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Mentoring Our Law Students Making Our Profession Better I
t is the end of the semester in which another cohort of third-year law students successfully By Denise Platfoot Lacey, Professor of Externships completed an externship for course credit. As I review the student evaluations of their DBA Secretary externship experiences, it strikes me that even though the pandemic changed the semester University of Dayton School of Law in so many ways, some things always seem to remain consistent in students’ field experiences. dlacey1@udayton.edu | 937.229.4634 Namely, effective mentoring and supervision are critical to the students’ successful learning experiences. I wanted to share the five things that supervisors do in externships that students consistently report make their experiences valuable.
1. Supervisors give students a variety of substantive assignments. Students are usually eager to learn as much as they
can about the office’s work and the areas of law that interest them. Supervisors who find a variety of assignments that mesh with the students’ learning goals give the students a better overall experience. Students value diverse substantive lawyering tasks that allow them to contribute to the work of the office. Even those tasks that become routine for lawyers are usually new and worthwhile to students. When supervisors allow the students to participate in as many aspects of their work as possible, the students see a truer picture of the practice of law and gain confidence in their ability to engage in it.
2. Supervisors give students opportunities to observe.
One of the primary benefits of learning in an externship is the opportunity to observe the lawyering that cannot be seen or easily replicated in a classroom. That might include observing a court or ADR proceeding, sitting in on client meetings, or participating in staff meetings. Students want to see what lawyers do in these unfamiliar settings and how they do it. When supervisors can provide observational opportunities to the students, their learning becomes more valuable.
3. Supervisors give students guidance and feedback.
For some students, an externship is their first experience in a law setting of any kind. They often do not know what to expect and are not sure how to start new tasks. Supervisors who provide resources for students, such as suggestions of where to begin a task or examples of similar work that a student could review, help students successfully complete their work. Similarly, supervisors who give specific feedback to students about the work they submit provide critical information to students which they can apply to future tasks. Feedback is most helpful when it specific, constructive, timely, regular, and supportive. Finally, supervisors who explain why they did something in a certain case or provide background about something the student observed provide necessary insights to students who might not otherwise fully understand the process or task. Students thrive when supervisors create a safe environment that supports their learning.
4. Supervisors give students opportunities to network. For students, meeting respected lawyers and judges - who often seem like commanding figures - can be intimidating. It is even more difficult to do when students do not have an existing support network who know and interact with lawyers or judges. Established supervisors have a network of colleagues that can benefit students. Supervisors who introduce students to other lawyers with whom they work (within or outside of their offices) help students develop the relationships that they will need when they transition to practice. Facilitating a phone call or inviting a student to come to a lunch with a colleague is relatively simple, but helps the students tremendously and demonstrates the collegiality that we aspire to have in the legal community.
5. Supervisors mentor students.
To be sure, mentors engage in the four previous practices, but mentors also do so much more. Mentors share the stories of their career path, reveal the challenges they have faced, give advice about transitioning to practice, warn against common pitfalls, recount “war”
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Dayton Bar Briefs December 2020
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