Ask any successful attorney: Nothing propels a legal career like having a great mentor.
That’s especially true when the mentor is at the top of the profession and takes an active, personal interest in the development of the young lawyer he or she is advising.
To maximize these opportunities, LCLD developed the Success in Law School Mentoring Program, a comprehensive initiative for first-year law students from diverse backgrounds, based on the principles of legal excellence and personal involvement. Attorneys at LCLD Member organizations (or LCLD Alumni) serve as Mentors to underrepresented first-year law students.
The goal of this program is to ensure that talented law students receive the mentoring they need to maximize their potential, both during law school and afterwards, as they prepare for the bar exam and launch their careers.
Program Components
The Success in Law School Mentoring Program offers a hybrid structure consisting of an in-person city model and a virtual model. Both models allow more flexibility in how Mentors and Mentees choose to participate, and will increase inclusivity by engaging a broader audience.
As a result, you have the option to sign up to be a Mentor or Mentee in either the city model or the virtual model. In the city model, you'll be matched with a Mentor/Mentee within your city and participate in Group Mentoring Program (GMP) events held virtually or in-person.
In the virtual model, you'll be matched with a Mentor/Mentee anywhere nationwide, and participate in GMP events held virtually.
Individual Mentoring
The essence of the Individual Mentoring Program (IMP) is meaningful, one-on-one mentoring. Since its launch in 2012, the program has expanded from 25 to 33 cities across the United States and Puerto Rico, reaching more than 7,600 Mentors and Mentees.
FOR MENTORS
Attorneys at LCLD Member organizations (or LCLD Alumni) are invited to serve as mentors in the program. To register as a Mentor for the 2023-2024 academic year, please click here.
FOR MENTEES
First-year law students are eligible to be paired with an LCLD Mentor attorney. Law student Mentee registration will begin in August. Click here for more information about the Individual Mentoring Program.
Group Mentoring Events
Group Mentoring Events are an additional way for successful attorneys from LCLD Member organizations to share experiences, advice, and support with diverse law students at any stage of their law school experience. Sessions will be scheduled during the school year and are designed to provide guidance in an informal, interactive, and collegial setting.
Many Group Mentoring Events include attorney Mentors in a networking session and a panel presentation or roundtable discussion. These presentations cover a variety of topics including networking and relationship building, interviewing skills, professionalism, practice area choice, and attorney evaluation.
For more on Group Mentoring and upcoming Events, please visit the program page here.
If you have questions about LCLD's Success in Law School Mentoring Program, please review the 2022-2023 Mentoring Program Prospectus linked in the "Resources" section at the bottom of this page, or contact Nancy Richardson, LCLD Program Manager.
Connect with other Mentees and receive helpful news articles by joining the LCLD Success in Law School Mentoring Program LinkedIn group.
Browse photos from past mentoring events in the photo gallery below.
