Page 34 - 2018 October Bar Journal

BarJournal FEATuRE

JULY/AUGUST 2015
ExTra Be a Champion

BY KIRA S. KITTOE-KRIVOSH

entors, they can be an elusive unleashed into the workforce with a will to be Benefits of mentorship
beast. In our digital age, it the best and possibly trample another in our The mentor/mentee relationship is a two-way
is easy to feel connected to way. But, there is better way. A better way to street. A mentorship bond can benefit both
other people’s lives and what provide our clients with the utmost professional parties equally and simultaneously. Usually,
Mthey are up to. However, representation. To advocate for a legal stance the mentor is the one with experience,
more often than not you don’t feel close without entrapping our souls into aggregate contacts, and career success. They can bring
enough to someone who will advocate for you; muck. Think back to the time you started to the table a level of expertise and confidence
someone who will give you tough talks and your first job after law school. How many life in the courtroom and/or prowess that an
motivation when the chips are down, someone lessons did you learn in the first year? That first inexperienced attorney may not have yet.
who will look out for opportunities you may not month? That first day? It’s not hard to look back Mentees may to be eager to cultivate their
recognize within yourself. Why is that? at your past self and think, I wish I would have skills and enthusiastic to grow as a person
known x,y, and z. Why didn’t someone tell me? from the leadership of their mentor. Usually,
A better way to do business Hindsight is always 20/20 and I bet when you for a newly licensed attorney, a mentorship
As attorneys, we have been trained since law reflect on the past, you can imagine the help is a great way to gain connections along with
school to embolden our type A personalities, of another person transforming how you do direction for their career.
sometimes even earlier than that. We aim to business. Whether that be through networking, Mentors have everything to gain by taking
gain the coveted high A in a class, have the best moral support or professional mirroring. That another under their wing. Imagine that your
exam notes, gain the best internship. There is person, that mentor in your life, if you were livelihood has been spent on improving
not a lot of incentive for teamwork. Once that lucky to have one, made a difference for you, an area of the law or by creating the type
dog-eat-dog mentality is enhanced, we are shaped how you do business today. of practice where clients can rely on your

34 | Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal clemetrobar.org