Youth Lawyers Division
The Truth About Mentors
“A truly great mentor is hard to find, difficult to part with, and impossible to forget.” In short, a great mentor is invaluable. A mentor highlights areas of opportunity and improvement where one is oblivious. However, mentoring is a two-way street. You get out what you put in. Keith Lee of Associate’s Mind – one of my favorite legal blogs – posted an excellent piece on the value of establishing a mentor and cultivating the relationship. Great food for thought for any young professional. Here’s a brief excerpt.
The True Purpose Of A Mentor
Often times, the first word that people use to describe mentors is “cheerleader.” That a mentor is someone who encourages and praises you.
I have never found this to be the case. In fact, if all someone who was theoretically “mentoring” me did was offer praise and encouragement, I would not consider them to be my mentor. Sure there will be times that a mentor will offer praise. But those times will likely be few and far between. A mentor who only gives praise is more akin to a fawning parent. Nice to have, but not the purpose of a mentor.
A mentor is not only there to encourage you.
A mentor is not only there to motivate you.
A mentor is not only there to inspire you.
A mentor’s primary purpose is to cultivate growth.
And growth is not easy. Growth is change. Growth is painful. Growth involves leaving behind certain aspects of your old self in order to make room for what you want to become.
Continue reading at, Associate’s Mind Primer For Young Professionals Seeking Mentors.
Publication: Social Media 101 – The Rules of Engagement
Social media is a cluster of global Tweets, shares and content embedded in every corner of the web. No longer is it only used by the young and restless. Each day over 190 million Tweets are sent, while approximately 265 million people check their Facebook pages. The dynamics of Social Media has changed everything, making it more imperative than ever that we use it properly. One mis- Tweet, mis-share or upload can cause you, your client or your firm tons of money and irreparable harm.
You are what you Tweet
Those words ring true now, more than ever. Despite this notion, the glaring social media gaffes of others continue to amaze. Social media titans such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram grant us an immediate connection with the world — our own, readily available soapbox to project our voice for the world to hear. When used properly, they are amazing tools: a means to share opinions, personal experiences and information. However, it all comes at a great price of responsibility.
As the old adage goes, “to whom much is given, much is required.” Quick and convenient access to social media elimi- nates the filtering process that would natu- rally occur when publicizing one’s feelings. Therefore, it is important not to allow the relaxed forum to delude you. You are still responsible for your thoughts and actions, arguably to a higher degree when those thoughts are posted and made available for anyone to derive their own meaning.
I originally wrote this article in February of 2014. This piece is an updated version of that post, geared toward young attorneys and their clients, further highlighting the importance of proper use of social media. It was published by the PA Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in the Summer 2014 At Issue publication.
To read the article in its entirety see, Social Media 101: The Rules of Engagement
2014 ABA Midyear Meeting Recap
The ABA Midyear Meeting was an amazing experience. The Hyatt Regency Chicago and Swissotel served as host hotels, with the Hyatt set up as headquarters for the ABA Association, and Swissotel the primary meeting grounds for the Youth Lawyers Division. Wind chills left temperatures feeling near negative 20 degrees, so the underground pedway connecting the properties was nothing short of a miracle.
Prior to arriving, I reviewed the available program itenary and chose to sign up for the Anatomy of ADR and Law School to Law Practice event. I arrived at the Swissotel early Friday morning unsure of what to expect – it was my first ABA national meeting…
Law School to Law Practice:
The description, “program discusses the pros and cons of starting a solo practice, and how one succeeds after he or she has committed to the objective of making it as a solo practitioner.” Attending simply made sense. Topics discussed may be useful to any young attorney in launching their career. The program was orchestrated by the YLD Solo Practitioners. Chris Blaylock, of the Law Offices of C.W. Blaylock served as the moderator, along with Orly Ahrony, and Elizabeth “Jodi” McShan as panelist.
The program was planned for one hour, which I predicted to be quite challenging. One hour is not enough to cover almost anything in the legal profession, let alone explain how to launch and develop a firm. Nonetheless, the panelist gave it their best shot.
The material was broken down into three sections: Marketing and Accounting; Networking/Retaining a Client/Client Communications; and the Pros and Cons of Running a Small Firm. Opening slides listed basic information easily discoverable online with little research, but in the interest of ensuring that everyone was on the same page I understood the purpose. Additionally, it made it super convenient and helpful for future reference. Later slides, discussed in detail best practices for a solo practitioner along with recommended resources.
The Burgeoning Young Attorney 