Why mentoring is important for junior lawyers working from home

In the legal sphere, one of the questions being asked is: “what does the pandemic mean for the next generation of lawyers?” The covid-19 pandemic has brought with it many challenges for businesses, and they've had to quickly adapt and think about questions they may not have previously considered. One of those challenges is supporting the learning and development of new staff.

Where are we now?

One of the challenges arising from the pandemic is looking at how firms can replace the learning that junior lawyers benefit from as a result of being in an office environment. In an office, junior lawyers might find themselves sitting next to two senior partners while they discuss the best approach to a case, or having an impromptu conversation in a corridor with a senior lawyer in a different practice area. Put simply, an important element of learning is acquired via osmosis rather than formal training, and now that junior lawyers are increasingly working from home, law firms must determine a way to replicate this.

This is a great opportunity for law firms to implement mentoring programmes for their juniors. 

Resistance from partners around time commitments

Few firms will refute the importance of having good mentoring programmes – the benefits are quite clear and obvious. However, the key challenge is finding a programme that works for everyone given their likely busy schedules.

That said, finding a programme that works for everybody is well worth the effort and firms should take a long-term view. In 2019, research from CNBC and SurveyMonkey (sampling nearly 8,000 full- and part-time workers) not only found that nine out of 10 with a career mentor stayed happy in their careers, but also that four in 10 respondents lacking a mentor had considered quitting their jobs in the three months prior to being surveyed.

Law firms must consider the long-term costs of not putting programmes in place that seek to support and develop their junior employees. 

Mentoring can help with more than just career progression

Alongside the challenges of the pandemic, it's also important for law firms to focus on other key issues impacting the legal sector, such as mental health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and social mobility.

All of these issues have been exacerbated by covid-19. In particular, people's mental health and wellbeing. In addition, a focus on social mobility is vital because a strained economy, unfortunately, puts the most pressure on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Mentoring not only helps to aid career progression, but it also offers support around the challenges cited above. Mentoring programmes can and should have a wellness aspect built into them, where recipients are given advice and guidance on how to maintain a healthy work-life balance and discuss any areas of stress. Mentoring can also be a powerful tool for social mobility and diversity and inclusion, because it allows businesses to reach individuals facing institutional barriers or who need support, guide and advise them at every stage throughout their career, and ensure they feel supported if they ever reach a block.

Conclusion

It has never before been more important for firms to ensure they are offering the proper training, development and mentoring opportunities for their junior staff. There is a genuine business case for doing so, and firms would do well to recognise that comprehensive mentoring programmes are not only a worthwhile investment but that there is also risk involved in not offering them.

Current times are tough for everybody – and because of this, we should all be intensely focussed on investing in the future rather than just reacting to the present.

Matthew Kay is managing director of Vario at Pinsent Masons