Investing in an Associate Mentorship Program

Mentoring is generally defined as the passing on of skills, knowledge, and wisdom from one person to another. Within the legal profession, mentoring finds its roots in the 13th century when judges had to provide for the apprenticeship of lawyers. These mentoring programs were essential as this was the only way lawyers could learn their craft. As legal training has become more formal and standardized, the structure and purpose of mentoring has changed and evolved from a one-way transfer of information to more of a focus on learning.

As attorneys continue to recognize that the practice of law is really a business in and of itself, mentoring programs have become more popular within the law firm environment. Even the large firms with long standing mentoring programs, are increasing their
focus and spending additional resources on polishing and improving programs. There appears to be an increased understanding that not only do mentoring programs foster a sense of teamwork with the law firm and assist attorneys with career development, they also serve the important purpose of developing law firm business.

There is no right or wrong way to mentor.  Mentoring programs reflect each firm’s own internal culture and branding so, therefore, each program is unique. This article will highlight some common themes of successful mentoring programs and offer some thoughts on how best to structure a mentoring program within your organization.

Effective Mentoring Styles and Structures

Mentoring relationships can be informal and unstructured or complex and procedure based.  Studies have shown, however, that the most effective mentoring programs are formalized with a well thought out structure. In the busy life of an attorney, when every minute feels accounted for, it is tempting to make mentoring a voluntary opportunity. Voluntary programs, however, usually don’t take into consideration the respective personalities and commitment levels of those involved. For example, a new attorney may not get as much time and attention from a busy senior litigator with a large book of business. In the end, the new attorney may be left feeling frustrated while the senior attorney’s stress level is heightened with yet another unfulfilled commitment. Structured mandatory programs tend to more effectively match the experience of the mentor with the known interests and needs of the mentee.

One of the most important components of an effective mentoring program is a carefully
chosen mentor with a clearly defined role. A mentor is best described as a career coach or a stylistic advisor. Usually this person is the more experienced colleague or senior partner. The role of a mentor is to assist the new attorney in best navigating himself/herself through the less obvious parts of the organization. A mentor is not someone who critiques work product, but someone who imparts lessons on the art and science of the business of practicing of law. The overall goal of mentoring is to share knowledge and hone skills more quickly and effectively than what would otherwise be available as the curriculum in the “school of hard knocks.” For example, a mentor can offer tips on how best to approach a senior partner with a particular request or how to appropriately communicate with a particular judge or client. A mentor can also assist the new attorney in developing his/her own individual book of business by facilitating the introduction of influential community leaders and business people. Sometimes mentors can help alleviate the stress and frustrations associated with starting out by serving as a sounding board for a newer attorney.

Another important element of an effective mentoring program is differentiating between mentoring and supervision. While a mentor is more likely to be a more experienced attorney or senior firm member, the best mentors are not the same supervisors who evaluate the mentee’s work product. Mentees will be reluctant to go to the mentor with what could be perceived as less than critical questions if they believe they are going to be evaluated by the mentor. In the best mentoring relationships, the mentee knows that his/her interests and confidentiality is protected and valued. This is why a senior level associate or staff attorney from another practice area is an appropriate choice for a mentor.

Along with the mentor, the mentee also shares responsibility for the success of the mentoring relationship. Attorneys who are fortunate to be part of organizations with mentoring programs should participate in these programs to the fullest extent. Full participation requires the ability to take initiative and to seek out direction and advice. Ultimately, it is the attorney who is responsible for his/her professional development. Success within a law firm or corporate legal department and successful client development is dependent on the ability to make and maintain connections with professional colleagues and members of the community.

Getting Started: How to Start a Mentoring Program Within your Organization

All effective mentoring programs have support from top management. This is probably the most important component of a successful mentoring program. Without support from law firm partners or supervising counsel, mentoring programs lack credibility and therefore will never invite commitment from law firm members. To gain this necessary support, sometimes it becomes necessary to challenge beliefs and break down misperceptions regarding mentoring. Some of the most common mentoring myths are outlined below.

Mentoring is time consuming and takes away from productivity and billable hours.

While formal mentoring programs require a specific time commitment, there are creative ways to structure this time including lunches, discussions while traveling to court or to client meetings or telephone calls. It is important to remember that hiring a new attorney brings with it a certain pledge to invest resources, time and energy in the development of this individual. While mentoring requires a certain time commitment, in the end, the time commitment is seldom what is feared at the inception of the mentoring relationship. If the law firm promotes the mentoring relationship and makes it a firm priority, this concern is almost always alleviated. 

Only law firm partners and senior attorneys make effective mentors.

Since senior partners are usually responsible for evaluating a new attorney’s work product, they do not usually make the best mentors, as the new attorneys are reluctant to confide in them with truthful concerns and sometimes embarrassing questions. The senior level associates or those attorneys who have between five and ten years of practical experience typically make the best mentors as they have more current recollection of the concerns and challenges that a new attorney often faces. 

Both the mentor and mentee must work in the same location.

A mentoring relationship can easily be conducted with scheduled weekly phone calls and email exchanges. The great thing about a remote mentor relationship is that it expands the field of suitable mentors and makes mentoring available to those attorneys who may be working in a smaller satellite office.

Only new attorneys need mentors.

Mentoring also benefits experienced attorneys joining a new firm and experienced attorneys branching out into new practice areas.

Once there is firm-wide commitment to a mentoring program, you can begin to structure a program that best reflects your law firm culture. There are consultants who specialize in these types of programs avail-able to help. In addition, there are articles and publications on the topic of mentoring. The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) published a study entitled, “Mentoring Across Differences: A Guide to Cross-Race and Cross-Gender Mentoring.” This study was written by Ida Abbott, Esq. and Rita S. Boggs, Ph.D.. This is an outstanding and thoughtfully written article about the keys to successful mentoring relationships. This article is available on the MCCA website. Also, many large national law firms highlight their mentoring programs on their firm websites.  

The stresses and pressures of this fast changing and competitive marketplace require that attorneys constantly improve and polish their skills. Mentoring programs are an excellent means of assisting attorneys with career development while investing in the future talent of the profession.