Page 12 - First Year Associates

S12 | Tuesday, OcTOber 13, 2015 | First-Year Associates Handbook
| nylj.com
Legal Writing
« Continued from page S7
assistance. Take advantage of these oppor- tunities. Moreover, a junior attorney should not be afraid to ask a senior attorney for advice or guidance when it comes to legal writing. in most instances, the senior attor- ney will appreciate that the junior attorney is showing initiative and is proactively trying to improve his or her legal skills.
Final Thoughts
The ability of a young lawyer to process information and effectively communicate that information in written form is a skill that portends success. as described above, advanced writing skills provide tremendous value to a law firm team and those skills, in turn, can provide a young attorney excellent opportunities for accelerated growth and development. consequently, law students, who are often interested only in classes that cover bar exam topics, would be wise to consider legal writing electives and take other steps to hone their writing skills before embarking on their legal careers. and young associates who are starting out should take advantage of writing opportunities, which may include drafting articles, blog posts, client alerts or newsletters, as well as firm resources that are available to help them improve their writing skills.
in short, strong writing can provide a young attorney with a competitive advantage and will allow the attorney the opportunity to “write” his or her own success story.
Mentor
« Continued from page S3
tionship. Many firms have formal mentoring programs where a mentor is “assigned” to a mentee. These programs can facilitate early access to people, resources and information which can be crucial to navigating a large organization early on in a junior associate’s career. The same can be achieved with infor- mal mentoring relationships, although these tend to develop organically over time, as work experiences and relationships mature. either method can lead to a successful mentoring relationship, so long as both the mentor and mentee are committed to making it work.
But how to identify the right mentor? This is often a question we face when new associates join the firm. identifying and engaging an effective mentor is not as easy as some would think; it takes some seri- ous thought and effort. not every leader at a law firm has the skill or the time to be an effective mentor. a good mentor takes an interest in guiding junior asso- ciates and is genuinely interested in an associate’s success. The best advice for any junior associate is to take some time, get to know the attorneys, talk to other associates with more experience, and think about short-term and long-term goals for the relationship before jumping in and selecting someone.
at greenberg Traurig, we have found that an important component to a suc- cessful mentoring program is to allow the associates to choose their mentors. at greenberg Traurig all associates are encouraged to choose an official mentor. This process happens in stages. When an associate joins the firm, the associate is assigned a “temporary” mentor. after a few months, hopefully once the associate is comfortable at the firm and has created some working relationships, the associate is asked to choose an official mentor, with guidance from the professional develop- ment team and the greenberg Traurig career development Liaisons. This allows the associate and the firm to take into account personalities, already developed relationships, and work and personal inter- ests, hopefully to ensure a good match that will flourish. Then, after a year, the associ- ate is asked whether she wants to continue with that mentor or choose another, either because the relationship was not a great fit or because it was such a success that the associate makes the decision to add another mentor to her team. By creating a new “formal” mentoring relationship and keeping the “informal” relationship with the original mentor, the associate now has begun building a team of influential people supporting and guiding her career.
There are a few points to keep in mind when choosing a mentor. effective men- tors are positive people by definition; it takes a positive person to give of himself to help another learn, grow, and succeed. an associate should look for people in the firm that are willing to share wis- dom, knowledge, skills, and experience; who have a positive outlook; who are
there helping other mentees navigate challenges and find opportunities; who genuinely care; and who are willing to give constructive and honest feedback. People who are well-respected and who are still growing and learning are always good options. a good personality fit is also essential.
The practice group leader or the local legal celebrity might be the instinctual first choice, but consider the limitations. Because that person is already a leader at the firm, his or her schedule is usually very busy. a good mentor needs to be available to actually mentor. a mentee needs to think carefully about choosing someone who will be there when he needs immediate advice, someone who can devote time and energy to help with challenging circumstances. Perhaps this is an experienced mid- or senior-level associate. associate mentors often are the best resource for work-spe- cific questions, or to address associate- specific issues. Perhaps the best choice is a more junior shareholder, who has realized the benefit of a mentoring relationship and still has the time and motivation to commit to one herself. Often, a mentee can identify a good mentor by recognizing the people who still seek the advice and counsel of others.
