In the legal profession, you’ll hear the word “mentor” used frequently. The meaning can be different depending on the context, but at the core, a mentor is an experienced or trusted advisor, counselor, or guide. We all have mentors in our lives — the people we turn to for advice, counsel, and guidance. Mentors come in many forms, and they arrive and depart at many different points in our lives. Your early mentor might have been a trusted teacher from grade school who modeled a behavior or set of values that you admired. Or you might have been mentored by an older family member or family friend who took you under their wing. A boss or colleague at a job might be a mentor, too. In general, a mentor is someone who has gone before you and knows the way — whatever way that might be. Most of us have personal and professional mentors throughout our lives.
Finding Mentors
Finding mentors in your law career will be particularly important. As you’ve probably noticed by now, there’s a fair amount of mystery and tradition involved in becoming a lawyer, and a mentor can help you make sense of the process. You will likely encounter a series of mentors and mentorship programs, both formal and informal, during your law career. Sometimes, law schools have mentorship programs that pair alumni with current students. Often, law firms or other legal services organizations have mentorship programs that pair more experienced attorneys with newer ones. Some mentoring relationships are brief, but others may end up being long-term relationships — some mentors are present for one’s entire career. There are likely to be mentors who are assigned to you at some point; other mentors you might seek out or select, and sometimes, mentor relationships happen organically and feel more like a supportive friendship.
Mentors can be supportive when you find yourself challenged, and they can answer questions of many kinds, both substantive (“How do I file this motion?”) and those specific to the workplace (“Was it just me, or was that meeting this morning really weird?”). Mentors can also help you set goals for your career development and give you advice about how to find work or projects that will help you advance your career. You can have more than one mentor at a time, and sometimes, different mentors focus on different things. Remember that most mentor relationships exist for a period of time and then come to an end, and some don’t work out. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re part of a mentoring relationship that is not working out or comes to its natural end, it usually means it’s time to start looking for a new mentor!
Mentoring is a two-way street, however, and the work does not all fall on the mentor. As a mentee, you should bring yourself and your questions to the relationship, be fully present when you are with a mentor, make time for meetups and help plan them, and be supportive of your mentor in the same ways they are supportive of you. One of the most well-respected writers and advisors about mentoring in the legal profession is Ida Abbott, and her book The Lawyer’s Guide to Mentoring is one of the most widely read and consulted resources on mentoring in the legal profession.
What Is a Sponsor?
A term related to mentorship is “sponsorship.” Sponsors can play a role similar to that of a mentor, and some mentor relationships become sponsor relationships over time, but a sponsor is more than a mentor. Both are relationships with defined roles, where both parties in the relationship have certain responsibilities to each other, but while a mentor usually gives advice, answers job and career-related questions, and helps strategize about career moves and professional development, a sponsor works to actively promote another person’s career. A sponsor not only gives advice, but actively helps the sponsored person get where they want to go. For instance, a sponsor actively introduces the sponsored person to people in powerful and decision-making roles, actively enhances and supports the sponsored person’s professional reputation by talking highly of them to others, directs work or clients to the sponsored person, and encourages other people to do so.
While almost everyone has one or more mentors in the course of their professional lives, not everyone has a sponsor. These relationships are very special and can make a significant difference in a sponsored person’s career trajectory. Particularly for someone from a group that has not traditionally been well-represented in the legal profession, a sponsor can open doors and provide opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable or unattainable. There are many other uses of the word “sponsor,” so it can be a confusing term, given that it often connotes financial support. As used narrowly in the legal profession, though, no exchange of money is involved.