Mentorship has long been recognized as one of the most important ingredients to a successful legal career. However, many find the prospect of reaching out to a stranger intimidating.
Therefore, the Diversity Committee of The Jacksonville Bar Association and The Florida Bar are hosting the inaugural Northeast Florida Minority Mentoring Picnic. The event is noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Florida Coastal School of Law.
The picnic marks the first step that many will take toward developing long-lasting mentorships of their own, whether as a mentee or as a mentor. The purpose of the event is simple — to create a casual atmosphere where law students throughout the state are able to connect with attorneys and judges from Northeast Florida to establish mentor and mentee relationships.
Members of the legal community and their families are invited to network and even find new talent to recruit. To sweeten the deal, the Diversity Committee will provide free food, drinks, music and games.
To help dispel some of the mysticism surrounding the development of mentor and mentee relationships, I set out to hear inspirational stories from those who have created and maintained these relationships successfully. Below are two such stories. Although the subjects do not share a mentor-mentee relationship, both are united in their recognition of the value of mentorship.
Circuit Judge Angela Cox
Prior to her appointment to the 4th Judicial Circuit Court by Gov. Rick Scott in November, Judge Angela Cox had long been a bastion in the legal community as a mentor.
Raised in Detroit by her grandmother, Judge Cox is keenly aware of the impact strong role models can make on the careers of law students and young attorneys.
In this spirit, she challenges other members of the legal community to be aware of the legacy they are leaving: “How many people are better off because you lived? How are we impacting this world?”
This challenge may appear difficult to meet, especially in a profession as busy and fast-paced as the legal profession, where time is literally money. Yet, it can be done.
Judge Cox offers tips on finding creative ways to be available for mentorship opportunities, while still managing the other commitments and priorities we all have to juggle. She encourages using technology, such as emails and text messaging to develop and maintain connections.
For those who like to exercise, she proposed using a technique Jacksonville Bar Association President-elect Giselle Carson has often employed — the “walk and talk.” After all, it isn’t how long you talk that matters. What matters is what you say.
Beyond this, she challenges mentors to be open to receive the gifts and knowledge that mentees can offer to their mentors. She recalled, laughingly, one of her very young mentees asking her to read a book from the popular “Twilight” series. Begrudgingly, she read the novel and was pleasantly surprised to find that she enjoyed it.
Finally, Judge Cox challenges those seeking a mentor to take advantage of the casual environment the Mentoring Picnic will provide. Opportunities to meet judges informally, in particular, are few and far between. