Marketing Corner: The Networking Toolbox

By Kimberly Alford Rice

As much as networking is used as a business development tool, few professionals treat it with the attention and follow up required to successfully develop new clients.

To maximize networking events, below are a few tips:

1. Know who will be there. Whenever possible, call the event sponsor a day ahead to request a copy of the registration list to gather a sense of who will attend the function. Identify 3-5 prospects you would like to meet during the event and seek them out. Even better is if you can identify someone you know who will attend the event who already knows the prospect you will seek out. Gaining an introduction is a powerful way to make a connection. Consider posting a LinkedIn search.
2. Prepare for an event by doing some online research on prospects’ companies and position affiliation to gain a sense of their business/place in organization, etc. The more you know, the better. Find out as much as possible about a company's clients, the scope of its business, whether or not the prospect serves in any official roles such as management committee, department chair, etc. Access LinkedIn, Facebook, Martindale, Law.com, Lexis, etc. for useful information.
3. Never arrive late. Vince Lombardi said, "If you are 10 minutes early, you are late." When attending a networking event, the most critical time is the half hour of mingling before and after any planned program — you can't meet people during the speaker's presentation.

Networking is one of the foundations of client development (no network = no clients). You can’t get business if the right people don’t know, trust and like you. Commit yourself to gradually building a network of the right contacts. Begin by identifying the most likely sources of new business you are trying to develop — your "target audience."

In the next installment, we will examine how to position yourself for success by networking effectively.

Final Week: Legal Advice Live! Volunteers Needed at Library Branches

Legal Advice Live! provides free, in-person confidential legal advice for the public. Open-door sessions will be held at various branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia in September and October.

Attorneys will provide answers to legal questions on a broad range of topics including personal injury, medical malpractice, landlord/tenant law, divorce and child custody matters, wills and estate planning and employment law.

Volunteer attorneys are needed on the following dates:

• Wednesday, Sept. 30: Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library, 125 S. 52nd St., from 5-7 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 1: Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St., from 5-7 p.m.

Contact Maria E. Bermudez, chair, Young Lawyers Division, at mbermudezesq@gmail.com to volunteer to provide free legal advice and information to library patrons.

Nominations for 2016 YLD Executive Committee

The Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is now accepting nominations from any voting member of the YLD interested in serving a three-year term on the Executive Committee. This year's YLD Executive Committee election will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

Who can run?

Each year, seven new members are elected to the YLD Executive Committee. Any voting member of the YLD is eligible for election provided that the term of office for which the individual runs shall not extend beyond his or her membership in the YLD. A member is eligible if they are 37-years-old or younger in the year 2018 or, if they are older than 38-years-old, not celebrating more than their third year of practice in 2018.

What does the Executive Committee do?

The Executive Committee manages and directs the business and activities of the YLD's 3,000 members, including oversight of more than 30 committees in the areas of public service, law-related education and service to the legal community. Being on the YLD Executive Committee provides attorneys opportunities for leadership, networking and personal and professional growth early in their careers.

The Nominating Petition and Personal Statement must be returned to Dawn Petit, meetings coordinator, Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107 or dpetit@philabar.org, no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015.

Student Loan Repayment Options and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Oct. 5

Heather Jarvis will present "Student Loan Repayment Options and Public Service Loan Forgiveness" at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 11th Floor Conference Center, on Monday, Oct. 5, at 3 p.m. This presentation will provide up-to-date information on student loan repayment and public service loan forgiveness options and processes and should be useful to law students, recent graduates and public interest/public service attorneys. Beginning in 2005, Jarvis focused her advocacy work on reducing the financial barriers to practicing public interest law. Immediately following the program will be a networking wine and cheese reception.

This presentation is sponsored by the Philadelphia Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division and Public Interest Section's Law School Outreach Committee along with Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law, Rutgers University School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova University School of Law, Widener University - Delaware Law School and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia Bar Association is located at 1101 Market St. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required and space is limited. For more information or to register, click here.

Thomas R. Kline School of Law Public Interest Career Reception Oct. 7

Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of law invites the local public interest legal community to its annual public interest career reception on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The law school's class of 2015 completed more than 17,000 hours of pro bono service and is confident its current students can exceed that number. Please come and meet these young advocates and discuss your organization's mission and your experience as a public interest attorney.

The Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is located at 3320 Market St., Philadelphia. For more information or to register, click here.

26th HBAPA-LEF Scholarship Dinner Oct. 8

The Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania Legal Education Fund will be holding its annual scholarship dinner on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the National Society of Colonial Dames, at 5:30 p.m. The 2015 honoree is Arlene Rivera Finkelstein, executive director of the Toll Public Interest Center at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. A keynote address will be given by Alba E. Martinez, principal of the retail investor group at The Vanguard Group.

The National Society of Colonial Dames is located at 1630 Latimer St., Philadelphia. For tickets or sponsorship information, visit www.hbapa.net or call Lorena E. Ahumada at (215) 496-7227.

Turning Global Education into Global Legal Practice Oct. 9

Please join Global Philly 2015 and the Philadelphia Bar Association's International Law Committee for a panel discussion titled “Turning Global Educational Experience into Global Legal Practice,” featuring recent graduates of Philadelphia’s law schools, on Friday, Oct. 9, at Pepper Hamilton LLP, from 12-1:30 p.m.

The panelists will focus on how an international educational experience — whether study or externship abroad, distance learning, research project or other experience during law school — has guided them and can guide you on your path to a legal career with international dimensions.

Pepper Hamilton LLP is located at 3000 Two Logan Square, 18th and Arch streets, Philadelphia. Lunch will be provided. Free registration is required. Please RSVP to Beverly Lowe at loweb@pepperlaw.com or (215) 981-4614 by 5 p.m. by Monday, Oct. 5.

HAP Birth Certificate Clinic at PECO Oct. 14

The Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) is looking for attorney volunteers for its corporate birth certificate clinic at PECO, Energy Hall, on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 8:15 a.m. Volunteers need to be present promptly at 8:15 a.m. for training, or HAP will not be able to use them as this clinic is very well attended by HAP's clients. HAP is looking for 10 volunteers. Please note that this is more than just an intake-only clinic. Volunteers will be expected to perform follow up work to obtain the birth certificates for clients.

PECO headquarters are located at 2301 Market St., Philadelphia. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Erin Lamb at elamb@rawle.com.

2015 Bench-Bar & Annual Conference Oct. 16-17

The Philadelphia Bar Association will hold its Bench-Bar & Annual Conference on Friday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 17, at Borgata in Atlantic City.

Attracting hundreds of attorneys and judges, the annual conference provides attorneys with an opportunity to earn CLE credits while getting a chance to network and socialize with colleagues and members of the judiciary. Twenty-three seminars and up to 8.5 CLE credits will be available.

Registration is available at benchbar.philadelphiabar.org. Sponsors for the 2015 Bench-Bar & Annual Conference include First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, USI Affinity, Veritext, BPU Investments, JAMS The Resolution Experts, LawCash, Robson Forensic, State Civil Litigation Section, ABC Bail Bonds, Family Law Section, Friedman LLP, Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman, RIMKUS, Widener University Delaware Law School, Bellia Print & Design, The Legal Intelligencer, Robert Half Legal and Sb1 Federal Credit Union®.

Giants of the Business Bar Oct. 22

The Business Law Section is recognizing Amy Boss, trustee professor, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Wells Fargo History Museum, at 5:30 p.m. Professor Boss is one of the nation's leading commercial law scholars. She is a member of the Council of the American Law Institute and was the first professor and second woman to have chaired the American Bar Association's Business Law Section.

Light refreshments including beer and wine will be provided. The event is sponsored by Wells Fargo, Thomson Reuters, McGladrey, Ballard Spahr LLP, Dilworth Paxson LLP, Fineman Krekstein & Harris P.C. and Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC.

The Wells Fargo History Museum is located at 123 S. Broad St. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required by Tuesday, Oct. 20. For more information and to register, click here.

The Inside Scoop on Nonprofit Board Service Oct. 29

This CLE program will provide training on the basics of nonprofit board service, including charitable issues raised under state and federal laws for current board members as well as for people interested in serving on a nonprofit board.

This 1.5 substantive credit program will be held on Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Philadelphia Bar Association, 11th Floor Conference Center, 1101 Market St., at 12 p.m. Lunch is available for $9 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association and $12 for non-members. For more information or to register, click here.