Lambda Day in the Life
Lambda Law Alliance hosted its Spring Day in the Life event this past Thursday, February 13. The event featured panels, networking opportunities, and dinners with visiting attorneys from a number of participating firms.
The event began with three hour-long panels with attorneys who discussed regulatory, white-collar litigation, and M&A practice at firms. For example, the regulatory panel attorneys discussed topics such as their own paths into the area, the nature of their day-to-day work, the relationship between government and private practice, and the background needed to enter the practice area. A clear theme was fluidity between government and private practice. Many of the attorneys had moved back and forth between the two and emphasized that both kinds of jobs are opportunities for career growth. Having informal connections in government is essential to understanding the direction in which agencies are moving and communicating that knowledge to clients.
Attorneys also stressed the diversity of career paths and backgrounds in regulatory law. A technical degree is not required. Rather, curiosity about industries and scientific fields and the ability to translate technical issues into nontechnical language is key. Additionally, markets for regulatory lawyers exist throughout the country, especially near relevant industries, not just in Washington, D.C. Of course, the attorneys also recognized that there is considerable uncertainty about regulatory law at the moment, even more so than most presidential transitions.
The panel focuses were notably more narrow than general corporate or litigation panels and allowed students to learn more about specific practice areas. For example, one student was surprised at how much white-collar litigation resembles what happens on TV; another student found that M&A is nothing like popular depictions of lawyers. This focus is helpful as 1L students narrow their interests in preparation for summer associate positions and 2L hiring.
Following the panels, students and attorneys moved to Caplin Pavilion for a happy hour-style networking event. Over hors-d’oeuvres and drinks—but, notably, only non-alcoholic ones, to the dismay of many visiting attorneys—they discussed careers, practice areas, and the hiring process. Some attorneys commented that students appeared more natural and assertive than similar events at the start of the year, suggesting that repetition and the efforts of the Office of Private Practice really do build networking skills. Another common sentiment was to bemoan the shortened timeline of private practice hiring in recent years. The process of securing 2L jobs has moved earlier and earlier, especially with the relaxation of NALP guidelines, placing more burdens on both students, who have less insight into legal practice, and on firms, who have less information on which to base hiring decisions. Attorneys reflected on their own times in law school and urged students to take the classes that interest them, as firms will provide the necessary training later.
Finally, many students scattered to restaurants throughout Charlottesville for small group dinners with individual firms. This aspect is notable because, in many cases, it was students’ first time having dinner with a firm. Students were quickly exposed to both the downsides of firm dinners—awkward dinners with much older attorneys mainly interested in drinking on the firm’s money—and the upsides, including the chance to try many of Charlottesville’s nicest and most expensive restaurants without worrying about the bill. Of course, students also had the chance to engage in a prolonged networking event with firms of interest in a much more informal setting than usual. Such events can be particularly helpful in gaining an intuitive sense of the firm’s culture and lifestyle. Another surprising benefit was the chance for students to meet other students, who likely have similar backgrounds and interests but may not have interacted before.
Overall, the event is perhaps most notable as a marker of the upcoming hiring season. Panels are more specific as students have possibly begun to narrow down their interests. Networking is smoother as students have become increasingly accustomed to the events. With the happy hour-style events well in hand, the focus begins to shift to firm dinners. Such events will only grow more common as the semester continues.
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