If you’re anything like me, you’ll be attending webinars while multitasking – from checking emails to skimming articles. Despite the challenges of staying focused, these webinars are designed to teach you skills and discuss different trends in the legal sector. So, here is a list of things to remember when attending your next webinar. 

Time is precious, pick wisely

Choose your legal webinars carefully. Not every webinar will be of interest to you. That said, make sure you focus on the content and format of the webinar. Webinars that encourage active participation tend to be smaller but offer an opportunity for speakers to engage with each other.

On the other hand, some webinars are more passive, with questions sent to the panel in advance or at the end of the webinar. Consider how much value each webinar will give you. For example, a webinar on developing your commercial awareness will give you an understanding of what commercial awareness is, how you can develop and demonstrate this skill on applications and during interviews. The more relevant the webinars are to your future aspirations and interest, the more you'll benefit from attending.

Note taking and active listening 

Too much multi-tasking and passive listening aren’t effective methods to retain the right information. Be mindful of the content you want to learn and decide whether it will be useful for your future. Take quotes that you can use in your training contract applications and topics of discussions at interviews. Speakers tend to inform you of their firm’s unique selling points. Use this information to compare firms. You’ll be able to formulate answers to questions such as “Why this firm?".

Webinars are also a great way to highlight an area of interest. I recommend that you note the webinars you have attended and demonstrate in your applications why the webinar is relevant to your legal aspirations.

Don’t be afraid to follow up with the speakers 

Use the webinar to network. Although, not every webinar will allow you to engage in discussions with the speakers, often, the speakers will provide you with their contact details. It’s perfectly acceptable to reach out to the speakers, in fact, it’s encouraged. Use this as an opportunity to follow up on ideas and ask questions. As much as webinars give you new ideas, you can also follow up with the speaker to give them innovative ideas and solutions. But these connections don’t have to stop. Keep building connections – these networks will likely be useful if you ever need to  form research groups or want to chat about a topic of interest. The best thing about webinars is that attendees tend to find the speakers more approachable.

Recap on YouTube

A benefit of webinars is that many organisations tend to post a recording of the webinar on their YouTube channel. This is a great opportunity to go back over any important information that you may have missed. Likewise, you can gain a better understanding of the information you’ve been given. A recent webinar hosted by LawCareers.Net provided great insights into data and cyber security law. If you’re struggling to get legal work experience, online webinars can be used as a stepping stone to develop an interest in a particular area of law.

Are you interested in attending LawCareers.Net webinars?

• Sign up for ‘Starting out in Law, what you need to know’ webinar. Join LCN on Tuesday 21 September at 1:00pm to hear directly from graduate recruiters and lawyers as they share the basics of launching a legal career, including what you should do in the first year of university, how to research and apply to future employers, and practical advice for getting work experience.
• Explore LawCareers.Net’s YouTube channel to catch up on past webinars.
• Register for future webinars via LawCareers.Net’s Diary page.