How do you actually know if you’re on track to get hired back at your law firm?

The answer isn’t obvious. Firms rarely tell you directly. But they do signal it — quietly, consistently, and early.

In this episode, I walk you through the subtle signs that law students miss, including how your work is evolving, how feedback is being given, and what lawyers are really thinking when they decide who to invest in.

More importantly, I show you exactly what to do if you start seeing these signals — how to course correct, how to ask for feedback, and how to position yourself as someone lawyers want to work with again.

If you’re starting your first law firm role, this is essential listening.

Lawyer Launcher links
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lawyerlauncher/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lawyerlauncher/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@LawyerLauncher-BTB/
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/susanpvandyke/

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:45 Why firms don’t tell you directly
03:30 This is your career, not just a job
05:40 Sign 1: Your work isn’t evolving
08:30 How to fix it and earn better work
11:30 Sign 2: You’re not getting real feedback
14:30 How to ask for feedback properly
17:15 What to do if work is drying up
20:30 The email that gets you feedback
22:50 What lawyers are really evaluating
25:00 You’re not a top candidate — now what
27:30 How to make feedback easy for lawyers
29:10 What to say in a feedback meeting
30:00 Final thoughts

In this episode of Lawyer Launcher, Behind the Bar, Susan speaks with Claudio Klaus, a Brazilian trained lawyer now articling in Ontario and host of Studying Law Around the World. Claudio shares what he learned from speaking with more than 75 University of Toronto Law alumni as part of the school’s 75th anniversary project, including the two themes that came up again and again: there is no single legal career path, and networking is not optional.

This conversation is especially useful for law students who are trying to figure out recruitment, articling, coffee chats, LinkedIn, international pathways, and the invisible job market. Claudio explains why credentials matter, but not as much as students think, and why communication, curiosity, generosity, and genuine relationships often create the opportunities that job boards never show you.

It is a practical, encouraging conversation for any law student feeling behind, uncertain, or discouraged about their path into the profession. Claudio’s 75 conversations project is also featured by the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, which notes that he spoke with more than 75 lawyers and found recurring advice around staying open, taking risks, building genuine relationships, and staying curious.

Show notes:
Guest: Claudio Klaus
Podcast website: https://law-learn-link.base44.app/
Podcast link: https://pod.link/1547616885
75 Lawyers, 75 Stories: https://jackmanlaw.utoronto.ca/news/75-years-75-stories
Claudio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudioklaus/

Lawyer Launcher links
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lawyerlauncher/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lawyerlauncher/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@LawyerLauncher-BTB/
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/susanpvandyke/

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Chapters
01:50 Why Claudio interviewed 75 lawyers
03:40 Two themes from 75 lawyer conversations
06:51 The harder than expected path to being called
08:41 Building an international legal career
14:52 What is your legal career pathway
19:03 Why networking and communication matter
21:28 Coffee chats with law students
27:35 What matters more than credentials
30:09 Why interpersonal skills matter in law firms
39:00 If LinkedIn was a law student
39:35 Seeds law students can plant now
41:08 Encouragement for discouraged law students
42:46 The invisible legal job market
43:56 What is next for Claudio’s podcast

Most law students think networking means being charming, confident, and effortlessly good at small talk.

It doesn’t.

It means not knowing what to say.
It means standing in a room full of lawyers and wondering how to enter a conversation.
It means overthinking every word and then replaying it later like a bad exam answer.

And here is the problem.

The students who figure this out early build relationships … and get hired back.
The ones who avoid it stay invisible.

Susan Van Dyke breaks down what networking in a law firm actually looks like, why most students are getting it wrong and how to engage more comfortably.

This is not about being outgoing or “good with people.”
It’s about understanding how trust is built in a professional environment and how small, consistent interactions shape how lawyers see you.

Susan covers:
- how to start conversations without sounding awkward
- what to say at firm events, coffee chats, and hallway run-ins
- why listening is more powerful than talking
- how to follow up in a way that actually builds relationships
- why being quiet and invisible is not a strategy
- how to show up at firm socials without hurting your reputation

If networking makes you uncomfortable, this episode will help you stop avoiding it and start approaching it in a way that feels natural, thoughtful, and effective.

Because in a law firm, relationships are not optional.

They are how your career actually moves forward.

Lawyer Launcher links
Instagram: instagram.com/lawyerlauncher
TikTok: tiktok.com/@lawyerlauncher
YouTube: youtube.com/@LawyerLauncher-BTB
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susanpvandyke