Mentorship for Virginia Attorneys (Online Seminar)

• What is mentorship?
• What does it mean to be a mentor or a mentee?
• What should a mentor or mentee expect from a mentorship relationship?
• What are the benefits of a mentorship relationship—for both the mentor and mentee, both professionally and personally?
• Where do I look for, and how do I choose, a mentor or mentee?
• What are strategies for being an effective mentor and mentee?
• How can mentoring and mentorship help me find meaning, happiness, and balance in my career and life?
• Why and how would I end a mentorship relationship?
  

This session will be a conversation about the intersection of mentoring and ethics—how to gain the insightful and helpful guidance from a colleague while still maintaining all of your ethical duties regarding client confidences (Rule 1.6), avoiding conflicts (Rule 1.7), and understanding supervisory roles (Rule 5.1). Lastly, when might those insights give rise to a lawyer’s duty to report another’s misconduct? 

Discussion highlights:

• Interns
• Shadowing
• College and law students
• Disclaimers
• Malpractice concerns

Lawyer wellness has emerged in recent years as one of the most pressing concerns facing the legal profession. While wellness issues impact the profession as a whole, studies suggest that they are more pronounced among lawyers in the first few years of their practice. This panel represents a cross-section of Virginia’s legal community and will offer different and candid perspectives on the wellness crisis. The panelists will draw on their experiences with the Virginia State Bar’s recent wellness initiatives, as well as their personal experiences in the practice of law—both in the private and public sectors. The panel will focus on: (1) the wellness issues facing the practice in general, and young lawyers in particular; (2) why lawyer wellness is important for the lawyer, his or her clients, and the profession; and (3) practical recommendations for pursuing wellness in your career.

Law, like any other profession, is changing rapidly. Technology is one of the major drivers behind law’s evolution. However, one must be able to manage expectations when it comes to technology. Attendees will be introduced to the Future of Law Practice report and gain strategies on how to prepare themselves and their mentors for the future.  Attendees will also get to know a few tools that make collaboration a simpler and more ethical process. The discussion will highlight:

• The Future of Law Report
• How to use technology to improve your practice
• Limitations of technology