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Editor's Column

By:  Sally Pretorius

Young lawyers are constantly told that we need to find a mentor because mentors are integral to our careers. For the first couple years of my practice, I was obsessed with the idea of having a mentor and even more obsessed about how to find a mentor. I was clueless about how to go about getting one. Do I email or call people up and tell them I want them to be my mentor? Do I want male or female mentors? Should they practice the same kind of law? Is being my mentor too much pressure for a busy lawyer? What if they say no? Could I face that rejection? 

I honestly don’t remember where I heard the advice that changed my view on mentors, but it has stuck with me. You don’t need just one mentor, you need a personal board of directors. This was the “light-bulb” moment I needed. I realized that I didn’t need this magical one person to help me through every part of my life, but rather, I need a group of people that could help me in different situations.  There was no need to ask someone to be my mentor.  If I had a question or needed help with something, I called someone knowledgeable, and I trusted that person to help with that particular problem. People were usually more than willing to meet for coffee or have a ten-minute phone call…no pressure. I have grown to rely on a core group of people who help guide me through most situations.

TYLA realizes that finding good mentors is a process that may take some time.  To help guide young lawyers through their practice, we are revamping the Ten Minute Mentor website. Ten Minute Mentor is a collection of videos that are about ten minutes long and guide you through various aspects of your practice.  The website will include a “My First” series that provides videos on doing many things that can be daunting to young lawyers, such as taking your first deposition, filing your first lawsuit, and information specific to your local practice location. The website is already fully functioning with a large number of helpful videos, but keep checking back within the next couple of months for new and revised content.