Michigan State Law School rebranding itself through social media
Michigan State Law School is branding itself, at least in my mind, as one of the more innovative law schools in the country.
A school that is recognizing the importance of a sound legal education, while at the same time preparing its students to use technology and social media while in school — and upon graduation.
The wild thing is that the public’s perception of MSU Law is not changing because of a centralized public relations campaign by the school or via mass mailings to the alumni.
The law school’s students are rebranding the school through their individual use of social media. And the students are doing it without the direction of the law school.
I receive more requests to connect on LinkedIn from MSU law students than from students at any other law school. The same goes for Twitter followers. Not many on Facebook yet, but that mirrors that age group’s slower take to Facebook for networking.
The students are connecting and engaging on social to learn — as well build word of mouth and network for job opportunities.
I blogged a few weeks ago about MSU Law grad Pat Ellis (@pmellis) getting known by lawyers and law professors around the country and getting a job through his blogging and social media efforts while in school.
I had a great discussion with Chelsea Rider (@chelseamurto), a veteran and MSU Law 3L, two nights ago about the impact of technology and social media. Her inquiry centered on how we could leverage tech and social to make the law more accessible.
How many other law students around the country were having such a discussion at one o’clock in the morning?
I had no idea who Rider was 48 hours ago. Now I cannot wait to meet her.
MSU law students didn’t just pick up social and tech from the water in East Lansing. They were exposed to it by professors and guests speaking at the school. It was up to the students to run with the ball.
Ellis tells me it was MSU Law’s ReInvent Law Laboratory created by professors Renee Knake (@reneeknake) and Daniel Katz (@computational) which opened his eyes to the innovative use of tech in the law and the power of social media.
Rider blogs she was exposed to ReInvent Law and the thinking of legal futurist, Richard Suskind, who spoke at MSU Law a couple years ago. But it wasn’t until Assistant Dean of Career Development and Professor Dan Linna (@DanLinna) hosted a weekend workshop, “Delivering Innovative Legal Services,” lead by Kenneth Grady (@LeanLawStrategy) from Seyfarth Shaw that she realized the legal profession was being reinvented while she was in school — and that she could learn and network via social media.
I’ll confess I am getting a lot of student engagement from MSU Law because I spoke, via Skype, to MSU Law students last month. But it was Linna in career development who asked.
Other law school career development offices have turned down my offer to present. Some felt it not their job to teach their students something that feels like a trade school subject. Others believed their students would get in trouble and ruin their reputations by using social media.
I am not the only one speaking about MSU Law like this. Many legal bloggers have written about ReInvent Law and engaged the school’s students via blogging and social media.
Just today I received an email from Alan Rothman, a New York attorney and knowledge management professional, referencing a blog post of his analyzing the merits of social networking and blogging by law students. He was prompted to blog by Ellis and my later presentation with Ellis at MSU Law.
Social media buzz about MSU Law will only increase with the law school’s ongoing social media contest which will highlight the efforts of individual students.
Social media in law school will seem trite to many of you. Blogging, Twitter, and Facebook? What’s that have to do with the law? Why would MSU Law want to be known, in part, for social media savvy students?
Social media is changing learning and career advancement. We learn socially through others we respect, trust, and engage. We reach out and connect in a real and meaningful way with people we could have only dreamed of meeting before. We learn from and mentor beneath these folks.
Building relationships, a word of mouth reputation and a network are all accelerated by blogging and social media.
Being known for innovation and preparing your students for the future in ways that other law schools are not is all positive for MSU Law, its students, and its alumni.
Kudos to the current MSU Law students who are re-branding the school through your social media efforts. Kudos to the professors and law school leadership who are empowering the law students to do so.