LinkedIn for lawyers: your FAQs answered

When studying and/or applying for a training contract or a vacation scheme, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Networking is invaluable at all levels of the legal profession and this is no different for aspiring lawyers – it is never too soon to start building your network and making connections, and LinkedIn is a great way to help you do this.

Here we address some of the most frequently asked questions to try and help simplify LinkedIn and encourage you to get networking:

I’m still studying and not yet looking for a job, so why do I need LinkedIn?

As with all things, you should start as you mean to go on. Making connections with fellow law students and joining (and contributing to) LinkedIn groups is a great habit to get into. This will help you begin to build up a presence within the legal community and start to grow your professional network. LinkedIn is also an extremely valuable tool for showcasing your experience to prospective employers.

Do people get hired from LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has become a vital way for recruiters to headhunt new talent. In short, yes, people do get hired via LinkedIn. That is why completing your profile and keeping your LinkedIn account up to date is so important.

Should LinkedIn replicate my actual CV?

LinkedIn doesn’t have to be identical to your CV, but there should certainly be no factual inconsistencies between LinkedIn and your CV. It should be written in the first person. LinkedIn is a networking platform and I certainly wouldn’t use the third person when introducing myself at a networking event (ie, "Emily says hello!") so I don’t use third person on LinkedIn either. LinkedIn does provide the opportunity to tell a little more about yourself than a CV allows – for example, articles that you’ve written or volunteering that you’ve done. Do include these so prospective employers get a more well-rounded idea of who you are.

Should my profile photo be fun or serious?

Ultimately, you want to look professional, especially given the legal career that you are pursuing, but also approachable. Get a good head and shoulders shot with a decent background (not a pub!), look smart and, above all, smile. No Facebook photos of you on the beach or with your partner!

Who should I be linking with?

Knowing who to link with is partly strategic, partly common sense. You know the sector you want to go into, so research the firms that you are interested in, find their key players and see if you have any shared connections. If you do, then why not call your connection and find out more about the person you’d like to meet and, if appropriate, ask for an introduction? Find a handful of active law-focused LinkedIn groups and get involved in conversations a couple of times a week. This is a great way to raise your profile and start building new relationships with other group members.

Is it OK to link with someone that I don’t know?

LinkedIn does not encourage connecting with people you don’t know. Your LinkedIn network will be undermined if it is full of strangers. However, if you’ve had an online conversation via a LinkedIn group or Twitter with someone you haven’t met in person, or if a shared connection has introduced you to them, please do send them an invitation to connect. It’s best not to use the invitation template LinkedIn provides – rather, make an effort to write them a nice note that reminds them of how you’ve met. Your invitation is your first opportunity to start building a professional relationship with a contact – don’t waste it!

If you’ve received an invitation from someone you don’t know, have a look at their profile – do you have shared connections? Are they in the legal sector? If so, you may want to connect and then send them an email via LinkedIn thanking them for the invitation and begin building the relationship further.

What should my tone be on LinkedIn?

This varies from industry to industry, but for you budding lawyers, it is important that you sound professional yet approachable. Make sure that the content in your ‘Summary’ and ‘Experience’ sections flows well and includes key words, but don’t fill them with too much jargon (no one likes that – not even lawyers!). A good way of testing for flow is to read it out loud.

Before I wrap up, here are two common myths that I’d like to demystify about LinkedIn:

1. You have to spend lots of time on LinkedIn every day for it to make a difference

LinkedIn can be as time consuming, or not, as you make it. As with most activities, the more you put in, the more you will get! My advice is that you should set goals for your LinkedIn activities (not just scroll through ‘People You May Know’ for hours!) and focus on meeting those goals.

2. It’s just about making connections for the sake of it

There is little point in having a large network if you are not going to build and develop these relationships. LinkedIn is great for online networking (fantastic for would-be lawyers for whom time is not abundant), strengthening current professional relationships and developing new ones, but this is of limited value if these relationships stay online. You should take these relationships offline for them to be of maximum benefit.

Emily Miller is the founder of, and a LinkedIn coach at, Marshall Walker.