how to get a mentor to be a lawyer

by Angelita VonRueden 5 min read

One of the best ways to gain a mentor, even a busy one, is to help another lawyer out. It can be as simple as marking up a deposition transcript or conducting a little bit of research. In time (yes, developing a mentoring relationship takes time), your new friend will rely on you and give you advice.

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How to ask for a mentor?

Apr 02, 2015 · One of the best ways to gain a mentor, even a busy one, is to help another lawyer out. It can be as simple as marking up a deposition transcript or conducting a little bit of research. In time (yes, developing a mentoring relationship takes time), your new friend will rely on you and give you advice.

Is mentorship a good idea?

Always assuming good intentions is an excellent start. Find ways to get past the cultural differences and to help your colleagues to think of you as someone who is not one-dimensional. Once again, building relationships is key. Finding multiple points of commonality, however minor, can build comfort and trust.

What if I don’t hear back from a potential mentor?

6 hours ago · One way is to follow the advice of Daniel Lasman, CFO of Fish & Richardson: “Find a leader at the firm who you admire and ask them to mentor you. The person need not be in your area of expertise;...

How long should your first meeting with a mentor be?

One way to get this kind of career stimulation is by working with a mentor. A mentor is someone experienced in the industry who encourages someone else in their personal and professional growth. This person can spot strengths and weaknesses that mentees don’t know even existed and offer constructive criticism that helps move careers forward.

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How do I ask my lawyer to be a mentor?

Posing the mentoring questionSchedule an initial conversation. Ask your potential mentor if he or she can make time for a 15-30 minute chat with you. ... Clearly describe the guidance you're seeking. ... Confirm your willingness to do the necessary work and follow-through. ... Acknowledge and respect the individual's time.

What should I look for in a legal mentor?

What to look for in a mentorRapport. Because you will be spending a lot of time with your mentor, you should choose someone who you feel compatible with. ... Diversity. ... Experience. ... Your professional association. ... Your colleagues. ... Your firm's mentoring program.Aug 15, 2018

How do I attract a mentor?

Seven Strategies for Attracting a Great MentorDeepen Your Capacity for Discernment.Develop Your Radar for a Mentor.Be Courageous and Proactive.Cultivate Social Skills.Work Hard and Pursue Excellence.Demonstrate a Passion for Learning.Foster Collegial Relationships.Feb 20, 2016

What should I ask my law school mentor?

Questions to Ask Your MentorHow is what I am learning in school different from what it will be like practicing?How did you become a [insert practice area] attorney?What is a typical work day like for you?What types of cases/projects are you currently working on?More items...

What do legal mentors do?

A legal mentor is an experienced lawyer who passes their guidance, experience, and advice to another attorney, law student, or legal professional. With the help of a mentor, a legal professional can learn new skills, set better goals, and build confidence in their career.Jul 20, 2021

What are some questions to ask a mentor?

Questions to Ask a MentorWhat's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?How do you encourage innovative ideas?How would you describe your personal style?Do you have a mentor? ... What do you do to constantly challenge your underlying beliefs and assumptions?More items...

How do I find a billionaire mentor?

9:2519:23How to Find a Billionaire Mentor - Business Mentorship [3 Steps]YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipStart with smaller mentors start with someone who's. Let's say six months ahead of you work one yearMoreStart with smaller mentors start with someone who's. Let's say six months ahead of you work one year ahead of you who is already. Doing what you want to do or where you want see yourself in one year.

Did Bill Gates have a mentor?

Bill Gates is currently listed as the richest person in the world. The Harvard drop-out credits part of his success to his mentor, businessman and investor, Warren Buffet.

How do entrepreneurs find mentors?

Finding a mentor FAQ Meet experienced entrepreneurs through free meetups. Join a paid mentorship program. Ask around in forums and online communities. Connect with mentors on social media.Sep 9, 2021

Why is mentoring important for lawyers?

Mentoring as a means of enhancing lawyers job satisfaction and performance is an exceedingly important topic. The reality is that finding the right mentor (s) is easier said than done–and the wrong mentor can be worse than no mentor at all. Here’s some advice. First, give serious thought to what it is that you are seeking to learn from a mentor.

What to learn from a mentor?

First, give serious thought to what it is that you are seeking to learn from a mentor. At various stages in your tenure at a particular firm or company, and during the course of your legal career as a whole, you may need someone who can serve as a teacher, role model, coach, troubleshooter, guide, protector, confidante, sponsor, publicist, ...

Who is Carol Kanarek?

CAROL KANAREK is a lawyer and clinical social worker. She has provided career management services to lawyers and legal employers, and law schools for over twenty five years. She can be reached at ckanarek@aol.com or (212) 371-0967. More information about Carol’s background and services can be found at www.KanarekandBrady.com.

Why do you need a mentor?

