Boston Riverwalk tomorrow & Office Hours next week
and 12 tips for getting the most out of a legal conference
This email goes out to 1,945 South Asian legal professionals.
I’m looking to add new in-house roles - if you know of a role or are the hiring manager, hit reply to add your role.
12 tips for getting the most out of a legal conference
Attending a legal conference for the first time can be daunting. I've attended legal conferences consistently for almost 10 years, and they've played a central part in growing my network. Here are 12 hard-won tips for getting the most out of a conference:
1. Focus on quality of interactions, not quantity. Get to know a handful of people. Then you'll meet their friends, and then their friends.
2. Evaluate the conference to see if it's one you want to keep going back to. You'll get the most out of a conference by coming back year after year.
3. Ask people what they think the most interesting panels or events will be. That will help you allocate your attention and understand the conference better.
4. Don't be shy about introducing yourself to the biggest stars of the conference. They're there to meet people.
5. If some people don't seem to reciprocate your interest in connecting, don't let it upset you. You'll find your people. Keep going.
6. Ask people why they came to the conference. People may surprise you with their responses.
7. A lot of the best events at a conference are word-of-mouth and off-site. Be flexible, be inclusive, and be assertive about getting invited.
8. Connect promptly on LinkedIn, send a short message about your conversation, and follow up in the next couple months for a call.
9. Make sure you get good food, sleep, and hydration. Don't feel pressured to go out or make choices you'll regret.
10. Feel free to take plenty of breaks to recharge. Don't feel like you have to be a part of everything.
11. Stretch yourself by walking up to a group of people you don't know and introduce yourself.
12. People are watching, don't do anything you wouldn't want someone else to observe.
A great thing about the legal profession is that it's inherently so social. Take advantage to grow your career opportunities.
Tomorrow - Boston Riverwalk
We’re going to walk the Esplanade and enjoy one of the best parts of Boston. I’m looking forward to enjoying my old hometown with you at the SABA conference.
This is a special opportunity to move your body, get some sun, and meet like minds from across the country. There are some great spots for ice cream and coffee nearby.
We’ll meet at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel at 1pm ET tomorrow and walk from there. Stay as long as you like, we’ll be back by 3pm.
Office Hours: July 28
Mentorship programs can be formal and difficult to coordinate. And people wear more than one hat - mentor and mentee.
So we’re doing something different: Office Hours. An hour-long virtual session where lawyers looking to mentor or for mentorship. In a low-commitment, clearly-defined periodic format.
The second Office Hours session will be July 28, 3-4pm ET.
Sign up here. To make the conversation productive, we’re limiting attendance to 50 participants.
Here are five topics members have flagged for discussion:
Speaking up against microaggressions
I'm a junior in Big Law in corporate practice. I would appreciate hearing career advice and navigating Big Law in general and what to do when one is slow/hours are low.
Succeeding in your side hustle
I'd like to get guidance on making the leap from a DGC to a GC or head of legal. I'm happy to be a mentor as well and am open to chatting about how to work best with internal clients, evaluating relative risk, and hiring outside counsel.
How to network effectively
Khurram’s List
I run Freshwater Counsel, a recruiting agency. My clients include top national boutique practices. If you’re a managing partner or a head of a practice and you’d like to discuss how I can help your practice grow, pick a time to discuss here.
Law Firm:
If you’re looking to be remote, this Hatch-Waxman litigation associate role is a good fit for a lawyer with a PhD in organic chemistry and 3-5 years experience.
Join this elite plaintiff’s patent litigation boutique - trial experience, opportunities for growth. 3-5 years of experience and technical degree required.
Antitrust is the busiest it’s been. If you’re looking for an international practice or looking to expand into M&A, investigations, or litigation, we should discuss your options.
If you are a corporate lawyer or an IP litigator with life science experience, reach out about three top tech transactions practices looking for your expertise.
The Jobs
The mission of Pani Cooler is to build direct connections between South Asian lawyers. A key part of that is getting South Asian lawyers hired and promoted. The below roles include contact information for your colleagues. Reach out to these lawyers in a manner consistent with the goals of building community on this platform. Apply for any roles listed on the website, as available.
In-House
NEW: Neerav Shah: Neerav is Executive Counsel at Travelers. Neerav’s team is looking for a Senior Counsel - Contracts & Technology Legal.
Ashna Zaheer: Ashna is Assistant Corporate Secretary & Senior Legal Counsel, Head of Securities and Capital Markets at The Coca-Cola Company. Ashna’s team is looking for a Senior Legal Counsel, Sustainability Reporting and Governance.
Gauri Patil Punjabi: Gauri is Director, Senior Employment Counsel at Boston Scientific. Gauri’s team is looking for a Counsel I, Employment.
Devang Shah: Devang is General Counsel at Pivot Bio. Devang’s team is looking for a Senior Director, Intellectual Property.
Government
Rahul Rao: Rahul is Deputy Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition. The FTC is hiring antitrust attorneys for several positions throughout the entire Bureau of Competition.
Madiha Zuberi: Madiha is Enforcement Attorney at SEC’s San Francisco Regional Office, Division of Enforcement. The SEC is looking for a General Attorney.
Hiral Mehta: Hiral is Deputy Chief at U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York. The U.S. Attorney's Office is looking for an Assistant U. S. Attorney.
Not-for-Profit
Anjali Waikar: Anjali is Senior Director of Legal Operations at Natural Resources Defense Counsel. Natural Resources Defense Counsel is looking for a Senior Litigating Counsel.
Law Student
Neel Vakharia: Neel is Corporate Counsel at CymaBay Therapeutics. Cymabay is hiring a Legal Intern.
Great suggestions for conference attendees. Thanks for writing these up.