LinkedIn and your university alumni directory are usually the fastest starting points. Search by school, firm and location, then narrow to people whose office or background is actually relevant to your recruiting decisions.

Do not contact every alumnus you can find. A recent graduate in your target office may give more useful recruiting advice than a very senior partner who left your school twenty years ago.

Also look beyond exact degree matches. Someone from the same university, a similar major or a shared club can still be a strong connection.

Prioritize recent alumni in your target office or role because they remember the current campus recruiting process and the questions students from your school actually face. Use the shared school connection to open the conversation, then ask about their transition, office experience and recruiting timeline rather than leading with a referral request.

Would you reach out to someone who graduated last year before a partner who graduated 15 years ago?

Filtering alumni by both office and firm seems much easier than scrolling through everyone at the firm.

Does a shared major help much if the alum works in a completely different office?