IdiomCenter.com

as in
(добиться чего-л.) по блату;
пристроить по блату;
иметь блат

juice
1. Even though he was late getting his job application submitted in time, his uncle used his juice to put Tom's application on top of the stack.
2. He has the juice to get it done quickly
3. Is hiring a juiced-in lieutenant’s daughter fair?

pull strings
Harry's well-connected uncle pulled a couple of strings to fix him up with a job. — Влиятельный дядюшка Гарри пристроил его на работу по блату.

[get the inside track]

have a friend at court

The Uncle Alec we gave our warmest love. We felt that we always had a friend at court in Uncle Alec, no matter what we did or left undone. ... Мы передаем горячий привет дяде Алеку. Мы всегда знали, что у нас есть "блат" благодаря ему, несмотря ни на что...

She was evidently there as a spectator, and, more fortunate than most, she had a "friend at court," and, so was able to sit comfortably, instead of having to stand in the crowd.

Чт, 2004-08-05 07:24 — Vivi

I'm ready to come to the conclusion that 'блат' is 'influence used in one's self-interest' — for example to find a position for a relative (also called 'nepotism'); you pull strings or excert your influence, (work on sb) to get what you want. In the Soviet times influential people used their connections to provide their families with rare delicatessen and imported clothes such as jeans. 'доставать по блату' can be translated as 'to get smth using your own influence'.

— Vivi

DRAG- influence securing special favor; PULL

Втр, 2004-08-24 19:34 — Fenya

networking

Meaning: talking with people who have some connection with each other and work as part of a system. For example, a publisher may talk informally with a writer and also an education ministry official: this may possibly at a later stage lead to the publication of a new book that would not have happened if the initial contact had not been made.

"It was a great conference last week, wasn't it." —"Yes, I managed to get to almost every session."— "Did you? I only went to three. Spent the rest of my time chatting in the cafe." — "That's fine for you. But I'm hopeless at networking." — ...заводить полезные/нужные связи.

someone with connections
[friends in high places]