One of LCLD’s most active regions, the West Virginia state branch of LCLD’s Success in Law School Mentoring Program kicked off 2018 with a star-studded Group Mentoring event in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Of the over 70 people in attendance, 20 were Mentoring Program participants. Also attending were representatives from seven LCLD Member organizations, including LCLD Fellows and LCLD Pathfinders; the WV State Bar leadership; faculty, staff, and students from West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law; and invited guests from the West Virginia judiciary and legal profession.
The event began with a private chat with Marilyn McClure-Demers, Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, whose visionary leadership helped bring LCLD to West Virginia. The Mentors were then welcomed at a networking reception by Gregory Bowman, Dean of the WVU College of Law, who also delivered a message from WVU President Gordon Gee. University Provost and Vice President Joyce McConnell also attended to voice her support for the Mentoring Program.
Attendees then heard from Ashley Pack, Recruiting Partner of Dinsmore & Shohl and WV State Lead for the Mentoring Program, and Assistant Dean Tina Jernigan, who introduced the 2018 Mentees and recognized the Mentors in attendance.
A 2014 LCLD Fellow who serves on the Fellows Alumni Executive Council, McClure-Demers spoke about the critical need for increased diversity in the legal profession and a more inclusive practicing bar. She also explained LCLD’s mission and the Mentoring Program’s important place within it.
“Since its inception in 2011, over 5,300 Mentors and Mentees have participated in the LCLD Mentoring Program across the country,” she said. The 2018 West Virginia participants join “a national network of 685 Mentees and more than 943 Mentors in 34 cities.” Combining resources from LCLD, the WV State Bar, and the WVU College of Law, West Virginia has developed an innovative approach to law school mentoring that could serve as a model for other small states.
The highlight of the event was a panel discussion (above), moderated by McClure-Demers, that touched on almost every dimension of diversity. It featured Meshea Poore, the first African-American woman to lead the West Virginia State Bar Association and newly named Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity at WVU; Stephen Scott, Vice President of the WVU Student Bar Association and a 2017 Mentee; Ellen Cappellanti, LCLD Member and Managing Member of Jackson Kelly; Monte Williams, 2017 Fellow and Litigation Practice Group Leader of LCLD Member firm Steptoe & Johnson; Thomas Heywood, LCLD Member and Managing Partner of Bowles Rice; and Kathleen Goldman, 2016 Fellow and Shareholder at LCLD Member firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney.
The discussion often touched on the need for authenticity, including each panelist’s background and call to the law, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship, and how each panelist’s real-world experiences have shaped his or her leadership style.
“The LCLD Mentoring Program is not just a resume-builder, but an opportunity that can prove to be life-changing, if done properly,” Poore told the Mentees. “You have to present your best selves, and that includes admitting your vulnerabilities and allowing your Mentor to assist you in turning those shortcomings into strengths.”
“For Mentees like me, who do not have family members in the profession, LCLD provides an opportunity to develop into excellent lawyers with the guidance of Mentors,” said Steven Scott, the Student Bar Vice President.
When asked whether there was a time in his career he felt that he did not fit in, Tom Heywood responded honestly: “I am a white male, so my answer is by and large, no. Which means that I need to be especially mindful of the reality of those who have not enjoyed that privilege.”
Ellen Cappellanti spoke about the value of mentoring on both sides of the relationship. “It’s very hard to be successful in any job unless there’s somebody who takes you under their wing and helps train and groom you and give you some political knowledge. I was a benefactor of that. And from the mentor’s point of view, I like mentoring because it helps my perspective to understand what is really going on with someone, what they’re struggling to overcome. I find it very humbling.”
“Our accomplished panelists really opened up and connected with the audience by sharing their personal experiences,” said Marilyn McClure-Demers. “That kind of vulnerability allows us to relate to each other in ways we never imagined, and build deeper relationships. My hope is that our Mentees feel inspired to be their authentic selves as they interact with their Mentors—members of the practicing bar who are there to support them.”
Such one-on-one attention makes all the difference, said Ariana Thompson, a 2018 Mentee in the audience. “My mentor, Lauren McCartney, has been a great support to me and has checked in often to offer her guidance and resources. The LCLD mentoring program has been a wonderful experience.”
For more information about the LCLD Success in Law School Mentoring Program, please contact Nancy Richardson, program manager, at nrichardson@lcldnet.com.
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