Getting Started
Ten weeks will fly! Meaningful mentoring relationships are key to the summer associate experience, including their development of important networks within the firm and their skills as soon-to-be lawyers. Thank you for agreeing to serve as a summer associate mentor.
Within the first week of your pairing, please make an effort to meet your new mentee in person. If you are unable to meet in person, Zoom or Teams is the next best option. Although your pairing is a formal assignment, many components of the mentoring relationship are informal. The development of the relationship is up to both of you. Let the mentee know you are invested in their careers and excited to provide them with guidance.
Nonbillable Code: 888081.00005 Mentoring/Career Planning
Meetings
Set up weekly meetings (e.g., Fridays at 9 a.m.) and add the meetings to the mentee's calendar. These weekly check-ins may be over coffee, during lunch or during the workday. Come to each meeting with an agenda or a specific topic, even if it is to discuss ongoing work assignments or get reactions to training programs, among other items.
Look for opportunities to check in between planned meetings, such as the day following an event, to obtain and provide feedback on the particular aspects of the summer experience. Ask questions about the social interactions at events to open the door to providing guidance on the lesser-known rules of engagement in professional settings.
Be a Resource for Holland & Knight
• Even if your mentee doesn't ask specific questions, consider offering what you know about these areas.
• Suggest questions that your mentee should ask when receiving a work assignment, including the timing and form of the deliverable.
• Give your mentee practical information, such as who to go to for questions, how to work with a practice assistant and how to prioritize work.
• Facilitate introductions to Holland & Knight lawyers and staff.
• Share information on what you wish someone had told you as a new associate (e.g., how to handle a mistake or missed deadline, how to obtain feedback on work product, etc.).
• Ask open-ended questions about what your mentee is working on and your mentee's reactions to the assignments (easy, hard, interesting). Follow up on your mentee's responses, if appropriate, to encourage them to engage in a full dialogue about their thoughts on the work undertaken.
Be a Resource for Professional Development
• Career Development. Share what you know about your practice area, such as how it weathers certain economic cycles, what a typical day is like (if there is such a thing), what typical clients are like, if the work tends to be many small projects or a few larger ones, etc.
• Writing and Oral Communication Skills. Provide advice on transitioning from law school writing to large firm writing regarding items such as briefs, contracts or other legal documents, as well as communicating with clients, opposing counsel and other attorneys within the firm. Encourage your mentee to keep the audience in mind.
• Work Style. Share lessons learned about time management, responsiveness, problem solving, issue spotting, judgment, initiative, reliability, building an internal reputation, etc.
• Ethics. Share how Holland & Knight lawyers always practice ethically and professionally. Describe real-life scenarios that can arise where boundaries may be crossed.
• Nuts and Bolts of Daily Work Life. Share with your mentee how you supervise and motivate staff, how you resolve conflicts, how you approach working on a team, methods you use for keeping partners and clients informed, etc.
• Get to Know Each Other. Exchanging information about life outside the office can enhance your mentormentee relationship – for example, outside interests, what drew your mentee to the law, where they grew up, etc. – and feel free to share some of your own personal information. Periodically check on your mentee's wellbeing.
• Feedback. Provide as much feedback as possible. If you are privy to conversations about what your mentee has done well or how they can improve, share that information. If your mentee receives specific feedback on an assignment, discuss it with them. After its conclusion, discuss the midsummer evaluation with your mentee.
