When Julie started at a big law firm in 2010, she worked elbow-to-elbow with two partners. She researched, wrote briefs, assisted in advising clients, and argued cases in court. The partners were by her side to review her work, offer feedback, give advice, and help her navigate client relationships.
She learned by watching and listening to them. Their feedback often came as verbal notes as they passed by her office on the way to their own. She sat in on clients meeting and observed them litigating cases. Learning from those attorneys shaped Julie’s career.
Fast forward 12 years. Julie is a partner, but the way she works with associates doesn’t resemble her own experience as a young attorney.
Post-pandemic, her office shifted to a hybrid work model, which means partners and associates aren’t always in the office on the same days. They travel, eat, and talk less frequently with each other. Associates still assist partners with cases and workloads, but meetings and feedback are less spontaneous, requiring more effort from both parties.
Can associate attorneys in hybrid or remote work environments possibly experience the same level of training and mentorship Julie received 10 years ago?
National law firms are trying to figure that out as they adapt their mentoring models to work for a hybrid workforce.
What changes are they making?
Creating or Updating Firm-Wide Formal Mentorship Programs
Mentorship is possible in a remote or hybrid environment, but a higher level of planning is necessary. It requires a bigger commitment from both parties as it is less organic than if they were working under the same roof in real-time.
As Amy Piccola, hiring partner at Saul, Ewing, Arnstein, and Lehr, explains, “the shift to remote work required me to be more intentional as a mentor. I have to proactively reach out to my mentees through text, phone calls, or Zoom meetings.” She goes on to say that she is constantly reinforcing the “virtual open door” policy, inviting mentees to text, or call her now that popping by her office with a question isn’t possible.
Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher, LLP, an elite global law firm, recently implemented a flexible work policy that allows attorneys to work remotely when appropriate. Known for its strong mentoring model, the firm wanted to ensure it didn’t lose the informal mentoring that occurs from being in the same office.
Khan Scolnick, a partner and mentoring chair in Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles office, sets a time aside for in-person and one-on-one engagements with mentees. He makes it a point to work from the office frequently for the sole purpose of connecting in person with mentees. Scolnick advises, “With larger formal mentoring groups, such as Gibson Dunn’s mentoring circles, in addition to group outings, mentors should also try to do one-on-one check-ins with associates apart from group events. It’s a more effective way to build genuine connections and have meaningful conversations with your mentees.”
Partners in various big law firms are changing formal mentorship programs to include partner-driven interactions that in the past, associates might have experienced more organically. It requires more planning for both mentor and mentee but hopefully will help associates gain the same level of training and learning in-office associates received in the past.
Creating Opportunities for Informal Mentorship
Partners are creating opportunities for informal mentoring, such as including associates on Zoom invitations to observe client meetings, involving them in marketing and pitch meetings, or allowing them to practice their skills with pro-bono clients.
It’s important for these initiatives to be partner driven and encouraged. When working together in an office, these types of initiatives could happen without planning. Now it’s an extra step for partners to coordinate with and invite associates to attend. It’s an extra step, but one worth taking because these activities enable young attorneys to learn and develop professional skills that they don’t get simply from doing their assignments.
Jessica Brown, a partner and mentoring chair at Gibson Dunn’s Denver office says, “Mentoring in a hybrid world requires greater intentionality. In addition to the formal training and mentoring the firm provides, I like to give attorneys opportunities to stretch their skills with tasks out of their comfort zone and to observe partner meetings and cases whenever possible.”
Setting Recurring Mentor/Mentee Meetings
A hybrid work environment makes one-on-one interactions with co-workers less frequent. Especially for new associates, who might not be comfortable reaching out to partners or more senior attorneys. To overcome this, mentors are encouraged to set up regular meetings with their mentees. Both one-on-one and in group settings.
Piccola says she puts a recurring meeting on her and her mentee’s calendars each month so they can ask questions, discuss topics of interest, and plan their future within the firm. Part of her firm’s formal mentoring program includes associates being matched with not only a partner but a senior associate as well. Piccola encourages the senior associates to create the same recurring meetings with their mentees because often the questions, discussions, and relationships are different but no less important.
Marsha Bassily, who is a principal at her own practice, sought a mentor during the
pandemic. She says, “We crave personal connections in our lives as we spend more
time working remotely. With less water cooler chats, lunch runs, and after-hours drinks with colleagues, lawyers need more personal connection to compensate for that loss.”
While virtual meetings and phone calls are a great option, firms are encouraging in-person interactions when possible. As Scholnick mentioned above, he goes into the office specifically to make himself available for coffee, lunch, or an in-person chat with a mentee. Because while virtual works well for advising and skill-building, in-person often works better for creating a sense of camaraderie, building trust, and relationship development.
Installing Chat-Based Communication Tools
Many law firms were already using chat-based communication tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and ServiceNow to communicate with each other, outside council, and clients. Now firms are leveraging those tools more for mentor/mentee interactions. Mentees can join a group being mentored by a partner to ask questions or get feedback. In addition, it makes real-time, one-on-one conversations between mentor and mentee easier. This mimics the drop-in conversations that used to occur in an office in a virtual setting.
Syncing Schedules for In-Person Workdays
Not all big law firms are adopting this policy because it creates flexibility and logistical challenges. But some firms are assigning departments or practice groups to in-person days so teams can be in the office at the same time. This doesn’t always guarantee mentors/ mentee matches will be in on the same days. But in many cases, there is overlap allowing them more in-person time together.
Embracing Flexibility
Just as big law firms have adapted their policies to meet the needs of the changing workforce, they will have to adapt their mentoring models to keep attracting new junior and lateral associate talent.
When creating the right mentoring model for a hybrid work environment, firms should consider embracing a trial-and-error approach. A mentoring model that encourages feedback from both mentors and mentees, resulting into an evolving mentoring model.
What works for some relationships may not work for others, thus mentors and mentees will have to establish their own rhythms and schedules. If a relationship does not work, associates and partners need to communicate with each other and make changes.
Mentoring and being mentored will require more effort, but with that comes opportunity.
As Brown says, “If hybrid work forces us to become more intentional about mentoring, we could actually see an increase rather than a decrease in mentoring as a result.”
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