A community committed to student success
Our powerful network of 20,000 alumni around the world is a tremendous benefit to our students.
At Mitchell Hamline we pair students with alumni and other practitioners for advice on navigating law school and guidance in exploring career opportunities and seeking and celebrating professional success.
Our alumni and volunteer practitioners are available to connect with students either in-person or remotely and many provide additional opportunities to gain legal experience and exposure through informational interviews, job shadows, and externship or residency work experiences.
Foundations of Practice
All students will be enrolled in Foundations of Practice – a required course that covers topics related to attorney professional development including professional identity formation, career exploration, and the changing practice of law. Students in our full-time in-residence program will take Foundations of Practice in the spring semester of their first year. Our part-time evening and part-time blended learning students will take Foundations of Practice around Semester 5 of their JD program.
As part of the Foundations of Practice course, students are matched with an alum or other practitioner who will share their experience as a lawyer through scheduled course activities and offer mentorship. We also invite lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals into our Foundations of Practice classroom to enrich classroom discussion, infuse practice-oriented perspectives into our learning, and share their career progression and professional development experiences with students.
Mitchell Hamline Connect
Through our online Mitchell Hamline Connect portal, all Mitchell Hamline students can connect with alumni and other practitioners who will assist students in exploring the work that lawyers do in their particular field, expanding students’ professional networks, identifying opportunities for students to observe lawyers at work, and discussing strategies for students to gain relevant work experience and build their professional brand.
Register for Mitchell Hamline Connect (symplicity.com)
Mentorship Newsletter Archive
See All- February 2019 Mentorship NewsletterPosted March 4
- January 2019 Mentorship NewsletterPosted January 23
- December 2018 Mentorship NewsletterPosted January 17
- November 2018 Mentorship NewsletterPosted December 7
- October 2018 Mentorship NewsletterPosted November 6
Frequent Questions
Attorney Mentor
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Can I mentor students in more than one program?
Yes. Please volunteer for whatever opportunities work best with your schedule.
Peer Mentor
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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.