Remember that although you may rarely need your business cards, you may use them when you least expect to—when you meet an attorney or community leader at the gym, on a plane, or at a party. Keep a few in your wallet or business card holder in your purse–they may help you to increase valuable professional contacts. Ways that you may use your cards follow:
At career fairs, including those out of town or on-campus. Not only should you provide them to employers with whom you meet, but also to fellow job seekers from other schools. These peers will often become great friends and professional contacts.
At Bar-sponsored networking/professional development events. For example, during the year, various sections of the Utah Bar generally sponsor a large scale mentoring event in January, held at the downtown Law and Justice Center. If you make a particular connection with an attorney, you may exchange cards and follow up later.
At PDO-sponsored firm/public interest crawls and mentor lunch events. Throughout the school year, PDO sponsors “Lunch with Lawyers,” a program where 4-5 students eat a catered lunch on campus with a practicing attorney. During the summer, PDO also stages a “Mentor Lunch” program, where a few students eat lunch, typically at a downtown restaurant, with a practicing attorney.
Once in a while, an interviewer may ask if you have a card. Although this is very uncommon, it has happened from time to time.