Firmwide Mentor Program
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP's firmwide mentor program provides associates with a single resource for assistance in understanding the professional expectations of the firm as well as developing strategies for achieving professional and developmental goals. While the firmwide mentor program helps enhance the associates' professional development and quality of legal performance, Hinshaw continues to encourage all associates to develop working relationships with all the attorneys in the firm regardless of formal assignments.
The mentor program formalizes mentoring efforts for all associates with a particular emphasis on orientation to the firm and its unique culture and development of legal and practice skills. Each associate is assigned a mentor and this assignment may be changed at any time at the request of the associate or the mentor.
Hinshaw's mentors have clearly articulated roles and responsibilities. These include being regularly available to address questions, concerns or issues of the associate; assisting in establishing and defining effective goals for the associate's area of practice; encouraging activities to promote the enhancement of the associate's legal and practice skills; orienting the new associate to procedures of Hinshaw and the firm's organizational culture; assisting in the development of skills and socialization to the firm through regularly scheduled meetings and individual development plans that include skills checklists or other instruments; and ensuring that the associate is provided with substantive and appropriate work opportunities and assignments.
At Hinshaw, the mentor and associate participate in an initial meeting within the first week of the associate's employment to discuss mentoring program activities and develop a preliminary mentoring plan, including an individual development plan. After that, the associate and mentor typically meet no less than once per month to discuss the associate's progress in all areas of development. In addition, the associate attends client entertainment and marketing activities with the mentor or any other attorney when the opportunity is identified by either the mentor, associate or other attorney.
To monitor the program, a meeting of all associates and mentors is held quarterly to review the program in general and discuss successes, failures and experiences.
In addition to having an assigned mentor, several attorneys in the firm have been designated as affinity mentors and are known for their interest in associate development and their natural teaching and leadership abilities. These affinity mentors provide an additional support system for associates and can be called upon at any time for professional advice and support.
