Public Interest/Public Sector Mentor Program
Attorney Mentor Responsibilities
The purpose of the Mentor Program is to establish a relationship between students interested in public interest/social justice work or issues and attorneys who are working or have worked in the field. The program is intended to give students an opportunity to learn about issues of concern to the legal profession and to learn things about the practice of law which they may not learn in the academic setting. Hopefully, the program will better assure that, as graduates, the student participants will be equipped to deal with the realities and practice of law. Your time, experience and wisdom are invaluable to this learning process.
1. Every attempt will be made to match your experience or area of practice with the student’s area of interest. However, we have a limited pool of mentors who represent only so many specialties and backgrounds. If the match is not exactly on point, we hope that the student will use this professional relationship to gain a better understanding of public interest/social justice work generally.
2. We have asked that students be conscientious, courteous and responsive in meeting with you, understanding that busy schedules may cause last minute changes in plans or necessitate rescheduling a meeting. However, we also ask that mentors reciprocate by not repeatedly canceling meetings or neglecting to respond to student phone calls. We have also asked students to inform you as soon as possible if a situation arises that makes it necessary for them to cancel or change a meeting.
3. Mentors should meet with students at least twice a semester (for lunch, a tour of the office, to observe a court appearance, hearing, oral argument, presentation, or meeting…they may even volunteer at your office if they’re interested). Please feel free to structure the program with your assigned students to meet the needs of your practice and available time (e.g., you can meet with all your assigned students in a group). You may prefer to schedule meetings on a regular basis, but this is not required. Keep in mind that it is the quality of the relationship and not the time spent, that determines the success of the mentoring relationship.
4. Mentors should also be reasonably available by phone and/or email. If there are times of day that you are easier to reach, please let your student(s) know.
5. When you meet, students may ask about your work experiences, how you arrived at your career choice, your future plans or any other topic that interests them. Students may have questions regarding job search strategy, but have been instructed not to place you in the potentially uncomfortable position of asking you for a job. The program is not meant to serve recruitment or placement needs.
6. The Mentor Program is very important to Boalt students and therefore your commitment to the program is vital. If a student does not sense your interest, he or she may also lose interest in the program. This program is your opportunity to influence the next generation of lawyers working in public interest and social justice work. We hope that the program will be a positive experience for all our students and mentors.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact Linda Maranzana, Associate Director for Public Interest/Public Sector Programs at 510-643-2675, or by email at lmaranzana@law.berkeley.edu. Thank you for your participation.