Mentoring

Attorney Mentor

• Will I be matched with a co-mentor this year?

  We have made some changes to the mentorship program. Volunteers who mentor 1Ls will no longer be matched with a co-mentor in the way they’ve been in the past. Mentors for 2L, 3L, and 4Ls will be matched one on one with a student.

  For mentors who prefer to work with other mentors, we encourage you to plan your events with each other.

• If I choose to work with the first-year program, what happens between the time of the kick-off in Sept. and the spring semester?

  For the 1L mentorship program, the fall is a time for students and mentors to get to know each other and for students to get settled at law school. There will be an etiquette dinner in Nov., and we will have suggestions for activities mentors and students can do together in the months before the spring semester starts.

• In the first-year program, how often will I need to attend class?

  Not all of our 1L mentors have to participate in the classroom activities. There will be groups of mentors asked to participate in various exercises. Mentors can engage in the classroom as works for them.

• Will there be any group activities or will I be matched 1:1 with a student?

  Volunteers who mentor 1Ls will no longer be matched with students in the way they’ve been in the past. Mentors for 2L, 3L, and 4Ls will be matched one on one with a student.

  For mentors who prefer to work with other mentors, we encourage you to plan your events with each other.

• Will we be matched based on the student’s area of interest?

  We will make an effort to match students with practitioners in their area of interest. We also encourage students to remain flexible. Mentorships are valuable relationships, and their value comes from several factors. For example, you may find it helpful to meet with an attorney who has gone through the same experiences as you, even if they don’t practice in your area of interest.  For instance, networking, interviewing, and firm events could still be useful to you if your mentor practiced outside your area of interest.

• What kind of activities will mentors and students plan and do together?

  Students and mentors will be provided with ideas about ways to build their relationship in addition to the classroom activities built into the 1L program. Those activities might be attending an MSBA section event or CLE together, job shadowing, or informal networking.

• Can I mentor more than one student?

  Absolutely! Please volunteer for whatever opportunities work best with your schedule. When you sign up to volunteer, please use the note field to let us know how many students you are willing to mentor.

• Can I mentor students in more than one program?

  Yes. Please volunteer for whatever opportunities work best with your schedule.

Peer Mentor

• If I participated in the Mentor Program as a 1L last year, can I sign up to help mentor first-year students this year?

  Yes, you can still participate as a peer mentor for 1L students.  The participation will largely be tied to the first-year required course, Foundations of Practice.  Your participation will take place in class as well as informal counseling outside of class.