In September I spoke at Making a Difference: Mentoring New Lawyers for the Oregon State Bar.  The program was inspiring.  I especially enjoyed Julia Hagan’s remarks on professionalism.  If you are thinking about being a mentor, I hope you take Julia’s advice:

Five Keys to Being a Good Mentor

• Share Your Own Stories
• Your proud moments
• Your-not-so-proud moments (We usually learn more from our mistakes than our successes!)
• Help Your Mentee Make Connections with Other Lawyers
• Invite your mentee to lunch with your colleagues
• Introduce your mentee to judges and staff at the courthouse
• Take your mentee to CLEs or bar social events
• Be a Sounding Board
• Share your wisdom
• Be the “objective ear”
• In some cases, you may be the sole source of advice if your mentee is uncomfortable approaching a member of his or her firm.  At a minimum, you offer a different perspective.
• Serve as a Role Model for Professionalism and Best Practices
• Connect your mentee to other bar leaders and role models
• Enjoy Your Time as a Mentor
• Enjoy teaching
• Enjoy learning – you will get more than you give!