Suffolk Law student Caroline Clair

By Caroline A. Clair

My advice for incoming 1Ls is to take the time to get to know your professors.

Build rapport with them.

Earn their respect.

Set yourself apart as a professional.

Suffolk law professors are a wealth of knowledge and experience, and they highly respect students who seek their professional advice outside of the classroom.

Like most 1Ls, the spring semester of my first year of law school was spent ferociously researching and applying to jobs. When I finally secured a summer position, I was exhausted from the stress and had lost valuable time that I could have spent studying for exams.

In my second year, I learned from my mistakes. I took advantage of the relationships I built with professors who had similar interests as I do. I sought information pertaining to the practice of law and any candid career advice that they were willing to offer.  I secured a great (paid) position by late winter, and I am confident that my networking skills and dedication to my professional demeanor set me apart from similar applicants.

Maintaining these relationships has continued to help me now. I am applying for the Bar and asking for a letter of recommendation (or two) has proved painless. As the saying goes: sometimes it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

Caroline A. Clair JD’15 is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School. During her 3L year, she participated in the Suffolk Health Law Clinic. For more information about Suffolk Law’s 10 nationally ranked clinics, visit www.suffolk.edu/law/clinics.