New attorneys should look for mentors and advocates
My advice to junior attorneys embarking on their legal career is to seek out not just mentors, but sponsors. Sponsors play a critical role in career development—they provide not only advice, but also tangible opportunities for growth.
Sponsors are individuals in a position to provide meaningful opportunities for growth and advocate for you behind closed doors. Throughout my career, they provided me with new opportunities, such as my first deposition, in-court argument, or trial examination. That certainly took more time and effort from my superiors than simply doing the tasks themselves. I have benefited from working with individuals who consistently invested in my growth and ensured I was prepared to succeed at each new step.
That preparation extended beyond training on the technical or legal skills needed to excel in legal work of increasing complexity. Just as vital to my growth as an attorney was the confidence instilled by my sponsors that I was ready for each new challenge.
Now, as I have opportunities to mentor and sponsor more junior attorneys, I strive to not only provide opportunities for their growth, but to instill that same confidence that they are capable of succeeding as they take on increasing responsibility. In addition to working directly with junior attorneys on cases, my current role as co-chair of Knobbe’s Education Committee allows me to broaden access to growth opportunities across the firm. In my experience, we increase both our individual and collective success by opening doors, providing training, and instilling confidence along the way.
