Lots Happening and More To Come!
The Legal Mentor Network
Connecting law students and newly admitted attorneys with legal mentors. (501(3)(c) application pending)
CAREERS IN LEGAL TECH
Heather Stevenson , General Counsel at Red Cell Partners and a Director for The Legal Mentor Network , recently hosted a webinar featuring Alex Su , Head of Community Development at Ironclad .
Alex discussed:
You can watch the full video here.
WHY BE A MENTOR?
Heather Stevenson , Director and Mentor at Legal Mentor Network, shared with us her thoughts on the importance of mentorship and why you should join the network.
Prior to LMN, Heather wanted to find her own way to give back during her otherwise non-productive drive home from school drop off, so she started doing “Carpool Career Chats”, with junior lawyers who had questions about professional development, transitioning to non-legal roles, or going in-house.
The only downfall to her approach was that it was not scalable, it was only her. An introduction?by Matt Schwartz to Brian H. Potts and The Legal Mentor Network , showed a framework for mentoring that not only was scalable but also accessible for everyone, so she jumped on board as a Director and Mentor.
What does Heather see as the benefits to being a mentor?
In addition to the obvious - feeling good about giving back, doing what is right by supporting those in the next generation, you gain a lot.??
You learn as much as you teach. The mentees bring new perspectives and new ideas to your current thought processes.
There are multiple networking opportunities while mentoring. You get introduced to the mentees and their relationships, which is just as beneficial as the relationships you are introducing them to.
On occasion, you may come across a mentee who is a good fit for your organization. This shows that your organization believes in supporting more junior talent.
Even mentors need?mentoring.?Last fall Heather attended a LMN networking event and was introduced to another attorney who has since become a mentor to HER.
If you aren’t already following Heather Stevenson on LinkedIn, she is carving her own path in the creator world, so we asked her for any advice for experienced attorneys or law students utilizing LinkedIn.
Heather said, if you are hesitant about LinkedIn , just START. Even if you are still a law student, your perspective is valuable.
When asking yourself if there is value in utilizing this career tool it’s important to remember the public posts, likes and comments that you’re seeing are only part of the story. The real value is behind the scenes in the DMs, zoom meetings and phone calls?that started after people connected through LinkedIn posts and comments, this is where?a lot of?the networking is taking place.
If you want to be a mentor, give back, and pay it forward, join here.
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY
Calling all law students and junior lawyers who are interested in learning more about the various types of transactional legal practices in?Biglaw.
You are cordially invited to the first ever?Transactional Bootcamp presented by?DLA Piper.
In this four-part training series, moderated by Matt Schwartz and Lenora Ausbon-Odom,?DLA Piper’s top-ranked Finance, Corporate, Private Equity, Restructuring and Tax teams will provide an introduction to fundamentals and best practices for new lawyers working in a transactional practice.
Each session will be eligible for 90 minutes of CLE credit and the Legal Mentor Network will provide a certificate of completion for anyone who attends all four sessions. DLA Piper has underwritten the cost of the entire program which is free to law students or young lawyers who would benefit from the content.
The program begins February 17, and you can find out more information and register here.
EVENTS
UPCOMING
Join?The Legal Mentor Network?and?Mintz?for a networking Happy Hour in Boston, Wednesday 6-8pm (local time), February 8th!
领英推荐
The event is FREE for all members and those interested in learning more about?The Legal Mentor Network.
Boston Happy Hour | February 8, 2023 6:00 PM (Local time)
Mintz Boston, 1 Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111
Register HERE.
The Legal Mentor Network Presents: Where the Jobs Are Outside of BigLaw
March 7, 2023 | 12:00 PM Eastern | Register HERE.
A webinar featuring:
? Keiyana Fordham Pilson , Principal Attorney, Pilson Law Group, PC , Moderator
? Adriana Dulic , Chief Compliance Officer, Epoch Payment Solutions
? Nadine Etienne Bazile, CIPP/US , VP, Assistant General Counsel, 摩根大通
? Francis X. Sullivan , Deputy Director, Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation
Interested in hosting a Legal Mentor Network happy hour or event? If so, please contact one of our Regional Chairs:
Chicago - Brian H. Potts | Boston - Heather Stevenson | Philadelphia - Christopher Merken | Washington, D.C. - Dr. Joanna Sztandur | Richmond, VA - Lindsay Barnes | Florida - Kyle Robisch | New York - Andrew Kazin | San Franciso - Mike Yaghmai | San Diego - Matt Schwartz | Tokyo - Peter Michael Allen .
TIPS & TRICKS
Choosing a career in law is choosing a career where you take 100% ownership. Your work ethic, your opportunities, and your network are all driven by you! You will drive your success. You can choose to maximize every opportunity and connection, or you can choose to sit back and watch others push the limits.
We reached out to Dimitri Mastrocola , Partner and In-House Counsel Recruiting at Major, Lindsey & Africa for his career advice for young lawyers. As a former Attorney, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Dimitri said:
Want to make a great impression as a junior lawyer? Take ownership of your projects by going above and beyond in thoughtful, helpful ways. Here's how:
?1) Anticipate next steps and present possible paths forward in your workstream.
2) Stay on top of deadlines and project status by regularly reviewing or creating a calendar for your matters.
3) Listen for action items during calls and meetings with clients and more senior lawyers on your team.
4) Follow up on tasks and projects in a pleasantly persistent way to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Doing these things will demonstrate your reliability and attention to detail, making you a valuable asset to any legal team, whether at a law firm or a corporate legal department.
Regardless of whether you're a law student, young lawyer, or experienced GC... make note along the way of what you like and dislike. What excites you? Each opportunity you take allows you the opportunity to narrow in on what drives your passion.
No different than Alex Su taking a winding road to lead him to where he excels today, you can only capitalize on your strengths when you consciously are able to recognize them.
*Stay tuned next month when we spotlight networking and making yourself visible on LinkedIn.
A special thanks to Lindsay Hofbauer and Mosah Fernandez Goodman of Top Talent Advocates for their work on this newsletter.