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President’s Report
Lawyer-2-Lawyer
Arkansas Bar Association Mentor Program
by Tom D. Womack
Lawyer-2-Lawyer Originally printed in the Spring 2012 issue of The Arkansas Lawyer magazine. Reprinted with permission.
Over the last two years, Association leadership has been exploring the feasibility of a statewide mentoring program for newly-admitted lawyers in Arkansas. The theory underlying the initiative was that fostering mentoring relationships between beginning and experienced lawyers would assist new lawyers during the critical transition from student to practitioner, by which they could learn fundamental skills and core values of professionalism essential to the practice of law. A number of other state bar associations, Georgia, Utah, Ohio, and Oregon among others, have established mentor programs giving all new bar members meaningful access to experienced lawyers and a well-developed mentoring program available in their first year of practice. A key to success in these other states has been allowing for a flexible approach in which mentors and new lawyers take a general outline of a mentoring curriculum and shape it to best meet the needs of the new lawyer. The success of a particular mentoring relationship will, of course, always depend upon the commitment of both the mentors and the new lawyers, and a devotion of time, energy, and skill will be required on both sides. The necessity of making mentors available to new admittees has become increasingly important due to the limited number of employment positions available for new graduates in recent times, particularly since 2008, due to the multi-year influx of new lawyers in a market place where employment opportunities have grown increasingly limited. The consequence has been a dramatic increase in the number of new admittees going directly into a solo practice. The lack of guidance by an experienced attorney typically available through law firm employment means that these new admittees who are going it alone need our assistance. At the last two Arkansas Supreme Court Professional Practicums, a number of new admittees have requested mentor assistance. Through volunteers identified at these sessions, the Practicum Committee has been able to fill these requests. We believe the number of new
admittees who can benefit from mentoring programs will only grow. Aspiring to fill this need, your Association has this year initiated Lawyer-2-Lawyer, a voluntary mentoring program that dozens of new admittees have relied on to enter into mentoring arrangements with experienced practitioners. Lawyer-2-Lawyer aspires to elevate the competence, professionalism, and success of Arkansas lawyers through positive mentoring relationships. Mentoring works on several different levels to foster the early development of a new lawyer’s career while creating a sense of pride and purpose in the mentor. Specifically, the mentoring relationship should:
• Assist in the development of the new law• • • •
yer’s practical skills and increase his or her knowledge of legal customs Improve legal ability and professional judgment Promote collegial relationships among legal professionals and involvement in the organized bar Encourage the use of best practices and highest ideals in the practice of law Contribute to a sense of integrity in the legal profession
The Lawyer-2-Lawyer mentoring program is sponsored by the Association’s Young Lawyers Section. Spearheading the effort has been Brian Clary, who is the current Section chair, and Tasha Taylor, a YLS leader who has been instrumental in the development of the concept and planning. The program offers a choice of a one-year mentor relationship where mentors are encouraged to be available to new lawyers by phone or email and to meet with him or her quarterly, as well as what is identified as a midday mentor. This is meant to be an informal and relaxed program which allows mentors and new lawyers the opportunity to share questions and information in a casual lunch environment on an irregular basis. The program requires that mentors must have a minimum of five years of practice experience.
Mentors and new lawyers are matched according to a number of factors, including practice areas and geographic location. To the extent possible and practical, consideration will be given to preferences for gender, age, ethnicity, and other factors identified by a new lawyer or a mentor. The Association will match new lawyers and mentors as soon as possible following receipt of a new lawyer’s enrollment form, after which written notice of the match and respective contact information is provided to the new lawyer and mentor. These relationships are managed in adherence with all professional ethics and standards, particularly “Ethical Issues in Lawyer-to-Lawyer Consultation,” Formal Opinion 98-411, issued by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, August 30, 1998. Lawyer-2-Lawyer is a year-long relationship of mentoring over the course of multiple inperson meetings. There is no cost for the new admittee to participate in Lawyer-2-Lawyer. The areas of experience mentors are often asked to share include client relations; adherence to the Rules of Professional Conduct; the development of networking skills; law office management and economics, and particularly oversight of a practice trust account; work-life balance; development of skills; and transition to private practice, among others. Overall, a mentor is expected to be able to offer professional, ethical, and practical assistance to the new lawyer. Mentoring provides support that new lawyers need as they leave their academic lives behind and encounter the real-life challenges of practicing law. A mentor can assist with skills development, serving as an advisor and role model. A mentor’s guidance can be extremely helpful as the new lawyer undertakes the demands of a new workplace and assumes the identity of a legal professional. The Association takes pride in this initiative to foster young lawyer development and service to the profession. n 13