attorney to attorney mentoring

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  • 8/2/2019 Attorney to Attorney Mentoring

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    N GREEK MYTHOLOGY, MENTORwas a friend of Odysseus. WhenOdysseus left for the Trojan War,

    he placed Mentor in charge of hispalace and his son, Telemachus. Thegoddess Athena visited Telemachus,disguised as Mentor. In this disguise,she encouraged Telemachus to standup against evil suitors of his mother

    Penelope, and to go abroad to find outwhat happened to his father. WhenOdysseus returned, Athena appearedbriefly in the form of Mentor again atOdysseus palace.

    Because of Mentors relationship withTelemachus, and the disguised Athenasencouragement and practical plansfor dealing with personal dilemmas,the name Mentor has been adopted inEnglish as a term meaning someonewho imparts wisdom to and sharesknowledge with a less experienced

    colleague.

    Its no secret that a mentorrelationship can help guide alaw student or budding attorneythroughout their legal career, as wellas have impactful and long-lastingeffects in the lives of the mentor andmentee. At his installation at the startof this Bar year, SFVBA President

    Alan Sedley described his journey asa lawyer. After many years of practice,he felt something less than completefulfillment. Then he was introduced toa new area of law, which he exploredand developed a deep enthusiasm for.This revitalized his affection for thepractice of law.

    The San Fernando Valley BarAssociation has launched the SFVBAMentoring Program so that new lawyerscan benefit from the opportunity tohave a professional relationship withan experienced lawyer in their field,

    and that some experienced, less-than-

    satisfied lawyers can benefit fromthe opportunity to explore otherareas of law. The SFVBA envisions itsprogram as an opportunity to advanceprofessional associations among lawyersin the Valley. The Mentoring Programseeks to:

    Connect new and veteran lawyers inparticular fields of law, allowing new

    lawyers to benefit from the wisdomof experienced colleagues, and serveas resources to each other.

    Expose lawyers who may not feelcomplete fulfillment in an area ofpractice to other law practice areas,and enthusiastic lawyers in thosefields.

    Continuously improve the qualityand enthusiasm for the practiceof law in the Valley through thesharing of knowledge.

    Introduce Valley lawyers to othermembers of the Bar and Bench.

    Sedley and President Elect DavidGurnick, chair of the MentoringProgram Taskforce, were instrumentalin the creation and implementationof the Mentoring Program. OtherTaskforce members are Barry Kurtz,Charles Shultz, Jerome Fogel andTiffany Feder.

    The Mentee and Mentor PairThe Mentee and Mentor PairWhile there are no rules ormeasuring sticks to guide us to theperfect mentee, two particular typesof mentees jump out right away. Thefirst is the established attorney whois dissatisfied with his or her practicearea in law to the point that daily workbecomes a joyless or unchallengingburden each and every day, and wouldbe willing to learn from an establishedattorney the challenges, nuances andrewards found in a new area(s) of law,explains Sedley.

    At the other end of the spectrum, Ienvision a good mentee candidate to bea newly-licensed lawyer, who perhapsenjoyed studying law in school, butgraduated without a clue as to whatspecialty he or she might have a passionto practice.

    Sedley believes the mentor canhelp the mentee discover his specialty,perhaps by discussing the menteesinterests and passions outside oflaw, and relating and applying it toa specific area of law. Sedley gives

    the example of a mentee who likes to

    I

    14 Valley LawyerMARCH 2012 www.sfvba.org

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    perform in high school plays may findan entertainment lawyer as the perfectmentor.

    New Attorney to SeasonedNew Attorney to SeasonedAttorneyAttorneyA professional may start off working inthe recruiting field as a recruiter, andthen later obtain a juris doctorate, but

    unsure how to best utilize their workexperience, education and talents. TheSFVBA Mentoring Program wouldconnect such a legal professional withan employment law attorney who maybe able to provide career path guidance

    Gurnick believes its importantfor established attorneys to mentornew ones. He says, So much lawresides in the minds of lawyers and

    judges and how we practice ourprofession. The law and preceptsand practices are passed from ageneration of lawyers to the next.

    Gurnick describes mentoringas an important way for seasoned,experienced, capable lawyers to instillthe highest and best qualities in newermembers of the legal profession.

    Gurnick had several mentors thatwere instrumental to his career as alawyer. From my first day, a greatbusiness and franchising lawyer, MartyFern, invested a lot of time, care,energy and affection mentoring mehow to draft, and provide first classservice to clients. A few years later a

    great business litigator, David Laufer,mentored me as well, shares Gurnick.

    Even as an experienced lawyer Iam still mentored, for the past eightyears, by terrific lawyers I look up toat the Lewitt Hackman firm. My focuson franchising law and how I try toprovide great client service and zealouspractical advocacy can be traced largelyto learning from what mentors haveshared.

    One Practice to AnotherOne Practice to AnotherThe idea of changing ones establishedpractice to another area of law is adaunting and troubling proposition,says Sedley. After all, the very thoughtof it conjures up images of hours spentlearning new laws and procedures, notto mention the impact such a transitionwill undoubtedly have on onesincome in the short term. Even addinga new focus or areas of law to onesexisting practice cannot be successfullyaccomplished without serious focus anddedication.

    Sedley continues, The mentor, anattorney specifically chosen becausehe or she demonstrates a passionfor area(s) of law practice, will beinstrumental in calming and settlingthe mentees initial trepidation at theunknown by reinforcing the menteespassions, skills and interests for thisnew practice by sharing the excitement

    and enthusiasm the mentor has for thisparticular legal expertise.Sedleys health law mentor did

    precisely that as she calmed his initialreluctance to make such an extreme

    shift in practice. Sharing her infectiouspassion for the practice of health lawresonated with Sedley.

    Does Mentoring Really Work?Does Mentoring Really Work?Flexibility will enable the SFVBAMentoring Program to satisfy needs of

    mentors and mentees. The mentoringrelationship should facilitate frequentdiscussions about practicing lawand careers in the legal profession.SFVBA mentors may need to provideencouragement, support andaffirmation. They may also be calledon to give suggestions on availableresources and allow their mentee toexplore new ideas and to inquire about

    interacting with judges, adversaries andcolleagues, ethical matters, dealing withdifficult clients and work-life balance.

    Mentors will gain insight andreceive the satisfaction of giving backto the law profession. Suggestedmentorship activities include meetingsover breakfast, lunch or coffee; periodicphone conversations and emails; and

    invitations from mentors to SFVBAevents to introduce mentees to othermembers of the Bar.

    The SFVBA is confident in its newmentoring program and places a highvalue on mentoring for all involvedparties. Sedley says, Though it soundslike a clich, it is nevertheless accurateto say that if we learn that one (newor established) attorney discovers hisor her passion for a newly discoveredpractice area of law through the helpof a mentor and makes a successfultransition (or a new focus to an ongoingpractice), we will have created asuccessful program.

    Attorneys who would like tobecome involved in the SFVBAMentoring Program are encouraged tocontact Executive Director Liz Post [email protected] or (818) 227-0490,ext. 101. An application to become amentee or mentor can be downloadedfrom the SFVBAs website.

    Angela M. Hutchinson celebratesfour years as the Editor of SFVBAs

    Valley Lawyer magazine. She works asa communicationsconsultant, helpingbusinesses andnon-profit organizationsdevelop and executemedia and marketinginitiatives. She can bereached at [email protected].

    www.sfvba.org MARCH 2012Valley Lawyer 15

    The SFVBA is confident in

    its new mentoring program

    and places a high valueon mentoring for

    all involved parties.