First-year students got a headstart on planning their careers with the annual 1L Blueprint for Success event sponsored by the Career & Professional Development Center (CPDC). More than 200 students and over 100 employers gathered at the Durham Convention Center for the March 22 event.
Students received a crash course on business etiquette and networking from Mary Crane, author of the “100 Things You Need to Know” book series. Crane’s advice ranged from which hand to keep one’s drink in (the left so you can shake hands with your right) to how to establish meaningful relationships with colleagues (get to know co-workers over lunch, or demonstrate an ability to play well with others by joining the office softball team).
Afterwards, students funneled into the main event space and where they were greeted by prospective employers, received business cards, and asked questions about the organizations and practice areas.
The 58 firms and organizations represented at Blueprint included first-time participant, Morrison & Foerster LLP.
“I think it’s really important for the students to get to learn a little bit more about all of the law firms that are going to be on campus in the fall,” said Kai Wilson, attorney recruiting manager for the Washington, D.C. and Virginia offices of Morrison & Foerster. “By talking to the attorneys and recruiters from the various law firms, they can kind of get a feel for the culture, practice areas, and fit and to see if they think they’d be interested in signing up. During fall recruiting, there’s such a limited number of firms that they’ll be able to meet with, so it’s good for them to be able to narrow their choices down.”
Attending Blueprint helped Sara Faber ’18 do just that. Faber, who will spend her 1L summer in Miami at the ACLU of Florida, had the opportunity to connect with a Duke Law graduate in a civil rights organization who does the kind of work she hopes to do after graduation.
“Upon hearing what I want to do and where I want to do it, she immediately put me in touch with someone in Miami,” Faber said. “It was such a generous thing to do for someone she’d just met.” Connecting with attorneys to learn more about their organizations and how to find work was also helpful, Faber said. “They were very open with us.”
Sonia Williams Murphy, counsel at White & Case LLP in Washington, D.C., attended Blueprint for the first time this year. “I thought it was a fantastic networking opportunity for students and employers alike,” she said. “The fact that the employers get to network with one another is an added bonus and makes this event a bit unique.”
Wolfgang Ettengruber LLM ’15 also noted the importance of reaching out to first-year students. The research assistant from the Clifford Chance office in Frankfurt said, “I think it’s good to meet the students early on, get to know them, kind of follow them, and establish a relationship with them to see where they’re going. I think a lot of them can make use of mentoring, just having an idea of what you’re working towards can kind of help you understand how the law firm – that big pond – works.”
Fortunately through Blueprint, students had the opportunity to start establishing those relationships with alums. “I found it really helpful and comforting that a lot of the employers were Duke Law grads,” said Faber. “They were approachable and kind, and it was helpful to have some shared experiences with potential employers.”
For more information on the Career Center’s 1L Blueprint for Success event, including sponsors and participants, please visit https://law.duke.edu/career/blueprint/.
rachel mwombela 