Defining the Relationship the Labor & Emp't Mentorship Acad. Can Help

• Citation: Vol. 29 No. 4 Pg. 0022
• Publication year: 2024
• Pages: 0022

Defining the Relationship: The Labor & Employment Mentorship Academy Can Help Vol. 29 No. 4 Pg. 22 Georgia Bar Journal February 2024

I Feature

Mentorship provides new practitioners with access to the wisdom that can only be gained through experience, with mentors standing as living, breathing examples that there is a good life to be found inside the law.

BY JAMES E. "JAY" ROLLINS JR. AND MISSY TORGERSON

There are few things more intimidating than entering the legal profession. After completing law school, so-called "baby" lawyers are often expected to sink or swim based on skills they obtained across those three grueling years. But, as many lawyers will readily tell you, much of what makes a practitioner successful cannot be taught from a textbook or learned from a lecture. So, if a good attorney is more than the sum of their legal knowledge, how does a blossoming professional get from point A to point B?

While there may be many answers to that question, one of the most effective and efficient ways to learn the legal ropes is to lean on someone who has climbed them before. Mentorship provides new practitioners with access to the wisdom that can only be gained through experience, with mentors standing as living, breathing examples that there is a good life to be found inside the law.

Mentee Camille Mashman argues a summary judgment motion during her Courtroom Experience.

It is important to remember, however, that mentorship is a two-way street. Where mentors bring their wealth of practical expertise, mentees must often show flexibility and patience. The structure of the mentoring relationship is one that must be found somewhere between the parameters of the practice and the personal with honesty and integrity taking the pinnacle positions. Essentially, mentorship success rests equally on the mentor and the mentee.

The State Bar of Georgia Labor &Employment Law Section's Mentorship Academy aids the development of the mentor/mentee relationship. The following suggestions are tips and tricks learned from years of instrumental mentorship fostered by the program.

How to Be a Good Mentee

Many fresh-out-of-school attorneys may find themselves being mentored in a variety of ways from a variety of individuals: older associates, supervisors and anyone else who has been around the block a few times are usually willing to share their valuable insight. However, obtaining an "official" mentor often requires seeking guidance...