Once a mentee has identified a potential mentor, she needs to engage that person in the mentor role. The best way to do this is to simply ask. The mentee needs to let a potential mentor know that she admires the mentor’s judgment, and would value learning from him. This genuine pitch rarely misses if the mentee has chosen well. a good mentor recognizes the benefit to mentoring and will value the honest request for assistance.
also, an associate should not stop with just one mentor—she should create a deep bench of mentors to meet different needs and augment different aspects of her career goals. Mentors provide both career and life experience. Limiting mentor relationships only to job goals can limit the valuable life lessons mentors can provide. in the 2000 Lawyer’s guide to Mentoring, published by naLP and sponsored by the new york Women’s Bar associate Foundation, new lawyers are encouraged to “develop a network of relationships with many men- tors at different times and for different developmental purposes ... , because these mentors will form a mentoring ‘board of advisors’ that provides career resources and assistance” throughout an associate’s career. Thus seeking out guides within the firm and from the network of contacts that an associate establishes over her career maximizes her supporters, and equips her with the tools she needs for long-term suc- cess.
Understanding the Mentee’s Role
But having a good mentor is only half of the equation. an associate must also be an effective mentee. This requires time and dedication; being a mentee is not a passive role. a mentee must be as committed to the relationship as she hopes the mentor will be. so, just as a good mentor recognizes
and seeks out opportunities to be an effec- tive mentor, an effective mentee must do the same. The mentee should be prepared for each meeting with the mentor, treating the opportunity as more than just a social event. a mentor can only be effective if she knows what issues her mentee is cur- rently facing and what the end-game is. The mentee must be willing to be honest and forthcoming with information, and trust in the mentor’s willingness and desire to support and assist her. communication and trust are critical components to a suc- cessful relationship.
some of the most influential mentoring moments happen organically, over lunch or a coffee break, or during an impromptu conversation in the hallway or after a client call. social time with a mentor is an ideal opportunity for building the relationship outside of the office. Other more formal and informal activities that can strength- en the mentoring relationship and cre- ate quality learning experiences include participating in cLe programs together, co-authoring an article or a client alert, attending a charity event, or working on a pro-bono matter. The firm also can provide activities that may help foster team work and social interaction. Last year greenberg Traurig had a tremendously successful ncaa college Basketball mentor/mentee bracket tournament. The firm held a lunch where mentors and mentees jointly filled out a tournament bracket. Over the course of the tournament, the firm set up televi- sions during lunch for some of the games, and prizes were given out to the winning draft teams at a mentor/mentee cocktail party. These types of firm activities can create a great atmosphere for the mentor- ing relationship to grow.
as with any relationship, sometimes they work and sometimes they do not. as the mentoring relationship progresses, the mentee must also evaluate the relation- ship and be honest with himself and his mentor about whether it is working. Men- toring relationships take time to develop and thrive, and are continually changing and developing as careers develop. The mentee needs to be proactive and evaluate whether the relationship is working, and if not, to address the issues professionally with his mentor. a good mentor will know when a relationship is not succeeding, will appreciate the mentee’s honesty, and likely will help the mentee find a new mentor that may be a better fit.
again, the importance of mentoring relationships throughout the course of an associate’s career should not be underes- timated. having mentors from all walks of life, who are actively engaged in helping equip the associate with the tools needed to reach his potential, is essential to lasting success at any firm.
DID YOU BORROW THIS?
Why share when you can have your own copy of the New york Law Journal delivered directly to your home or office. For subscriptions—or to purchase back issues— call 1-877- 256-2472.
Promote Your
NEW YORK
STATE BAR
TUTORIAL
PROGRAM
COURSES &
SERVICES
IN THE
Indera Singh
(212) 457-9471
[email protected]