Public Interest/Public Sector Mentor Program
Student Guidelines
The Mentor Program was established by the Career Development Office 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 profession and to learn things about the practice of law which they may not learn in the academic setting. The role of the mentor is to give you a “window” on the profession and assure that you are fully equipped to deal with the realities of the practice of law when you graduate.
1. Every attempt will be made to match your interests with you mentor’s experience or area of practice. However, we have a limited pool of mentors who represent only so many specialties and backgrounds. If your match is not exactly what you had hoped, be open-minded and use this professional relationship to gain a better understanding of public interest/social justice work generally.
2. You should take the initiative and make the first contact with your mentor. He or she will be made aware of the fact that you have been assigned to him or her and will be expecting your call or e-mail.
3. Be conscientious, courteous and responsive in your contact with your mentor. The mentors have extremely rigorous schedules and heavy demands on their time, yet they have made a commitment to participating in this program and making time for you because they believe it is an important function. Be understanding if a mentor’s schedule causes a last minute change in plans or necessitates rescheduling your meeting. If you must cancel or change meeting plans, you must notify your mentor as soon as possible. Never be a “no show” for a meeting.
4. You should meet with your mentor at least twice a semester (for lunch, a tour of the office, to observe a court appearance, even volunteer at her/his office if you’re interested), depending on your mentor’s availability. Mentors may be assigned more than one student and may wish to meet with students in a group. Mentors are asked to be reasonably available by phone. If there are times of day that you are easier to reach, please let your mentor know. Keep in mind that it is the quality of the relationship and not the time spent, that determines the success of the mentoring relationship.
5. When you meet, feel free to ask about his/her work experiences, how he/she arrived at this work as a career choice, his/her future plans or any other topic that interests you. You may have questions regarding job search strategy, but do not put your mentor in the potentially uncomfortable position of asking him or her for a job. The program is not meant to serve recruitment or placement needs. It is also not appropriate for the student to seek assistance or research on substantive courses or legal issues that arise in clinical programs.
6. The success of the Mentor Program is important to the Career Development Office and Boalt students. It is critical that you respect your mentor by honoring your commitment to the program. If a mentor does not sense your interest, he or she may also lose interest in the program and choose to forego participation. We cannot afford to lose any mentors who are willing to help students.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact Linda Maranzana, Associate Director for Public Interest/Public Sector Programs, Career Development Office, at 510-643-2675. Thank you for your participation.