not come armed with handouts illustrating the breathtaking attempts at a legislative coup being undertaken by Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan. Instead, just talk to participants. Try to mingle with as many different attorneys in the room as possible. If you want to know more about a particular practice area at that firm, strike up a conversation with someone in that group. Observe the attorneys in attendance. Are they coming down from their offices, seemingly rushed, and checking the time every few minutes before scurrying back upstairs with some food in hand? That is a pretty good sign of an office with a lot of work. Conversely, if attorneys seemingly have all day to eat and drink at 4 p.m., that might be a sign of slow times at the firm.
Take advantage of free food and drink, but also be mindful of your personal limits. If you are not sure you can be your most coherent self with a glass of wine, then abstain. Conversely, while there are some students who are quite confident that they can be at their best after eight scotches, the likelihood of that being true are minimal at best. Employer holiday parties are also not the best time to try and set a personal best for most hot wings consumed in a single sitting. After the reception is concluded, the recruiting office will likely solicit feedback on the student attendees from the participating attorneys and “guy who ate 50 wings” is likely not going to be perceived as a positive.
Finally, students are occasionally flummoxed by multiple parties happening at the same time. They might have a genuine interest in both employers and are unsure how to pick which party to attend. The good news is that students can do both. When RSVPing, tell Employer A that you are happy to attend but have to leave early due to a prior commitment and then tell Employer B that you will be arriving a bit late due to a prior commitment. While on the subject of RSVPs, students should make sure they actually do RSVP and that once committed to attending, they actually show up. While there are obviously issues that can arise which would prohibit a student’s attendance, make sure you relay that to the reception organizers BEFORE the event takes place. Employers take note when students fail to show up for an event.
Winter break is a well-deserved opportunity for students to relax after a stressful semester. While full advantage should be taken of the opportunity to sleep in and not have to pore over casebooks, that does not mean the job search process needs to be put on hold. Holiday parties offer a perfect opportunity for both students and employers to get a sense of each other over a glass of wine and some cheese.
Nicholas Alexiou is the Director of LL.M. and Alumni Advising as well as the Associate Director of Career Services at Vanderbilt University Law School. He will, hopefully, respond to your emails at [email protected].