Throughout law school there will be numerous people telling you that law school is not isolated and a whole system of lawyers and academics exist to form relationships with to build yourself professionally. Certainly, while the most worthwhile relationships will come from your law school classmates, relationships with District Attorneys, politicians, Public Defenders, etc.. become critical in developing yourself professionally in furtherance of your career. Such organizations which allow for networking arise from clubs such as the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association which grants many opportunities for current students to connect with prior students who are pursuing their careers. Doing so allows the law student to understand how it really is to work in the field or office or firm they seek employment in. Similarly, Bar Associations will often hold informal events to have the members comingle and unwind from their busy lives. Often these associations will offer student enrollment. I am a member of the Western San Bernardino County Bar Association. I have attended many events held by the association and have met very influential people within the San Bernardino Court System and within the District Attorney’s Office, such as the actual District Attorney himself, Jason Anderson, and many of his Deputies. They provided me with a wealth of knowledge about working within the District Attorney’s office and the differences which can be found from county to county.
Yet, there are more opportunities available to students in the furtherance of their careers such as the Southern California Public Interest Career Day which allows for many organizations to table and recruit students to work for the summer or any term to help them gain experience. During these events is where I was able to get recruited by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office as a law clerk which only served to reaffirm my commitment to the public sector.
