Young lawyers should all have a mentor–someone that they can trust, someone to look up to in their firm while they are learning the art of becoming a litigator. There are so many things that you can’t learn in law school about being a lawyer, and your mentor is the perfect person to teach you!
Given how important your relationship with your mentor will be, it is vital that you don’t squander such a golden opportunity. Below is some crucial advice that will help you get the most from your relationship with your mentor.
- Keep the lines of communication open. There is no point to having a mentor if you don’t utilize them! Keep in close contact with your mentor so that you can always get quick feedback whenever you have a question.
- Meet regularly with your mentor. Especially when you have just started at a new practice and there is so much to learn, you’ll want to spend a lot of time with your mentor. This goes hand-in-hand with keeping in close contact with your mentor—give yourself as many opportunities as reasonably possible to learn from them and ask questions.
- Ask your mentor for networking advice. Beyond showing you the ropes at your new practice, your mentor can be a very valuable asset in the networking game. It really is all about your connections and who you know, which makes your mentor and their network extremely valuable and helpful for long-term career success.
- Ask your mentor the tough questions. Your mentor is the perfect resource for questions that you would normally be too embarrassed to ask. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your mentor any burning questions about your practice or the profession at large.
- Return the favor! Now that your mentor has done so much for you, look to return the favor. Naturally, you won’t be able to help them in the same way that they helped you, but look for opportunities to do whatever you can to make their life easier. And who knows, eventually you may wind up knowing more than they do!
Hungry for more advice on making the most of your mentorship? Check out the resources below for some further reading:
- 7 Questions to Ask Your Lawyering Mentor—BluePrintJD
- Developing a Relationship with Your Mentor—LexisNexis