f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

The article shows why inexperienced attorneys need mentoring, but making it mandatory probably won’t solve the problem.  It would most likely become a rote process, with both mentor and mentee just going through the motions, and signing off on a form. At its worst, it would be a few months of indentured servitude, free labor for greedy firms.

Informal mentoring within most firms also seems unsuccessful these days — there’s too much worrying about losing billable time of both the senior and junior lawyer (and many new attorneys are very shy about showing their limitations or worries to supervising attorneys).  We need a culture that values and encourages mentoring and a massive corps of attorneys who are dedicated to the process.  Perhaps the great numbers of retiring baby boomers will help bring about a boom in mentoring, but we can’t wait that long.

There’s an article that has some useful things to say about what mentoring should be. It’s by attorney Gary Seiser, and called “Mentoring: Starting the New Year Right“. (ABA Child Law Practice, Vol. 20 No. 11, pp. 171-175, January 2002). Seiser points out that mentoring needs to be a partnership and emphasizes all that the mentor can gain from the process:

Great mentors don’t mentor because they have nothing more to learn. They mentor because they don’t ever want to stop learning. The best mentors treasure the learning process and are enriched by it. They treasure sharing, and realize that in the sharing they also learn. Are all mentors that noble? No. But many are. There are other benefits for mentors too, particularly within an organization such as a court system or a social services agency. It forces mentors to stay current, so they can pass on that information. It offers mentors a challenge, making them think how to help the mentee most effectively. Further, just as mentors support mentees, mentees can also support their mentors—being loyal, providing information, going the extra mile. Mentors gain much from mentoring.

The article has pointers on do’s and don’ts for mentors, as well as suggestions for getting started in mentoring (informally or with a formal program). The article also has an extensive bibliography. If readers of this site know of successful mentoring projects or materials, please let us know, with a Comment or a note in our “Suggestions” Box.

Update (7/26/03):  Glenn K. Garnes at ESQTechlaw Weekly has posted his thoughts on the need for mentors, pointing back to ethicalEsq?  Glenn says “Second only to pro bono work, mentoring younger lawyers is probably the single most important thing an attorney can do for the community, and the profession.” (emphasis added)

And, Carolyn Elefant of MyShingle.com has also written to encourage mentoring.    But, wouldn’t you know, after I finally write what I thought was a very positive, upbeat posting, Carolyn focuses on my “cynical spin” concerning mandatory mentoring.  I’d like to think of it as realistic.   As I’ve told Carolyn, I was once as optimistic as she about the legal profession (while I was working for the federal government).   Things did change when I got down from that tower and into the trenches.