1Ls meet alumni at mentoring event
Before coming to USC Law, Ryan Wolfe ’12 had heard much about the vaunted Trojan network of law school alumni. On Feb. 25, he experienced the network first-hand when he joined some 130 students and more than 100 alumni at the annual Mentor Lunch, held in USC’s Town & Gown.
“I want to get into public interest, so I really wanted to connect with alumni in that field,” says Wolfe, who with his wife has done work with the homeless in Venice, Calif., where he lives. “I thought it would be a great way to make an unconventional connection that I might not get by my own efforts.”
At USC Law, first-year law students quickly learn that networking is among the most important skills they must cultivate as young attorneys. Although the law school offers other networking opportunities for 1Ls, Mentor Lunch remains the most prominent such event. Alumni and students are seated at tables of eight according to shared career interests; the format allows each student to meet and potentially connect with several alumni.
Dean Robert K. Rasmussen, who hosted the event, noted that Mentor Lunch is a unique networking opportunity in that alumni are brought to campus to meet students.
“In the real world, it works the other way,” said Rasmussen. “So take advantage of your time here and ask questions of the alumni. Being mentored is the only way to grow as an attorney.”
Wolfe says that he has been following up on conversations he had with alumni at his table.
“Even though I didn’t find any people that were directly connected with the type of work I want to do, it was great to build those connections knowing that the public interest world is pretty small,” he says. “Seeing so many alumni at the event was incredibly impressive. You felt special going in there.”
Zachary Crowley ’12, who sat at a criminal law-themed table, recognized Mentor Lunch as a networking opportunity. He says first-year students feel a connection with the alumni, in part because alumni understand what 1Ls are experiencing.
“I’ve yet to meet an alum who has not offered to take me out or to put me in contact with someone,” he says.
He also recognizes that networking requires a lot of effort.
“These events are important because you get out of it what you put in,” he says. “If you’re willing to make the conversation and sell yourself, you get so much further.”
At the lunch, Crowley met Valerie Salkin ’92, a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney and a candidate for L.A. Superior Court judge, the primary for which takes place in June. Salkin, who has attended five Mentor Lunch events, says she likes talking to students because they bring great enthusiasm and energy.
“Most people have someone who helped them along the way,” she says. “Mentor Lunch is a tremendous opportunity to build relationships that can last throughout a student’s law career and beyond.”
Salkin agrees with Crowley that, after the lunch, students must take the initiative.
“I always put it out there: if you’re interested, call me and follow up.”
She also says the event is a great opportunity to see former classmates—and do some of her own networking.
Peter Rosen ’78, an attorney in the L.A. office of Latham & Watkins, where he has chaired the firm’s recruiting committee in Los Angeles, agrees that Mentor Lunch is a great way for students to begin to understand the value of networking skills, and to understand what will be expected of them as attorneys.
“I told everyone at our table: you need to start now,” he says. “Law students spend more time with their classmates than with their family members. It’s the easiest network to join; it’s completely built in.”
Rosen encourages students to get involved with the alumni association immediately after graduating, and especially to stay in touch with their classmates.
“They’re the ones you will call on during your career, or they’re going to call on you,” he says. “You need to be in sight and in mind, so go to the events, especially your first law school reunion. Do your best to participate.”
Rosen says the point of mentoring and networking is to build relationships you may have for a lifetime, which, among other benefits, will aid in your business development efforts.
“The point of networking is to build relationships,” he says. “If you maintain them over many years, you never know where they’re going to end up.”
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