Because mentors selected for a formal program generally possess skills, work habits and personality traits that the company values, participation in such a program can provide you with a good sense of your employer’s “culture” and preferred ways of getting things accomplished.

Is mentoring a reciprocal relationship?

Finally, never forget that mentoring is a reciprocal process. A really valuable mentoring relationship will develop only if you make your mentor feel that he or she has something to gain (and nothing to lose) by taking an active interest in your career development.

What having a mentor means for legal professionals

In order to retain employees and compete in today’s marketplace, law firms need employees with varied experience and backgrounds. Mentorship can allow skilled professionals to pass on the necessary skills, knowledge, and wisdom to those who need it, enabling more and more people to succeed.

What to look for in a mentor

Whether you’re looking to gain confidence, develop skills, even to qualify for a job promotion, as you look for a mentor, consider:

Trust

You will likely be sharing private information with your mentor, so trust is very important. Understand that it will take some time to build this trust even with the most highly-recommended mentor.

Five steps to forming a valuable mentor relationship

There are many important things that happen in law school. You learn how to think and write like a lawyer, forge lifelong friendships with the other people crazy enough to go to law school, and do a lot of growing (both personally and professionally).

Seeking Versatile Family Office General Counsel

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How to be lucky to have a mentor?

If you are fortunate to have a mentor, who is willing to invest in your relationship, who is genuinely interested in you and wants to see you succeed, you are incredible lucky. You need to value that relationship, by ensuring you are responsible, respectful and ready. This means coming to meetings prepared, respecting your mentor’s time and remembering they are a volunteer. Acknowledging and appreciating their support is important, a simple thank you can go a long way in enhancing a relationship. You also need to be ready to take ownership and responsibility for you own learning- your mentor can’t do it for you!

What is the importance of mentorship?

The focus of the mentoring is on you, the mentee, so it is important to be clear about what you want from the relationship, but also to be open and flexible to exploring new ideas and perhaps changing direction. A good mentor will challenge you, ask probing questions and encourage you to think carefully about what is it you want to do, to help you find your own solutions. This is a great opportunity to discuss areas of practice that interest you and to consider whether they are suited to your talents, interests and aspirations.

What is the role of listening in a mentoring relationship?

Julian Treasure in his Ted Talk uses a helpful acronym, RASA, Receive, Appreciate, Summarise and Ask to facilitate active listening. Active listening takes practice and is a critical skill to develop not just for a successful mentoring relationship but in all aspects of your life.

Our 2021 virtual Diversity Solutions events

In 2021, equal access to careers has never been more important. That's why our Stafford Long Diversity Solutions events will still run as planned this year, but in a virtual format. Using a digital platform, we'll continue to bring together bright talented students and inclusive employers for networking, Q&As, and more.

Mentoring

Open to all DiversCity in Law attendees, our mentoring scheme will connect you with an LGBTQ+ lawyer or senior business services person from one of the 18 participating law firms. Let’s go into more detail about what’s involved and why having a mentor is an unmissable opportunity.

How the scheme works

By attending DiversCity in Law, you’ll have already gained a great understanding of the legal sector and what it’s like being an LGBTQ+ City lawyer. The event will also have given you the chance to work out what sort of mentoring support you’d value most.

Do you need a mentor?

There are times in life and at work when we could all benefit from the experience, wisdom and knowledge of people who’ve been in similar situations. By sharing their own stories, our mentors will help you understand the legal market, how large law firms in the City work, and which support networks exist.

What are the benefits?

There are lots of benefits of joining the mentoring scheme. For starters, mentoring can focus your career objectives and turn them into realistic goals – which your mentor will help you achieve. How? By working with you to plan your next steps and provide constructive feedback along the way.

What we look for from you

There are a few things that we look for in our mentees. You’ll need to:

Success stories

It’s all well and good us telling you about the positive things you could get out of the mentoring scheme. But there’s nothing better than hearing it from those who’ve experienced it for themselves.

Why you need a mentor

Mentorship programs are now so popular that 70% of Fortune 500 companies have some form of mentorship program. There are quite a few good reasons for that.

Templates to ask someone to be your mentor

As you know, I have a huge amount of respect for you and I’ve learned a lot from you already. I just wanted to drop you a quick email to ask you for a favour. I’m at a stage in my life and my career in which I feel I could benefit from a little mentoring and guidance.

An easier way of finding a mentor

Even with the templates that we’ve shared today, asking someone to be your mentor isn’t easy. After all, you’re effectively asking them to bet on your success, and while they might not be investing their money, they’re certainly investing their time.

Find a mentor instantly

For years, I often found myself feeling lonely, professionally. I would get frustrated and wish that I had someone with a similar growth mindset to bounce ideas around with. The idea for Growthmentor came from my own personal struggle of being in a high-pressure head of growth role at EuroVPS.

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