Small Law Firms

SmallLaw Mentors

How does mentoring differ in SmallLaw from the awkward Biglaw version?

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on

I was never a big fan of mentors when I was in Biglaw. I questioned the value of a firm plucking a partner out of the blue, plopping him beside a random junior associate, and then expecting the mentor to really give a doo-doo care about this one person’s career at the firm. This one person who will probably be gone in two years’ time. In all likelihood, a summer drinking event or two aside, this “mentor” will barely know the associate, and will not be terribly interested in getting to know the associate. And is probably thinking in the back of his mind — while absently telling the same stories he’s told to dozens of others — about how much of a timesuck this whole mentoring program has been, and darn that conference their goofball managing partner went to that inspired him to institute this mentoring program that no one but said managing partner can opt out of. Doesn’t the firm know both of them should be billing?? And why did this associate think it would be okay to order dessert? Geez, how disrespectful of my time.

I had been at the firm for a couple of months when I got a random email from a partner telling me he was my mentor and asking if we could have lunch sometime. I thought “great, he picked me!” and got all excited and actually enjoyed the lunch. We talked, he gave me some thoughts regarding the legal profession, and all in all it was a nice bonding experience. I was sure I had a friend for life, or at least as long as I was going to be there. As we got ready to leave the table, the partner leaned over and said, “this was great. Let’s maybe try to do it again in six months.”

There’s only so many tips for success you can give a Biglaw associate anyway. Put your head down, do the work, ask for more. Issues for Biglaw associates are largely around managing workload & expectations, and developing the right skills and relationships. I’m not saying those issues are easy. Just that there aren’t that many of them. Biglaw associates aren’t tasked with making the firm’s Quickbooks balance or picking out the right web designer for the website or deciding how much to pay a new associate, which are the kinds of decisions you have to make in SmallLaw.

That’s why in SmallLaw, you pretty much have to have someone to lean on if you want to succeed. There are way too many variables. Too many variables that each require a decision from you. How should I market myself? Am I going to turn down work outside of my practice area? What computer system will I use? Do I need an office? Do I need an assistant? An associate? If so, what level? How do I keep my cheese from moving?

Maybe you can get a bunch of them wrong and still do okay. But maybe you always make the right decision except for once, and that once kills your practice. (A bad hire or a decision to take on the wrong client can do this.) Maybe that one time a mentor could have helped steer your ship to safety.

Outside of a few bar association efforts here and there, there is no structured mentoring program in SmallLaw, which I like. I can seek out a person I respect and who I’m comfortable with, with no check-the-box mentality on either of our parts. Of course, it also means the potential mentor has the option of completely ignoring me, which can and does happen. (Hey Dershowitz, I’m still waiting for your reply.)

My mentors are generally former Biglaw partners who started their own practice well before I did. Doesn’t have to be someone in my practice area, of my gender/ethnicity, or who lives in my city. (In re the last point, I personally don’t think of a mentor as someone who will open doors for me, and I think that’s a bad expectation to have.) Rather, I look for someone with a positive personality — which fortunately in SmallLaw is rather common — who is willing to take the occasional phone call, and who knows his or her way isn’t the only way. Basically, I want someone who knows the right stories to tell at the right time. “Well, what I did when I hired my first associate was [YADA] and this is what happened” as opposed to “You need to do [YADA].” And the right questions to ask. “What have you enjoyed the most so far?” “What is it you want to do?”

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As for how to get connected to a mentor, don’t be afraid to send someone who you only had a passing acquaintance with, or even someone you’ve never met, an email. That person might see something of him or herself in you, and might be more giving of their time than you had imagined. After all, it’s a good feeling to pay it forward. We can’t always assume someone is going to turn down an opportunity to do it.

Note: Last week Gary was distraught over the hacking of his second-favorite website and couldn’t bring himself to write a column. He apologizes.

Gary J. Ross opened his own practice, Jackson Ross PLLC, in 2013 after several years in Biglaw and the federal government. Gary handles corporate and compliance matters for investment funds, small businesses, and non-profits, occasionally dabbling in litigation. You can reach Gary by email at Gary.Ross@JacksonRossLaw.com.

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