Advice for a better lifetime: Find a smart mentor willing to train you
When I was in college, I received a piece of advice that has served me well ever since. In fact, it has been particularly helpful to me in becoming a better lawyer and building a flourishing practice. The advice was: “Align yourself with the smartest person you can find who is willing to train you.”
I’ve found that satisfying the first part of this rule isn’t difficult. After all, the legal world is full of intelligent, capable people. However, the second half of the equation—aligning yourself with people who are willing to train you—takes a lot more work. I’m always looking for opportunities to grow in how I achieve successful outcomes for clients.
I’m thankful that my current firm—Herrick, Feinstein — maintains a culture that places as much of an emphasis on collaboration and training as it does on individual smarts. That’s not a coincidence. When I was looking for a firm to join, I was mindful of the advice I first heard so long ago. From our initial interactions, it was clear that my mentors here, Carolyn Caufield and Christina Mason, are not only extraordinarily intelligent, but also willing to invest in my training and my career. That was a key element that attracted me to join their team.
I try to live by it in other ways too. Not just as a guide to selecting a workplace, but how to act in one. I definitely think about it when I interact with other lawyers at our law firm, especially newcomers. When you recognize how difficult it can be to find a good mentor, you realize what a service it is to fill that role for others. I even let that advice drive my approach to volunteer work. It’s a rule of thumb for living that hasn’t steered me wrong yet.
