A community committed to student success
Our powerful network of 20,000 alumni around the world is a tremendous benefit to our students.
Our mentoring programs pair Mitchell Hamline students with alumni for advice on navigating law school and guidance in exploring career opportunities and seeking and celebrating professional success. Our alumni 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.
Mentoring for 1Ls
For first-year students, the focus of mentoring is to make a successful transition to law school, learn networking skills, and explore different ways to use a law degree. Students are matched with recent alumni who will share their own experiences as law students and new lawyers who have made the transition into the legal profession. Mentors may connect with students to conduct an informational interview, attend a networking event together, or explore opportunities to gain legal experience.
Foundations of Practice
First-year students in our full-time program will be enrolled in Foundations of Practice – a spring semester course that covers topics related to attorney professional development including professional identity formation, career exploration, and the changing practice of law. As part of this course, we invite lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals to campus to enrich classroom discussion, infuse practice-oriented perspectives into our learning, and share their career progression and professional development experiences with students.
Mentoring for 2Ls, 3Ls, and 4Ls
This one-on-one program connects upper-level students who have an identified area of professional interest with an experienced practitioner in that field. Mentors 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.
Mentoring for blended-learning students
Our mentoring program pairs Mitchell Hamline students with alumni across the nation for advice on navigating law school and guidance in exploring career opportunities and seeking and celebrating professional success. Our alumni 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.
Login to the Alumni Directory and Community then choose Browse Volunteer Opportunities to sign up.
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.