Reaping Returns from Investing in Your Firm’s Alumni Communityby Laura ErndeAt a recent LMA Bay Area roundtable, alumni relations professionals from five large law firms shared how they form close ties with their alumni network to generate revenue, build the firm’s reputation, and keep alumni in the loop for recruiting and rehiring purposes.
Several panelists described their work as a “long game” that takes patience and persistence.
Laura Singer, Director of Alumni Relations at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, described how she spent three or four years building a rapport with an alum who was a general counsel. She would forward articles he might find interesting and ask partners at the firm to reach out. Finally, he agreed to come and speak at the firm, and asked the firm to submit an RFP. “I don’t like to say we wore him down, but he really got comfortable and grew fonder and fonder of the firm and was reminiscing about his experiences,” she said.
Rochelle Karr, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Alumni Relations at O’Melveny & Myers, shared the story of a friend who left an unnamed law firm and never heard a word until years later when she became general counsel. “It left such a bad taste in her mouth,” Karr said, that she refused to engage.
Her friend’s experience inspired Karr to cast a wide net in developing O’Melveny’s program. Everyone is invited to join, even summer associates who didn’t get an offer, she said.
Every law firm has difficult departures, but Elizabeth Claps, Global Director of Alumni Relations and Career Services at Cleary Gottlieb said her program aims to provide some cooling off space. Her team meets with each person who is leaving, hosts a departing dinner for those who work in U.S. offices, and offers career services.
Once a connection is established, the panelists said they use dedicated alumni websites and email newsletters to keep regular contact with alumni.
Creating a LinkedIn group is one of the easiest ways to keep in touch, said Amanda Stipe, Global Alumni Relations Manager at Latham & Watkins LLP. Stipe surveyed the alumni community and found they wanted family-friendly events and access to swanky restaurant openings. Events by affinity group are also popular and a good way to get people from different regions to engage with each other.
Karr said her metrics show that alumni are most interested in free CLE programs, mixers and the job postings. Karr has also pushed to get alumni included in perks offered to firm employees. “If it’s helpful for your lawyers, it’s probably helpful for your alums,” she said.
Tasha Brown, Director of Alumni Engagement at DLA Piper, said she brought together an alumni advisory board that meets with leadership to strategize about diversity and inclusion and other issues. It’s been well-received by the leaders and resulted in a year-over-year increase in billings from those who were asked to participate.
Tracking alumni and the return on investment can be challenging, the panelists said. The three main platforms in the market are Vuture, PeoplePath, and Insala.
“We’re all data nerds,” said Singer, who uses her skills as a former investigative journalist to keep on top of the constantly changing data and create a holistic picture of her alumni audience.
Stipe said she tracks pitches and new clients to discover whether they resulted from an alumni referral. In 2018, a year after launching the alumni program, new client referrals doubled.
Brown noted that the greatest opportunity for engagement comes from those who have left the firm within the last three years.
“That’s an opportunity,” she said. “It’s almost a make-or-break inflection point that’s very important.”