Texas Tech
University School of Law American Inn of Court
Mentoring
Program
I. Goals of the Texas Tech
University School of Law American Inn of Court Mentoring
Program
Mentoring is intended to help less experienced attorneys flourish
in the practice of law. Mentoring efforts will strive to help
attorneys become more productive, efficient, and knowledgeable-not
only about procedural and substantive law, but also about the
custom and tradition of local practices. Mentoring efforts
will be consistent with the suggestions of The American Inns of
Court through its web site.
II. Matching Mentees and
Mentors
The Inn will consider pupils and associates to be Mentees. The Inn
will consider masters and barristers to be potential Mentors.
Each year, the Mentor Committee will ask all Mentees to complete a
profile. The Mentor Committee will then recruit Mentors and
make recommendations about matches to the Executive
Committee. Each Mentee will have at least one Mentor, but may
have multiple Mentors. The Mentor Committee should match
attorneys who will have a good rapport. The Executive Committee
will confirm the pairings through a list.
III. Mentor Meeting
Before or shortly after a new Inn year commences, the Executive
Committee will coordinate a Mentors Meeting where the structure of
the mentor program will be discussed. During the meeting, the
Inn President and the Chair of the Mentor Committee-or their
designees-will outline appropriate mentoring-related activities and
topics, and stress compliance with same for purposes of consistency
among all Mentees, allowing some personal deviations. This
outline will include a requirement that Mentors introduce their
Mentee to attorneys in the Mentor's practice area and have the
Mentee accompany the Mentor to a certain number of law-related
events. The Mentor will also solicit and help with any career
and ethical concerns of the Mentee.
V. Initial Group
Meeting
The Mentors and their Mentees will be introduced to each other at a
meeting, preferably a lunch, organized by the Mentoring Committee
no later than October 1. At least one member of the Executive
Committee will attend. The Mentoring Director will preside
and explain the program. Mentors will sit with their Mentees at the
meeting.
VI.
Sharing Approaches to Mentoring
At least once a year, the Mentors will meet as a group to share
their mentoring experiences and approaches, and ensure that the
program is active and effective. This may occur at a
gathering or by conference call, but should occur no later than
January 15. At this meeting, the Mentoring Committee will
encourage Mentors to enlist the aid of other seasoned members of
the Inn if they were confronted with a particularly challenging
mentoring issue.
VII. Monitoring the Mentoring
Experience
Members of the Mentoring Committee, several
times throughout the year, will contact Mentees to discuss their
experiences and ensure that the program is valuable and useful.
Each year, Mentees will be requested to complete a survey regarding
their mentoring experience. The results and other communications
will be used to evaluate and improve the program. The chair of the
Mentoring Committee may recommend to the Executive Committee
changes to pairings at any point during the year if they deem a
change necessary. A change may be necessary if a Mentor is no
longer able to commit time to the project, a serious conflict
develops, or if the relationship simply is not
productive.
VIII.
Awards
Service by Mentors will be acknowledged at the annual Spring
Social. The Mentor Committee may also develop criteria for a Mentor
of the Year Award, and may make recommendations to the Executive
Committee about the proposed recipient.