Mentor Programs

University of Minnesota Mentor Programs

Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office Mentor Program

Attorneys from the criminal and civil division of the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office are matched with University of Minnesota 1L and 2L students hoping to learn more about government practice. Students engage in a variety of activities with their mentors ranging from court appearances to lunch or coffee meetings to discuss practice tips and advice. Contact T.Corbin Conliffe at conli047@umn.edu for more information.

Winthrop & Weinstine Mentor Program

Attorneys from Winthrop & Weinstine are matched with diverse Minnesota Law 1L students during the spring school semester. Students attend events with their mentor, such as depositions, hearings, and trials. Students also gain experience learning about practical legal skills, networking, and law firm dynamics. Contact T.Corbin Conliffe at conli047@umn.edu for more information.

Peer mentorship through the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA)

This opportunity will include. . .

• Pairing 1Ls with upperclassmen involved with APALSA

• Flexible mentor/mentee involvement

Check back for application deadline.

Please contact Heather Chang (chan1928@umn.edu) for questions.

Peer mentorship through the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life

This mentor program creates long-lasting connections across students and employees. Student mentees can quickly connect to someone at the University of Minnesota while Employee/Alumni mentors check with mentees on: adjustment to the U of M culture, advancing their own sense of self and identity exploration, navigating being LGBTQ within a specific career path, and creating local connections. For more information, click here.

Peer mentorship through the Well-Being Initiative (WBI)

This opportunity includes

• 1:1 mentoring between 1Ls and upperclassmen

• A notation on your transcript after successfully completing the mentorship program (which includes mentorship meetings and monthly reflections) over the course of the year

This program typically starts during the summer before 1L starts. A second round of mentor matching occurs in September with a deadline in mid-late September. Sign ups are now closed. For questions contact law-wellbeing@umn.edu.

Peer mentorship through the Women’s Law Student Association (WLSA)

This opportunity will include. . .

• Pairing 1Ls with a 2L or 3Lmentor involved with WLSA based on their indicated legal career goals and interests

• A mentorship focused on helping with all aspects of law school: academic, career, and personal

• New! An option to indicate whether they would be more comfortable with an entirely virtual mentorship experience or a mentorship experience that involves meeting in a socially-distant setting

More information on signing up will be sent out during the first month of school. Please also note that transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people are welcome in WLSA.

International Students’ Mentor-Mentee Program

The international student mentoring program is designed to be an essential resource for our foreign LLM/exchange students, as well as to enable J.D. candidates to share their Law School experience with other students. Both mentor and mentee benefit by establishing a constructive relationship. A successful Mentor-Mentee relationship is a joint venture, one through which both parties develop and sustain a personal connection. For more information contact llmadm@umn.edu.

Local and National Programs

Minnesota Women Lawyers (MWL) Student to Attorney Mentor Program

MWL's Student to Attorney Mentoring Program matches law students and attorneys in a one-on-one mentoring relationship based on student interest and attorney practice area. The goal of MWL's Student to Attorney Mentoring Program is to provide law student members with knowledge, advice, and support they need to successfully navigate law school and develop a fulfilling and meaningful career. All interested law students and attorneys must complete and submit the interest form below. A PDF is also available HERE for submission via mail or scan. Check back for when registration forms must be received by MWL.

Please note: Law students and attorneys must be current members of MWL. Membership for law students is FREE this year! All other memberships are flexible, in order to ensure MWL is accessible to all during these challenging times. Complete membership details are available HERE.

Law students are encouraged to sign-up early. Participation is on a first-come basis and may be limited based on mentor availability. If space is filled, law students will be placed on a waiting list. Check back for when MWL will coordinate mentor matches. The matched mentor/mentee pair will receive an email that week with contact information and further information about the program. If you have questions, please contact Tessa Jones at tjones@mwlawyers.org.

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Mentor Program (LCLD)

The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) is excited to offer a unique professional development opportunity to diverse 1L law students.

LCLD has recruited lawyers from its Member organizations to provide one-on-one mentoring to qualified law students. These volunteer Mentors can help you achieve the professional goals you've set for yourself. Our Mentors not only have their experiences in law school to share, but also their experience of the profession, including networking, practice area choice, and knowledge of the legal job market.

To register for the Individual Mentoring Program, please complete the form here. Depending on your city, Mentee registration will begin September 15, October 3, or October 17. While we've enlisted a substantial number of volunteer Mentors, this is a "first come, first serve" opportunity, so please act quickly.

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP) Connect - Mentoring Program

Using a structured small group model, TCDIP Connect brings together attorneys of varying experience levels, local law students of color, and early career attorneys of color. The goal of TCDIP Connect is to develop meaningful professional interconnectedness between multiple people who may not have otherwise crossed paths. We ask all participants to complete a survey that will help us create teams.

TCDIP Connect is open to law students of color attending law school in the Twin Cities, early career attorneys of color, and mid to senior level attorneys of all backgrounds. Other than law school students, all other attorneys are from TCDIP Members. All participants should be prepared to serve as mentors and allies for each other. The mentoring program uses a team approach where we all bring our own strengths and backgrounds to the table, and we all have ways to teach and support each other. How to apply instructions is forthcoming.

Corporate Counsel Women of Color Diverse Law Student Spring Mentorship Fellowship

CCWC will select up to 10 diverse students from underrepresented groups to receive one-on-one mentorship from CCWC leaders during the course of the semester during the school year. Students will also receive a stipend to cover the cost of their school books for the semester.

To apply, mail a 500-word essay on how you plan to impact the legal profession and an unofficial transcript to Corporate Counsel Women of Color | Radio City Station | PO Box 2095 | NY, NY 10101-2095 | Subject Line: “Mentorship Fellowship.” Make sure to include your name and address on the document and in the subject line: Corporate Counsel Women of Color Diverse Law Student Mentorship Fellowship. Check back for application deadline.

**Click here to view additional programs

Additional Resources

Mentor in Law Newsletter by Nyssa P. Chopra - Subscribe here

Mentor in Law is a biweekly newsletter for law students, recent grads, pre-law students, and lawyers about everything law school doesn’t teach you, particularly the practical aspects. With a focus on diversity & inclusion and the future of work, newsletters feature advice on how to get into different fields of law from practicing lawyers, how to maximize your law school experience from law professors, how to navigate opportunities beyond the law from non-practicing lawyers, and how to build a successful career both in and out of the law. It’s a self-contained email newsletter, so the advice is succinct, actionable, and to the point, without fluff or long-form narratives.