{"id":150166,"date":"2026-05-02T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/05\/02\/making-the-most-of-your-mentoring-relationships\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T02:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T10:00:00","slug":"making-the-most-of-your-mentoring-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/05\/02\/making-the-most-of-your-mentoring-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the Most of Your Mentoring Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Meyling Ly Ortiz | The best mentors serve as an experienced sounding board, ask you questions and expand your perspective. Tips on getting the most out of lawyer mentorship programs.<br \/>\nThe post Making the Most of Your Mentoring Relationships appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Tips for taking ownership of your career growth early as a young lawyer and getting the most out of any lawyer mentorship program.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group cust-audio-set\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"exemag-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/share.transistor.fm\/e\/e7ab0eb6\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\">\n<h2>Table of contents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/young-lawyers-making-the-most-out-of-lawyer-mentorship\/#h-what-is-a-mentor-0\" data-level=\"2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">What Is a Mentor?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/young-lawyers-making-the-most-out-of-lawyer-mentorship\/#h-three-ways-to-make-the-most-of-lawyer-mentorship-relationships\" data-level=\"2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Three Ways to Make the Most of Lawyer Mentorship Relationships<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/young-lawyers-making-the-most-out-of-lawyer-mentorship\/#h-1-take-the-driver-s-seat\" data-level=\"3\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">1. Take the Driver\u2019s Seat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/young-lawyers-making-the-most-out-of-lawyer-mentorship\/#h-2-invest-in-the-mentorship-relationship\" data-level=\"3\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2. Invest in the Mentorship Relationship<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/young-lawyers-making-the-most-out-of-lawyer-mentorship\/#h-3-share-your-journey-with-your-mentor\" data-level=\"3\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">3. Share Your Journey With Your Mentor<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/young-lawyers-making-the-most-out-of-lawyer-mentorship\/#h-subscribe-to-attorney-at-work\" data-level=\"2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Subscribe to Attorney at Work<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Looking back, I definitely remember how much lawyer mentorship was preached to me when I was a law student and a young lawyer. And 18 years later, I don\u2019t disagree that mentorship is important in the practice of law.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, in hindsight, I wish I had more <em>practical<\/em> advice on how to be a good mentee and how to make the most of my mentoring relationships. I write this from my experience as a mentoring enthusiast who has been mentoring for over 15 years. In candor, I also write this from my experience as a terrible mentee.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/lawyer-mentorship.jpeg?resize=770%2C495&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"lawyer mentorship\" class=\"wp-image-100022277 size-full\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-a-mentor-0\">What Is a Mentor?<\/h2>\n<p>Before I begin my tips, it is fundamental to level set and work from the same understanding of what a mentor is (and just as important, what a mentor is not). <\/p>\n<p>A generic definition is that a mentor is an experienced or trusted advisor. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Lawyer mentorship should not be confused with the concept of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/sponsors-new-mentors-especially-women\/\" id=\"99941576\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a sponsor, champion or advocate<\/a>, which is a person who uses their own credibility, reputation, social or political capital to vouch for you and advocate for your success. <\/p>\n<p>Also absent from that definition: Mentors are not fixers, miracle-workers, job-finders or omniscient.<\/p>\n<p>This may be an unpopular opinion, but to me, a mentor really shouldn\u2019t even be someone who tells you what to do or what you should do. Rather, the best mentors I\u2019ve had are those who serve as an experienced sounding board, who ask questions and expand your perspective. Don\u2019t get me wrong, mentors can certainly share how they may have dealt with situations. But be wary of anyone who is super prescriptive.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-three-ways-to-make-the-most-of-lawyer-mentorship-relationships\">Three Ways to Make the Most of Lawyer Mentorship Relationships<\/h2>\n<p>With that, here are my three tips for getting the most out of mentorship relationships from the start.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-take-the-driver-s-seat\">1. Take the Driver\u2019s Seat<\/h3>\n<p>My first tangible tip for mentees is to drive the relationship. This means that the mentee is the one who should reach out to the mentor (or their administrative assistant) to set up meetings that are convenient for the mentor. I will never forget how one of my law student mentees suggested a brunch where I could bring my child. As a senior associate and new mom in BigLaw at the time, I appreciated how thoughtful the suggestion was. It told me volumes about the kind of person she was and, frankly, endeared her to me.<\/p>\n<p>Besides setting up the meeting, a mentee should prepare for what they want to talk about and any questions they have. Two common mistakes I have made as a mentee:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Presuming that a mentor was too busy, and that was the reason they didn\u2019t reach out (and why we didn\u2019t meet).<\/li>\n<li>Assuming that all I had to do was set up a meeting, and they would tell me everything I needed to know about the practice of law \u2014 like some kind of brain dump.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The reality is that if someone is willing to give you time, it is up to you to take them up on the offer \u2014 and up to you to ensure that it is not a waste of their time.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-invest-in-the-mentorship-relationship\">2. Invest in the Mentorship Relationship<\/h3>\n<p>The mentoring relationship is not a one-way street or a top-down transaction. And if it starts becoming that way, where the mentor feels like a gumball machine, dispensing little nuggets of advice whenever you need it, it can lead to mentor burnout and reticence. So how to invest in the relationship? Be appreciative \u2013 but don\u2019t just say it, show it. Say it during a call. Follow up with an email or thank-you card. Maybe send a little token of your appreciation like a Starbucks card or something you know they would like from time to time.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, it doesn\u2019t have to require money. Think about how you can provide value to your mentor. Can you show them some love on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/meybe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">LinkedIn<\/a> through a testimonial or with a post? What about liking or commenting on their content? Is there an article or book you\u2019d recommend based on what you know of their interests? You could also ask if there is anything you could help them with.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-share-your-journey-with-your-mentor\">3. Share Your Journey With Your Mentor<\/h3>\n<p>My last tip is to check in from time to time with your legal mentor and share what you\u2019ve been up to. Even better, share how the mentor\u2019s time, connection or advice helped. This concept of providing a status update or a \u201cprogress\u201d report may seem counterintuitive, especially because your mentors are likely to be busy lawyers and judges, but it helps with growing your relationship.<\/p>\n<p>What you want to create here is investment \u2014 and people are more likely to be invested if they know what\u2019s going on and feel like they played some part (however large or small) in your success. It may sound overly simplistic, but as a mentor, I want to know how the story ended. And it can be very dissatisfying to have spent half an hour or an hour or more of my time and energy with someone and yet never know what happened \u2014 and worse, to only hear from that person when they have another ask.<\/p>\n<p>With consistent application of these three tips, you may well be on your way to being the best mentee a mentor could ever ask for.<\/p>\n<p><small><small>Illustration \u00a9iStockPhoto.com<\/small><\/small><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-subscribe-to-attorney-at-work\">Subscribe to Attorney at Work<\/h2>\n<p>Get really good ideas every day to help you create a fulfilling, successful law practice: <a title=\"Subscribe to Attorney at Work\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/subscribe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Subscribe to the Daily Dispatch<\/a> (it\u2019s free).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meyling Ly Ortiz | The best mentors serve as an experienced sounding board, ask you questions and expand your perspective. Tips on getting the most out of lawyer mentorship programs. The post Making the Most of Your Mentoring Relationships appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers. Tips for taking ownership [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal_matters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150166\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}