When Big Brother is Watching [Out For] You: Mentoring Lawyers, Choosing a Mentor, and Sharing Ten Virtues from My Mentor

Abstract

This article examines the importance of mentoring in the legal profession, with an emphasis on how a mentor teaches a lawyer both how to be a successful professional and a successful person. I share my mentor's best advice in the form of ten virtues he has consistently emphasized. I review the history of mentoring in the legal profession, share examples of the current renaissance of legal mentoring, and explain the benefits of legal mentoring. I suggest qualities a lawyer should look for when choosing a mentor.

I then consider the ten virtues I learned from my mentor: diligence, initiative, efficiency, reflection, enjoyment, simplicity, civility, honesty, sharing, and equality. I discuss both the virtues and the practical habits my mentor suggested as ways to achieve each virtue. My hope is that other law students and lawyers will benefit from my mentor's advice. Additionally, I hope my article motivates lawyers to establish their own mentoring relationships.

Keywords: Legal profession, legal ethics, mentoring