Easily the biggest networking event this Summer is American Bar Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco this August 8-13. The meeting spreads to most of the large hotels in the City, with each specialty taking over one or two hotels and conducting most of their Continuing Legal Education and receptions at those hotels. The Section of Litigation, for example, is at the InterContinental; the Section of Business Law is at the Mark Hopkins and Fairmont Hotels on Nob Hill; the Law Student Division is at the Marriott Marquis.
The meeting is a terrific opportunity for very inexpensive education and a premier opportunity to further develop your networking skills.
There are scores of CLE Programs that will appeal to every interest and give you a better idea of how the basics that you are learning in law school are implemented in cutting edge areas that currently concern lawyers.
There are also scores of receptions with free first-class food and drink. Lawyers are usually quite interested in talking with law students about their work (or even about law school), so it is not difficult to meet lawyers at these events. It’s not likely that you will score a job at the meeting, but as you know, networking is often about developing longer-term associations that may, eventually, enhance your professional life. Business casual attire is usually adequate for most of the meeting.
An all-access pass will cost you $75 if you’re an ABA member and $100 if you’re a non-member (this latter cost will include an ABA membership). ABA lawyer members pay over $500 for the same all-access pass. You can easily eat up $75 worth at just one reception!
Here is a schedule of the CLE programming:
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/events/meetings_travel/13a_cle_calendar.authcheckdam.pdf
And here is the link to the registration page:
The Business Law Section makes a point of reaching out to law students and has prepared a separate brochure containing events in which students might be interested. Business Law Section Law Student Event Schedule – Annual 2013
A particularly good Business Law Section networking (and free food) event that may also inspire you to more public service is the Pro Bono Breakfast, early on Friday.
For more information contact William Woodward, Senior Fellow at Santa Clara University School of Law.
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