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D.C. Bar Report April/May 2000
Bar members add professional twist to social scene for young professionals
Spending an evening at the Egyptian Embassy is not a usual occurrence
for most young professionals in the District. But for those who
participate in the D.C. Society of Young Professionals (DCSYP),
such a special opportunity is not all that out of the ordinary.
DCSYP, founded by D.C. Bar members Greg
Bland and Michael Karlan, offers a twist to meeting new people,
networking, and engaging in the District's nightlife through weekly
events that include tango lessons, happy hours, theme dinners, and
nights at different embassies.
"They're not billed as single's events
because there's a certain stigma to that," says Bland. "We
like to offer events that have a cultural or educational feel to
themÉand most of our events offer a lot in and of themselves."
That was recently the case when more than 150 young professionals
gathered at the Embassy of Egypt to schmooze, enjoy Egyptian cuisine,
and dance to the sounds of the Egyptian-style Anwaar Band.
"The events (DCSYP) puts on are inclusive,
and seem to bring together people of many different nationalities,"
said James Wilson, a lawyer from Baltimore who frequently attends
the group's events. "They're helpful because I've also been
able to make a lot of business contacts."
Both lawyers and promoters, Bland and Karlan
knew they were onto something when they decided to join forces in
1998. Karlan was formerly planning events at Covington & Burling
while Bland was co-promoting Decades, the Friday night dance event
at the Ritz. Individually, both had established an elaborate e-mail
list doing similar things. By merging, today DCSYP has an extensive
e-mail list of more than 15,000 addresses. Most of the group's members
consist of professionals ranging in age from 25 to 45, not all of
whom are lawyers.
"I knew lots of people in the legal
profession who worked long hours and wanted to meet people but didn't
know how to go about it," said Karlan. "This offered them
an opportunity."
"It's not just a way to meet people,
it's a great way to network," added Bland. "The young
professionals now will be the older professionals later. There's
a good chance the people you meet now could be quite successful
in later years."
More information about DCSYP is available
on the organization's web site at www.dcyoungpro.com.
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