‘A safe zone’: how mentors can help young women in law

The legal profession hasn’t traditionally been ahead of the curve on formal mentorship programmes, instead relying on a more informal, organic exchange of knowledge between senior lawyers and young starters.

But, as the industry grapples with a lack of diversity, it’s time to consider how mentorship could help young women advance their careers in the traditionally male-dominated world of law.

This is especially true in the context of evidence that mentorship remains an afterthought in the legal profession. A  2006 article in the American Bar Association’s Bar Leader journal observed that the “informal system in which a partner took a new associate under his or her wing has broken down because of the increased business pressures within the profession”.

“For the nation’s many new lawyers, and for those who are concerned with their development as professionals, mentoring may be an idea whose time has come,” added the article.

There’s some evidence to say that the article’s finding is still true today, as young attorneys cite a lack of formal mentors who had a major influence on them. A report published last year by legal research firm  Major, Lindsey & Africa revealed that, in a survey of ‘millennial’ attorneys, just 29% said that a formal mentor had a “significant or crucial role in their career”.

Could a lack of a formal mentor have a negative impact on the legal profession’s efforts to improve diversity within its ranks?

It’s easy to see how mentoring could be effective in encouraging young lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds to stay in the profession and help to advance their careers.

But it seems the industry is not quite there yet. During research for the forthcoming Women in IP publication, WIPR spoke to women working in the legal and tech industries who each concluded that many women and people from minority backgrounds tend to drop out of their profession, discouraged by a lack of visible role models in leadership positions.

What can mentoring offer?

Alicia Daniel-Shores, managing partner at Brazilian-based law firm  Daniel Law, believes that female mentors can be vital for helping young women enter an industry which, at the top level, is still dominated by men.

This rings true for Isabella Cardozo, who herself cites Daniel-Shores as a mentor figure. Cardozo joined the firm as a trainee 22 years ago, and is now a partner and head of the trademark department.

She says that the idea of formal mentorship is a new one in Brazilian law. But even without organised, one-to-one mentorship programmes, you can still create a “culture of inclusion” where younger lawyers can learn from women in senior positions.

Cardozo points out that when she started, it was “very unusual” to see women in the top positions. Having someone like Daniel-Shores as a leader and mentor figure in her firm helped her see that, as a young woman in law, “you can reach some positions that were previously unthinkable”.

Now Cardozo helps to lead the firm’s work on diversity, and is a mentor figure herself. What value can experienced women like her offer for young trainees?

“We’ve been through it all in the profession—not only inside the firm, but in the legal environment,” Cardozo says. Even if you work for a firm with an excellent record on diversity and inclusion, she adds, you can still encounter a “lot of harassment and inappropriate behaviour” at conferences and in the wider industry.

“We can help women identify what the obstacles are, what is ok, and what isn’t,” Cardozo adds.

Nola Bond, director and trademark attorney at South-Africa-based  Kisch IP, agrees that mentorship can help young women entering law navigate the obstacles they meet along the way. In her view, even the most qualified university graduates will face challenges as they begin their careers as professional lawyers.

That’s where mentorship can go a “long way to guiding young female attorneys” and help develop their skills as lawyers, she says.

As well as teaching new skills, mentoring also focuses on advice on career development and dealing with the stresses of the profession. In Daniel-Shores’ opinion, mentorship is about creating a “safe zone”, where you can count on someone’s support and where it’s “fine to have doubts”.

That view is echoed by Miruna Paceag, a business development manager at  Allen & Overy. For Paceag, the main benefits of mentorship programmes are dealing with career blockages and offering a safe environment for young attorneys to voice their concerns.

This is especially important for women and mentees in general, who are just starting out in their careers. “Finding a mentor can be a great early step as they can advise on development and how to manage a career plan, challenge the mentees’ assumptions and, where relevant, share their own experience,” Paceag says.

Clearly it’s beneficial for those starting out in law to have access to mentors or leaders who have been down the same road as them, whether through a formal programme or the “culture of inclusion” that Cardozo emphasises.

And, whether it’s career development, learning the skills of the trade, or just being able to express fears and doubts, mentorship is another support for young women in an industry which is still learning how to overcome a lack of diversity.