As the year gets into full swing, our Law Alumni Board (LAB) Engagement Committee has several new events approaching to increase alumni engagement in Colorado and across the country. These efforts were built out of recognition that many alumni wished to expand their professional networks, especially within their practice area or geographic area. Tim Galluzzi '14, Head of the LAB Engagement Committee, shared more on the upcoming opportunities for alumni, as well as the Board’s goals for helping alumni stay connected.
“We've started social media groups for Colorado Law Alumni in Colorado Springs, Durango, Northern Colorado, Seattle, Phoenix, and San Francisco,” Galluzzi said. “Those groups are in their infancy, but the goal is to have a local Colorado Law alum act as an administrator of each group, receiving institutional support from the school in terms of events or marketing of opportunities. Alums in those areas should join the groups and look out for ways to get involved.”
Additionally, the LAB is organizing "Practice Area Happy Hours," where alumni who specialize in a particular area can gather for snacks, drinks, and conversation. Those events will also be open to Colorado Law students who may be interested in a particular practice area and want to meet lawyers in that field. The first of these Practice Area Happy Hours, focused on Civil Litigation, will be held on January 25 at Cheney Galluzzi & Howard, LLC, in Denver.
“I hope alumni gain a sense of community from partaking in these events or joining the Facebook groups,” Galluzzi shared. “It’s easy to become disconnected, especially in the post-COVID age of remote work. Making an effort to meet fellow alumni who live where we do, or who practice in the same areas as us, helps us overcome that and offers us a chance for connection based on shared life experience.”
Galluzzi emphasized the value alumni gain by staying connected to and engaged with their alma mater. Professionally, alumni communities can open doors to opportunities that otherwise may not be there. Attending events hosted by the law school helps alumni become better lawyers and legal thinkers. Giving back to the law school via time or resources supports the students that will one day join the Colorado bar, improving the legal community in our state.
“On a more personal level, a defining feature of our lives is our relationships with other people,” Galluzzi said. “Staying in touch with former classmates, friends, and colleagues helps us feel connected to others. Social connection is good for our physical health and longevity, and our alumni community provides an opportunity for that.”