Professionals Help Students Hone Their Skills at Speed Networking

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Speed Networking 7Thirty legal professionals joined twenty-six TU Law students on October 18 at the Allen Chapman Activity Center for Speed Networking, an event presented by the TU Law Professional Development Office and the TU Law Alumni Association.

Speed Networking, adopted from the speed dating model, allowed each student to spend a couple of minutes with each legal professional. Students were able to build their professional network, and they learned about different practice areas and how to package themselves in a short time.

First-year student Riley Kern had multiple reasons for attending. He wanted experience introducing himself, and was looking for advice about balancing family and school work, which extracurricular activities to take advantage of, and how to best prepare for summer jobs. He found the speed networking experience became easier as the night wore on.

"Everyone with whom I spoke was generous enough to offer quick bits of wisdom, and I even had time to speak with a few people about my substantive interests and goals," Kern said. "I left not only with helpful advice from seasoned attorneys, but also with a few contacts that, if I do my part, may develop into mentorships."

First-year law student Alan Barker found the short time frame lent itself to a welcome honesty about the career advice he received during his conversations.

"There was no time to be indirect," Barker said. "In that sense, I found it more useful than, say, cocktail party networking. Overall, I recevied 22 business cards and a lot of thoughtful advice on how I should approach the legal market." 

The following legal professionals donated their time to be at the event:

Breanna Vollmers  -  Nordam
Marvin Lizama  -  Brewster & De Angelis
Kevinn Matthews  -  Williams
Ryan Fulda  -  Johnson & Jones
Tery DeShong  -  Tulsa County Health Department
Amber Burton  -  ThomsonReuters
Mitchell Garrett  -  Garrett Law Center
Matt Farris  -  Rogers and Bell
Shannon Cozzoni  -  Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Benjamin Aycock  -  James R. Gotwals & Associates, Inc.
Ryan Ray  -  Norman, Wohlgemuth, Chandler & Dowdell
Glenda Mims  -  ThomsonReuters
Robert Reins  -  BancFirst
Diana Hall  -  Adjunct Professor and former Williams legal counsel
Tom Vincent  -  Bank of Oklahoma
Sunny Langdon  -  Legal Aid of Oklahoma
Jackie Wells  -  Bank of Oklahoma
Cathy McClanahan  -  U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma
Jackie Loney  -  Heroux & Helton
Jeffrey D. Stoermer  -  Jeffrey D. Stoermer, P.C.
Brenda Nipp  -  Legal Aid of Oklahoma
Katherine DuPree  -  Crowe and Dunlevy
Suzanne Kern  -  Hall Estill
Andrew Shank  -  Eller & Detrich
Lauren Madden Williams  -  Pray Walker
Judge Dana Kuehn  -  Tulsa County District Judge
Hugh Robert  -  Sherwood and McCormick
Donna Marie De Simone  -  Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis
Carlye O. Jimerson  -  RhodesHieronymus
Jacob Charney  -  Heroux & Helton

Contact:
Scott Been
918-631-2568
scott-been@utulsa.edu