New lawyers and law students benefit from mentoring help
For many years, the legal profession has witnessed idealistic young lawyers, fresh out of law school, eager to take on their new careers with passion and vigor, only to realize they had more questions than answers.
Many of these young attorneys did not anticipate what three years of law school neglected to teach them – the ability to enter into and navigate your way through the business of law.
Recognizing the need to guide young lawyers through their first few years of practice, or to help experienced attorneys who are looking to enter new practice areas, the Illinois State Bar Association created the Special Committee on Mentoring in 2003.
One of the first tasks the Committee undertook was to create the ISBA MentorCenter, intending to raise awareness within the membership of the importance of mentoring inexperienced graduates.
Mentoring Committee members also sought to coordinate educational and social opportunities for participants in the MentorCenter.
Throughout the past five years, the MentorCenter has been slow developing, but is ultimately achieving its goal of establishing relationships between experienced attorneys and lawyers with questions, one match at a time.
One-on-one interaction enables mentors and mentees to forge professional relationships that can be mutually beneficial. Additionally, your input on additional activities and resources the MentorCenter can provide are invaluable.
If you would like to share your thoughts, please visit the “Suggestion Box” on the MentorCenter page under Practice Tools at www.isba.org, or e-mail mbentley@isba.org or ldavis@isba.org.
If you are interested in sharing your initial experiences and the lessons you learned with a newly practicing attorney, the MentorCenter urges you to contact them about becoming a mentor. Some of the simplest activities may make a great impact in the eyes of a mentee.
Suggested activities include giving a tour of a law office, demonstrating to a young lawyer how an office is managed; discussing the roles of office personnel and how a collaborative effort can make a practice successful, and discussing not only methods of client development, but techniques for business development.
If you are looking for a mentor, remember that in order to make the most out of your interactions, please be prepared before contacting a mentor with specific questions and be able to identify how you want the mentor to assist you.
The more organized you are for your interactions, whether by phone, email, or in person, the more you will likely get out of the relationship what you had hoped for.
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Lynne Davis is ISBA staff liaison to the Committee on Mentoring, along with first assistant counsel Melinda J. Bentley.