5 Reasons Why Alumni are Important to Law Students and Law Schools

Whether you’re a law student or a graduate, you have probably got a lot of commitments in your life. Adding another item to your to-do list may be the last thing you are thinking about. But the truth is that alumni involvement is vital for a variety of reasons. Read on for a roundup of five ways law school alumni help law students and law schools alike.

1. They act as mentors for current students

“Ask any successful attorney: Nothing propels a legal career like having a great mentor,” suggests the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). There’s no better place for this relationship to begin than during law school.

Law school is all about learning from those around you - your professors, legal professionals you shadow, and your classmates. Alumni mentors add another layer of learning to the experience.

Alumni programs usually include mentorship opportunities, but you don't have to wait until you graduate to become a mentor. Some law schools even have mentorship programs where second- and third-year students help introduce first-year students to the school and law-school community. A mentor relationship with a current, but older, student benefits incoming students because their knowledge is fresh and relevant. It can also help final-year students consolidate their experience in law school and set them up for internships and clerkships.

Similarly, mentoring younger students can expand your professional network. Whether you can recruit a talented graduate or provide a stellar recommendation, your influence on your mentee's career can go a long way to developing new relationships and network connections.

2. They amplify law students’ professional networks

Speaking of networking, relationships made during law school don’t end during college. They form a foundation for a student’s professional network. And it's not just about getting a job. Of course, your professors, mentors, and other senior relationships can make connections for you and give you recommendations that will lead to career opportunities, but peer relationships are important, too.

In the best scenario, your classmates will all become successful legal professionals with specialties and experiences that differ from your own. This means that forging secure relationships during and after your degree and maintaining those connections will give you resources and expertise to lean on as you progress in your legal career.

3. They can provide unique information about prospective schools

Alumni can even benefit law students before they become students studying law programs. Speaking with an alumnus - especially a recent one - can give applicants a candid glimpse and useful insights into what experience they can expect to have at a particular school - information that won’t necessarily be found in any admissions brochure or course catalog.

These conversations can also give you an inside edge in the admissions process. While there are lots of guides that give prospective law students tips on how to apply to law school or what to include in their statement, alumni have insight on what works for a specific school. As an alumnus, you can help applicants figure out what will actually help them stand out and how to tell if the school is a good fit.

Alumni can also help newly minted law students know what to expect during their first year. Sharing insights about your successes - and failures - can help first-year law students feel more confident about their studies. Remember, you want your alma mater to produce talented graduates - supporting the students and programs, even after you've graduated, helps maintain the value of your own success.

4. Alumni contribute to the reputation of their schools

Alumni aren’t just graduates of their law schools. They are also their representatives. Alumni participation rates are one of the factors evaluated by US News & World Report when ranking colleges and universities.

This means that prospective law students will be looking at who graduated from each law school, how successful or influential they are, what types of law they practice, and how engaged they are with their alma mater. In addition, some law firms will look at the reputation of a school when considering candidates for positions, and a strong alumni program can be an indicator of strong, successful graduates.

5. They also contribute funds

Alumni give back to their universities in many ways. Perhaps the first that comes to mind? Financially. Even small gifts from alumni are valuable, especially because evidence indicates that alumni who consistently give at modest levels are likelier to become major donors later and or to include their alma maters in their estate plans.

And then there’s the fact that alumni giving inspires others to give, too. Inp the same way that an active, engaged alumni program shows future students that a school has a good reputation for supporting students and graduating successful candidates, a school that has good financial support from its alumni shows other potential donors that the school is a good investment.

Conclusion

In many ways, alumni are a law school's most valuable asset. They can help incoming students make good decisions and succeed, which in turn, fosters a new generation of successful alumni. They are the foundation of legal professional networks. And they contribute to the reputation and financial success of their alma mater.

Being an active member of a school's alumni program is also beneficial to legal professionals. As a member, you can become a mentor to new law students, maintain and develop your professional network, and help to support and grow the reputation of your school, all of which will, in turn, maintain and develop your professional standing.

So whether you are one already or will be in the future, alumni matter. Getting involved as a student and after you graduate can help you make a difference - both to your own life and to the lives of many others.