There Are 2 Kinds of Mentors in the Legal World

-those who get assigned to you; and
-those who notice & find you.

🔹 The first type isn’t too hard to find.

In fact, your school or firm may even give you one without your asking.

I’ve had many like that.

—They will take you to lunch on your first day.
—They’ll buy you a gift on your daughter’s birthday.
—They’ll throw a big party when you leave on your way.

But then they are done.
Their mission complete,
their purpose gone,
and you again,
a mentor have none.

🔹 So what about that second kind of mentor?

Yes, they are harder to find.
They’re not on display at the checkout line.
And they won’t give you gifts at the perfect time.

But from them, you are poised to get much more.

You didn’t just draw their name out of a hat. Something—some force—drew you together.

Some commonality.
People connect around commonality.

-Perhaps there’s something that you admire about them.
-Perhaps they see themselves in you.
-Perhaps you share a faved color blue.

But whatever it is, it didn’t just happen by happenstance. Like a boy and girl at a dance. There was something that made the two of you drawn to each other.

↪️ That makes for a relationship of mutuality and respect.

And, because of that, the second kind of mentor is more likely to have a vested interest that keeps them around for a longer haul.

👉 There is a catch, though.

They can’t find you if you don’t show up.

So, SHOW UP!

Become that type of student who potential mentors notice and want to invest in.

You’ve all got it in you.

I promise I’ll be here rooting for you when you do.

(And in case you didn’t realize, yes, I am trying to get you to start commenting more on lawyers’ LinkedIn posts so you will start learning how to converse with lawyers in general! So please don’t be shy. Introduce yourself. You just have to say “hi”!)

💌 Amanda

***

🔷 Today’s post is dedicated to one of the best kinds of mentors: Mark Harris, co-head of the appellate group at Proskauer.

Mark, you taught me more about legal writing than anyone before or since. I am eternally grateful. 🙏🏻

🗳️ Do you have a mentor who’s been awesome to you?

Why not give ‘em a shout!

Like me, I suspect that none of us got to where we are today without some partners who went above and beyond in helping you get to where you are.