Attorney Chapter Best Practices for Working with Law Students*

Basics

1. Appoint an attorney or attorneys as law student ministry liaison(s) for your chapter. Responsibilities:

   • For each law school in your area, maintain an updated list of current student leaders, members, and recently-graduated leaders (last three years), and include them on your chapter’s mailing list.

   • Find out what is going on with the student chapter and get on their mailing list, to better understand their vision for their chapter and to know how to pray for them.

2. Host an annual reception, early each school year, at a local law firm to introduce your chapter leaders and other attorneys to the law students.

3. Develop a “Speakers’ List”, with contact information and speaking topics, for those willing to speak on campus.

4. Whenever possible, feed law students, and always at your expense.

5. Keep the Law Student Ministries Director in the loop with updated information.

Advanced

1. Liaison responsibilities:

• Make telephone calls (as opposed to blast emails only) to law student leaders to inform them of and invite them to regular meetings and key events and to ask how their group is doing.

• Find out who is doing a good job serving local law students (i.e., faculty member, administrator, local pastor, campus staff worker, IVCF staff, attorney). Encourage that person, find out what he or she needs, and support that person in the work on campus.

• Visit student chapter meetings on a regular basis, letting the students determine the scope of your participation.

2. Facilitate events, at your chapter’s expense, on or near campus, where students can meet attorneys in their area of interest, perhaps in a “speed encounter” format.

3. Raise money for student attendance at local events, regional retreats, and the national conference and facilitate interaction at these events.

4. Develop a mentoring program.

  Don’t . . .

1. Assume that it is best for students to be on the attorney chapter “program”—help them do what God is calling them to do on campus.

2. Be offended if students don’t follow up on your offer to speak on campus. Just visit if you have a chance.

3. Presume that all attorneys are equally good at reaching out to students and building relationships.

4. Lose your patience with the students’ lack of response.

* Developed by the Law Student Ministry Committee (Summer 2015)