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January 2002The Lawyer-to-Lawyer Program: Helping to Bridge the Gap from Law School to "Lawyering"by Stephen J. Henderson, WSBA Governor, 3rd District Looking back to the time I started practicing law, I thought I wanted to practice criminal and family law. I knew I wanted to live in Olympia. I believed I wanted to earn a good living while serving the needs of my clients. I now see that I was "unknowing" about an array of essential information that usually comes with experience. Getting to Know What I Did Not Know As a new lawyer, there were some things I had learned, but much I didn't know. I had the benefit of learning from the senior partner where I was hired as an associate. He introduced me to local judges and courthouse staff, and helped me learn how to relate to clients. I had no idea how to develop a business plan (or even what one was), how to effectively attract new clients, or how important referrals from other lawyers are. Practitioners refer to this practical body of information as being part of hard-won "lawyering skills." The medical profession has its passages through internship and residency under experienced practitioners. In contrast, new lawyers embrace the practice of law from the outset, without any formal on-the-job training program. We see many new lawyers who begin practice on their own and make critical mistakes that harm their clients, and adversely affect their reputations and careers. Bar associations across the country, as well as our own state and local bars, have long recognized the dilemma of how to effectively train new lawyers. They have attempted to provide programs that help newer practitioners connect with veteran lawyers. Experience shows that seasoned practitioners are eager to assist newer members. That assistance fits squarely with our tradition of mutual aid within the profession. Whether informal or formal, these efforts to train and "bring along" new lawyers are critical to the survival of professionalism and of our profession. The WSBA's Response Last summer, through the strong support of Immediate Past-President Jan Eric Peterson, the WSBA established the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Program, to augment local programs and to stand alone in serving members statewide. The program is currently a pilot effort that will be evaluated after one year. Its purposes are to:
Specific activities of the lawyer-to-lawyer match will vary widely with the needs and interests of the lawyers participating in the program. Questions asked by new lawyers range widely, from practice-area issues to attaining balance between professional duties and family life. Fostering a Successful Match "Mentor" programs often fail to reach their potential because the newer practitioner loses interest. We interpret this to mean that the match was not a good fit from the beginning, and that guidelines and goals were not provided for the participants. We recognize that the initial process of careful matching can avoid these pitfalls by giving value for both parties. The WSBA's program uses a form to obtain information that is used to help increase the chances of rapport between the new lawyer and the experienced lawyer. By considering information provided — such as practice area, law school, undergraduate school, hometown and hobbies — the match has a better chance for success and longevity. For reporting purposes, the lawyer-to-lawyer relationship lasts a year. But for many participants, the relationship will last a lifetime. WSBA staff serves as intermediary at the outset to ensure the necessary comfort level. If a match is not meeting with success, either party may contact staff to assist with disengagement — with no questions asked. At our swearing-in ceremony last November in Thurston County, we asked a WSBA staff member to acquaint our new admittees with this exciting program. Other county bar associations may want to do the same. The program is administered by the Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) of the WSBA Lawyer Services Department. For more information, contact Peter Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org or Julie Salmon at 206-733-5914 or juliesa@wsba.org. In addition, consider the Voluntary Fee Arbitration Program (Bar News, October 2001), Mediation Program, Ethics Line or Lawyers' Assistance Program (www.wsba.org/lawyers/). Or simply call 206-727-8268. We look forward to being of assistance to you.
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