As a newly minted Pennsylvania attorney, one of the most daunting aspects of starting your law career is the prospect of breaking out of your shell and networking in the legal community. Many young attorneys avoid networking like the bubonic plague due to the stress of their jobs and the anxiety of having to interact with older, more polished attorneys that have a better grasp of the legal community. However, young attorneys quickly learn that networking is a necessity to developing professional relationships and referrals for prospective business, thereby helping both their careers and their firms.

Looking back on law school, numerous opportunities for networking presented themselves. These opportunities normally related to specific areas of law or organizations and helped students develop relationships to gain employment. Furthermore, law school networking opportunities were more informational and educational, rather than geared toward creating a name for yourself in the legal community and generating business.