Here are some of the ways CSOs can be helpful both to alumni and to employers.
Recently, “alumni engagement” has taken root in law firms and other industries eager to maximize business opportunities through more structured management of professional networks. This growing field of law firm activity provides an opportunity to examine instructive differences in the “whys” and “hows” of alumni programs in law schools versus law firms. (Of course, alumni programs exist in a much broader range of both nonprofit and private sector settings. Because of NALP’s membership, however, this article focuses on law schools and law firms.)
Want to learn how to increase alumni engagement through data research? Fenwick’s Baina Renaud explores five cost-effective ways to improve your data and better connect with alumni.
The Legal Employer Alumni Relations/Programs Section is intended to include NALP members who have an interest in or responsibility for alumni related issues.
This article will address some of the pros and cons of using LinkedIn Groups for your alumni program and offer step-by-step instructions on how to start one of your own.
LinkedIn groups for law firm alumni provide a valuable platform for maintaining connections. Law firms can create a thriving online community that benefits alumni and the firm.
One of the key requirements for a successful law firm alumni program is finding firm champions of the program. Since many alumni programs are run by a small team of professionals (or even by a single professional), internal support is a vital factor in furthering alumni initiatives and maintaining momentum for long-term success. Champions can, and should, be found across the firm, but it is particularly important to identify key partners who will support alumni initiatives. An excellent way to gather a support network from the partnership is through an official alumni committee.
With limited resources, alumni program leaders know that segmenting alumni is essential to maximizing impact by role, seniority, tenure, and departure circumstances. Effective engagement balances high and low-touch outreach across these groups, and a growing trend in law firm alumni programs is recognizing an often-overlooked segment: retiring partners.
Alumni programs are becoming the new normal at law firms, but offering dedicated confidential resources to discuss such career-related topics as becoming alumni remains more cutting-edge. Within most law firms, there have always been quiet, closed-door conversations about alternative career paths. Now a growing number of firms are embracing the fact that most lawyers will not remain in the firm for the entirety of their careers and firms are investing in career counseling infrastructure. Alumni managers and career counselors cite a number of benefits to offering these programs.
Building a successful law firm alumni network starts at home. Here are some tips.
This article shares some thoughts and approaches for law firms to consider as they seek to communicate and engage with their alums during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The next time your firm has an opening for a lateral partner or business development manager, consider looking at alumni. The perfect candidate may be “the one who got away.”
Alumni networks are communities of former colleagues, and when law firms cultivate meaningful relationships with their alumni, these networks can evolve into powerful ecosystems of influence, opportunity, and brand advocacy. However, when these networks span continents and cultures, how do alumni professionals effectively engage alumni in a meaningful way?
What is needed to manage a law firm alumni program more effectively is a little old-fashioned P.I.E. (planning, implementation, and evaluation).
The most common practice for law firm alumni programs is to focus the alumni network on former lawyers of the firm, but even that definition is not as simple as it sounds.
Using inclusive language creates inclusive communities. Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s Hayley Niven explains why legal alumni programs should start using the word “alum” in place of the traditional alumnus/alumna.
University of Windsor Faculty of Law’s Kathleen Behan shares helpful pointers for encouraging law students to strategically use social media to build their networks and help define their career goals.
Alumni programs can deliver many benefits to firms, but they only work well when they provide real benefits to alumni. People won’t stay engaged if they aren’t getting something back. So what do alumni want from alumni programs? What keeps them engaged? To begin to answer these questions, I interviewed alumni from a variety of law firms. Some had moved from one firm to another, some had gone in-house, and others were no longer practicing law. These interviews made clear that people look for both social and professional benefits from alumni programs.
Paul Lazdowski and Claire Yan explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on alumni programs and law firms.
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton’s Michael A. Gerstenzang and Elizabeth Claps discuss how a strong alumni relations program can help support law firm leadership.
This article asks how should a law firm alumni program market itself to maximize alumni engagement?
McDermott Will & Emery’s Adrienne Jaroch offers tips for building a corporate alumni relations program that captures some of the best elements of university-based programs.
BLG’s Hayley Niven explains how to sharpen your alumni relations program by expanding your collaboration with business development teams.
From law students and summer associates exploring career paths, to firm lawyers who need training and access to future opportunities, to firm alumni who have left but want to enhance their professional network, integrating a firm’s law student and lawyer populations creates a community that benefits its members and the firm.
Many job candidates are now taking the quality of law firm alumni relations programs into consideration when researching and evaluating their employment options.
Mary Maher outlines the importance of law firm alumni programs and provides suggestions for programs that connect a firm's current lawyers with their alumni.
Those who take the time to get it right from the beginning when they start a law firm alumni program are more likely to achieve their objectives, helping their firm as well as their alumni.
The key to using technology to enhance your alumni program is to find which platform and which tools are the best fit for your firm and your alumni program.
In law and legal education, competition and comparison often take center stage. CliftonStrengths offers a refreshing alternative, inviting lawyers, staff, and students to focus on self-awareness and authenticity.
Here are some tips to help you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to staying in touch with law firm alumni.
