May 2004

Professionalism and Mentoring: Good for Us All

by Soojin E. Kim

Professionalism, mentoring, and pro bono work are ideas that our State Bar promotes. Each reinforces and essentially complements the others. When we lawyers are professional and do pro bono work, we enhance the reputation of law as an honorable, service-oriented profession. This, in turn, is good for business and for job satisfaction. When more-experienced lawyers connect with newer lawyers to mentor, professionalism is reinforced from one generation of lawyers to the next. When professionalism is the norm, it cuts down on time wasted on strategies intended to defend against unprofessional behavior, leaving us more time to mentor and do pro bono work.

One kind gesture
The WSBA has established committees to address barriers to professionalism, mentoring, and pro bono work. Yet systemic barriers are difficult to remove. Sometimes, the best that any one person can do is to connect with one other person and give generously, whether it is actual legal advice, an introduction to someone else who would be helpful, or words of encouragement. I recently saw an interview of Oprah Winfrey in which she spoke of her experience traveling to Africa to distribute Christmas presents to AIDS orphans. Oprah was asked what good does one day do when these children face loneliness and hunger year-round? I was impressed with her reply that yes, it does make a difference, because a kind gesture can leave a "heart-print" forever in the memory of the recipient. Instead of leaving our Bar Association or its committees to deal with these barriers, let us continue to encourage the initiatives of individuals, whether big or small.

What would be an example of that "one kind gesture" when we talk about mentoring and professionalism? When I was in law school, Lucy Isaki, then a partner at Bogle & Gates, came to participate in a panel discussion about what makes a successful legal career. I have never seen or spoken to her since, but I will always remember that she took time out of her day to answer the questions of students. I also remember that she attributed at least part of her success to finding and cultivating mentors.

The challenge of winning over lawyers whom you want as mentors
The promotion of professionalism, mentoring, or pro bono work involves winning over the hearts and minds of the individual lawyers whom we're asking to volunteer their time. As a relatively younger lawyer, I have spent the past six or seven years finding and cultivating more-experienced lawyers willing to mentor me. Younger/newer lawyers know this is vital not only for getting and keeping jobs, but for finding our niche and getting enough of the right experiences to become really good attorneys.

When I joined Graham & Dunn, I was anxious to make a good impression. I was immediately assigned to work with Walt Tabler, then the head of our real estate group, on a case going to trial. On my second day at work, he told me that I spoke too softly and that would be a problem in the courtroom. Walt is about a foot taller than I am, with a resonant voice, and is the kind of engaging storyteller I always hoped to be. I worried about my voice constantly, always trying to speak especially loudly in his presence. I also worried about how I could become the kind of person that Walt and others at my firm would want to mentor. Would they want to spend time with me even though I was not interested in golf, joining the WAC, or going to Palomino for drinks after work? As it turned out, none of these things mattered. We were able to find common ground in other areas. As for the voice thing, when it came up at my review meeting, Elaine Spencer, the chair of our Litigation Department, made the following observation based on her 25-plus years of litigation experience: "You know, when I was a younger lawyer, they told me I was too soft-spoken. As I became more experienced and had more to say, I continued to speak at the same decibel and pitch, but they stopped complaining."

Empowering newer admittees
Currently, the WSBA Lawyer-to-Lawyer Program, which matches newer admittees seeking mentors with more-experienced lawyers willing to mentor, has 48 newer admittees on a waiting list. It seems as though we can do more on a person-to-person level to fill this gap. The program lasts one year. Suggested activities are touring the courthouse, meeting for lunch, attending a CLE, and exchanging insights via e-mail or telephone. The matching process itself ensures that both parties are comfortable with goals and mutual expectations. WSBA staff is available to offer assistance when needed during the match. Since the newer admittees are a self-selected group with the initiative to sign up for this program, it is likely that there is an even larger, uncounted number of newer admittees who may appreciate a mentor. Even if you are not a lawyer with 10-plus years of experience, I think you can be a mentor. Those of us younger/newer lawyers who have made it to our fifth, sixth, or seventh year of practice could offer our suggestions to newer admittees regarding the approaches that have worked for us in finding and cultivating mentors. This could be empowering for newer admittees. Rather than waiting for a program to find them a match, they could take the initiative. Recently, I was at a party where I met two third-year Seattle University law students. When I was in law school, I am sure I did not have their poise and their ingratiating manner of asking questions about my work and of talking about their backgrounds. Talking about these types of social skills — i.e., how to handle other people — could be as important to the newer admittee as legal advice.

I hope other lawyers who have been fortunate enough to have mentors will feel encouraged to find out more about the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Program or share their thoughts with its manager, Pete Roberts, at peter@wsba.org or 206-727-8237.

I also hope that lawyers will continue to look out for random acts of professionalism among colleagues and opposing counsel, and report them to the Professionalism Committee so that we can recognize these professional lawyers through the Random Acts of Professionalism Program (see p. 49). Please contact Professionalism Committee Liaison and Director of Member and Community Relations Judy Berrett, at judithb@wsba.org or 206-727-8212.

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Soojin E. Kim worked for the Legislature, the Washington Gambling Commission, and the Attorney General's Office before joining Graham & Dunn in 2001. She practices in Seattle and is chair of the WSBA Professionalism Committee.

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