Dressed in their best business attire, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law students had a special opportunity on January 22 to practice a soft skill vital to their career development—networking. The program, called Networking 101, included a workshop with Maryland Carey Law alumni working in diverse areas of the law, followed by a reception where students put their professional introduction advice into action connecting with legal professionals.
The Hon. Michael Siri ’01 (below, third from right), an associate judge on the District Court of Maryland, Baltimore County, presided over the workshop, which featured a panel discussion with TJ Creevy ’21, associate, Rosenberg Martin Greenberg LLP; Eshawn Rawlley ’14 (below, left), special trial counsel, U.S. Air Force JAG Corps; Chelsea Ortega ’12 (below, second from left), partner, Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC; and Zara Thomas-Milburn ’19 (below, second from right), assistant state's attorney, Montgomery County State’s Attorney's Office.
Judge Siri, who moderated the discussion, stressed to students the importance of authentic relationship building in the legal profession, where many legal jobs are filled through word-of-mouth referrals. Panelists offered tips on everything from developing a positive professional identity to appropriate follow-up after making a connection.
Next, the program got interactive as students broke out into small groups led by alumni volunteers and delivered their “elevator pitches” —succinct personal introductions all professionals should have at the ready. Breakouts were hosted by Ryan Dietrich ’04, senior assistant to the solicitor general, Maryland Office of the Attorney General; Ashley Fellona ’18 (above, right), associate, Saul Ewing; Matt Hjortsberg ’96, chair, Commercial Construction Practice Group, Shulman Rogers, PA; and Michelle Siri ’02 (above, third from left), chief executive officer, Maryland Legal Services Corporation.
Practicing their pitches primed students for the second part of the evening—a reception where alumni and friends from the public and private sectors and the judiciary were supportive conversationalists for the 1L participants. A new partnership with the Maryland State Bar Association also brought MSBA practice leaders to the reception.
Maryland Carey Law’s alumni network exceeds 13,000 graduates who have reached the top echelons of the legal profession in Maryland and beyond. Networking 101 was co-hosted by the Maryland Carey Law Career Development Office and the school’s Alumni Board. Twelve Alumni Board members were in attendance, including President Lauri Cleary '85, who closed the event with short remarks, and Vice President Chuck Howard '88. Several members of the Maryland Carey Law Board of Visitors also participated.
Recognizing the necessity for students to develop networking skills, alumni from as far as Colorado, Florida, and Massachusetts traveled to Baltimore to assist alongside regional graduates.
By all accounts, the evening was a tremendous success. That was most evident in the conversations among students on the way out as they compared their hauls of business cards from top legal professionals.