LinkedIn Etiquette for Law Students

LinkedIn is not optional during BigLaw recruiting. Partners and recruiters will look at your profile. Associates you interview with will check it. How you present yourself and interact on the platform matters.

Here is how to use LinkedIn without making common mistakes.

Your profile basics

Headline. "J.D. Candidate at [School Name], Class of [Year]" is clean and sufficient. Do not add "Aspiring BigLaw Associate" or "Future Litigator." Keep it simple.

Photo. Professional headshot. Business attire. Neutral background. This is not Instagram.

Summary. Two to three sentences about your background and interests. Mention your law school, any relevant pre-law experience, and what areas of law interest you. Skip the inspirational quotes.

Experience. List relevant work experience, internships, and significant extracurriculars (law review, moot court, clinics). Use concise bullet points describing what you actually did, not vague platitudes.

Education. Law school, undergraduate, and any graduate degrees. You do not need to list your GPA.

Connecting with attorneys

Do send connection requests to:

• Attorneys you have met at events, receptions, or information sessions
• Alumni from your law school at firms you are interested in
• People you have had informational interviews with
• Interviewers after a callback (not after a screener)

Do not send connection requests to:

• Attorneys you have never interacted with, with no message
• Everyone at a firm you are interested in
• Partners you are about to interview with (this is weird before the interview)

Always include a note with your connection request. One to two sentences: who you are and how you are connected. "Hi [Name], I'm a 2L at [School] and enjoyed your panel at the firm reception last week" is perfect.

What to post (and what not to)

Good: Sharing articles relevant to your practice interests with a brief, thoughtful comment. Congratulating someone on a career milestone. Posting about a genuine professional accomplishment.

Bad: Hot takes on legal controversies. Humble-bragging about callbacks or offers. Anything political or inflammatory. Lengthy personal essays about your journey.

The rule of thumb: imagine the hiring partner at your top-choice firm reading everything on your profile. If something would make them pause, remove it.

During recruiting season

After OCI screeners, do not immediately connect with your interviewers. It looks overeager. After a callback where you had good conversations, a connection request with a brief note is appropriate.

After you accept an offer, connecting with attorneys at your future firm is expected and encouraged.

The bottom line

LinkedIn is a professional tool. Use it to build genuine connections, present yourself clearly, and stay informed about the firms you are targeting. Research firms on the firm directory and use LinkedIn to deepen that research through real conversations.