Mentoring

We are keenly aware that it takes more than a high quality law school education to prepare a young associate for the demands and challenges of law practice. We also recognize that each associate is an individual with his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Accordingly, Schnader's mentoring program is structured to meet the individual needs of each associate.

Schnader recognizes that individual requirements change during the course of a legal career. Sometimes informal advice and guidance from a more experienced attorney - that is, someone "who's been there"- can be the most valuable resource for lawyers new to practice. After studying our own experiences and the wealth of mentoring information available in the public domain, Schnader developed a formal Mentoring Program for entry-level associates. The Mentoring Program was developed and is implemented by our Associate Professional Development Committee.

Upon arrival at Schnader, each new associate is assigned a mentor. The mentor typically is a more senior associate or junior partner. Mentors help new associates transition into private practice by providing guidance on workload management, training and professional development opportunities, and how to get optimum use from the support services of the Firm. A mentor is expected to meet at least monthly with his or her "mentee." Because mentoring needs change as associates develop, the initial mentor assignment lasts for a period of 18 months.

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