The legal profession has changed significantly over the past few decades, but some concepts are as enduring and important as ever.
Among these key concepts is the invaluable and incalculable role a good mentor can play for a lawyer at the beginning of his or her career.
There are those of us practicing law for many years who can remember having a helpful mentor at the beginning of our career. Many years ago, most law students obtained employment after law school and many of these mentorships occurred organically where they worked.
Now, many law school graduates are not getting hired at law firms, not getting as involved in their legal profession or community and certainly not getting advice or guidance at the early stages of their career.
The good news is that The Florida Bar has launched a new mentoring program called “Counsel to Counsel,” focusing on attorneys with three years or less experience, working in firms of three or fewer lawyers. There is a strong focus on professionalism and ethics, the path of a lawyer’s career, and getting involved in the legal and general communities.
The development of the program was spearheaded by co-chairs and former Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Presidents Zack Zuroweste and Katherine Hurst Miller, who have been lawyer leaders for many years.
We appointed members of the Special Committee from across Florida, including members of the Young Lawyers Division, and established Florida Bar and voluntary Bar leadership who have a strong background and experience in mentorship issues.
They helped create a mentorship program that will emphasize law and career advice, with regular mutual communication and achievable goals for those who participate to be rolled out next year.
Make no mistake, this is going to be a huge lift, but worth the effort and much needed. We owe it to these newer lawyers to be able to be their best selves, to be the best lawyers at this stage of their career.
This investment will increase professionalism and will help these lawyers and the public we serve for years to come.
The Florida Bar has developed one of the best, most impactful legal mentoring programs in the country, and my request is twofold.
First, if you are a newer lawyer that falls into this category, sign up for the program. This will give you a huge boost in your professional development as an attorney.
Second, if you are a “more experienced attorney,” please sign up to be a mentor as we roll out this program. You can really have a positive impact on the career of a newer lawyer.
And if you know someone who is a new lawyer, on their own or at a smaller firm, encourage them to participate.
The program will be beneficial for mentors and mentees alike, and you can see more information at floridabar.org/mentoring. It takes just a few minutes to sign up for Counsel to Counsel, and that will pay dividends for these lawyers and the legal profession for years to come.
Actor and director Denzel Washington correctly noted that nobody gets here alone, in terms of accomplishments in this world.
“Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living — if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way — a mentor, ” Washington said.
Gary Lesser is a managing partner at Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith.