Mentoring Programme Handbook

The Programme is a new initiative that forms part of the LSLA’s mission to:

• facilitate its members’ desire to add to their knowledge and professional development; and
• contribute to the high quality of the legal professionals working in London.  

The Programme contributes to this mission by facilitating contact between litigation solicitors as well as in some cases members of the judiciary who may not ordinarily cross paths. This encourages the sharing of skills and experience that will assist the professional development of mentors and mentees.

Both mentors and mentees will complete a short online form to register their interest in the Programme and to specify their areas of expertise and interest. Pairs will be matched based on the information in these forms. 

This is a completely voluntary process and both mentors and mentees will always be consulted before the mentor and the mentee are matched. Mentors and mentees can decline a mentoring match if capacity is an issue, if it does not seem like a good fit or if it could be the cause of a potential conflict. 

We cannot guarantee that mentees will be matched to mentors.  If a match is found, both parties will be notified of this and can exchange messages before deciding to commit to the first mentoring session. If mentees wish to be reassigned to a different mentor, then this is possible (pending availability), but only up to a maximum of 2 changes during their time in the Programme.

Mentors are asked to commit to continuing the mentoring relationship for a period of 3 months, at which point the mentor and mentee can decide whether to continue their relationship. We recommend pairs meet for one hour a month for three months. This is the time commitment required to join the Programme.

Being a mentee

There is no specific point in your career when you should have a mentor or look for guidance, it varies for everyone. There is also no single reason why you might apply to be mentored, everyone has different goals:  

Some are progression-led, such as:

• branching out into a new area of law;
• getting a promotion; and/or
• seeking a career as an in-house lawyer.

Others might relate to skills in the workplace, including:

• taking on management responsibilities;
• working successfully through periods of change; and/or
• enhancing specific skills such as presenting or networking.

Your role as a mentee

Commitment is essential to mentoring's success. You need to ensure you are proactive and motivated in pursuit of the goals you have set in the Programme. Your mentor is giving up their time to support you, so be flexible and respectful when organising meetings. It might not be possible for your mentor to meet during working hours, or they may prefer meeting at lunchtimes. 

Make sure you turn up to your meetings prepared. Including, having reflected on the previous meeting, having completed any relevant tasks, or made progress working towards any agreed goals. Your mentor is not responsible for chasing you up if you don't put the work in. 

A mandatory requirement for a mentee is having a goal or goals in mind that you want to work towards. It is your responsibility to know ultimately what you want to achieve, although your mentor can certainly help you get there. Even if you do not have a clear goal in mind, your mentor can assist you to tease it out and create a workable action plan. It is important that you plan your sessions in advance and work on your progress in between sessions, as this is how you'll make progress.

Please note that once you sign up, you might see potential mentor matches immediately or it may take longer. For example, if you specify in the form that you are seeking to be paired with an individual in a niche area of law, it is likely to take a little longer to get a successful match.

Being a mentor

The role of a mentor is a very rewarding one. As the legal profession is often demanding, we rarely find time to dedicate to thinking about our own career development, let alone supporting others in the profession. Many of our mentors wished they had been able to benefit from a similar Programme, particularly, in the early stages of their careers. 

Our ultimate aim is for mentoring to become so well established as a mechanism for peer support, that our mentees become mentors themselves!

Mentors must be confident to

• put the mentee at the centre of your sessions;
• ensure the mentee takes ownership of their own development;
• conduct your first session;
• structure effective mentoring conversations; and 
• draw the relationship to its end.
  
  

Your role as a mentor

This role includes: 

• being committed to the mentee by investing the necessary time to assist the mentee in working towards attaining their goals;
• having good interpersonal and listening skills;
• respecting deadlines and meetings by rescheduling (if necessary) as far in advance as possible;
• delivering constructive feedback in a positive and supportive way;
• being open to new perspectives brought by the mentee; 
• directing mentees to review and reflect on issues they raise from alternative perspectives;
• where helpful, deploying coaching models to mentees to support them in breaking down objectives into manageable components and creating concrete plans.  For example, GROW, where:
  
  • G = Goal – what exactly is the mentee trying to achieve?
  • R = Reality – where has the mentee arrived at in reaching that goal?
  • O = Options – what are the options for progressing that goal?
  • W = Will – is the mentee determined to reach the goal, and, if there are doubts on that, does the goal need to be adjusted?
    

  as to setting goals, we recommending using the SMART model, where:
  

  • S = Specific – the goal must be specific;
  • M = Measurable – it should preferably be possible to measure progress towards the goal;
  • A = Achievable – the goal should have some measure of reality so that it is not permanently unachievable and so ultimately counterproductive;
  • R = Relevant – the goal should serve a purpose that is of use/value to the mentee;
  • T = Time of achievement – it should be possible to set a timetable for the steps towards and achievement of the goal (even if this needs to be amended at points).
    
    

   

Raising a concern about the mentoring process

In the first instance, we recommend open communication between mentors and mentees about any issues and challenges faced during the mentoring process. If this is not possible, the scheme co-ordinators are also on hand to support you.  We suggest that you keep a written record of the key events; times and informal steps taken to resolve any issues before speaking with our scheme co-ordinators.

If for any reason it is necessary to raise an issue with the scheme co-ordinators, they can be addressed in writing to the scheme co-ordinators by email to lsla@lsla.com.

In the absence of any serious cause for concern, solutions will be proposed and written recommendations made to both mentor and mentee on the resolution of the issue arising.

Mentoring recommended best practices:

• creating a clear purpose to the mentoring process from the outset;
• listening actively and creating clear confidentiality boundaries;
• being clear about your needs, e.g. timing, locations, style of interaction, and format;
• clarity around the fact of mentoring being an open dialogue rather than a directive conversation;
• mindfulness of diversity and inclusion issues; and
• creating regular feedback and check-in points.
  

Additional Resources on Mentoring Generally

Patrick E. Merlvede and Denis C. Bridoux, Mastering Mentoring and Coaching Through Emotional Intelligence (2011)

Bob Thompson, Non-directive Coaching (2013)

Mandy Fling and Elisabet Vinberg Hearn, The Leader’s Guide to Impact: How to Use Soft Skills to Get Hard Results (2019)

Professionalism

Treat the mentoring relationship with the same respect and integrity as professional legal work.

Be punctual, prepared, and responsive for all meetings and communications.

Confidentiality

All discussions between mentor and mentee are confidential unless both agree otherwise.

Participants should not share confidential information about clients, cases, or colleagues.

Respect & Inclusivity

Engage with openness, courtesy, and mutual respect.

Value diversity of background, experience, and perspective.

Avoid discrimination, bias, or inappropriate behaviour.

Boundaries

The mentoring relationship is supportive, not supervisory.

Focus on professional and career development, not personal or commercial gain.

Commitment

Agree on realistic goals and meeting frequency at the outset.

Honour commitments and communicate promptly if circumstances change.

Constructive Engagement

Mentees should drive the agenda; mentors should guide, support, and challenge constructively.

Give and receive feedback constructively with honesty and tact.

Integrity & Accountability

Uphold the LSLA’s values and professional standards at all times.

Raise any concerns about the programme with the scheme co-ordinator promptly.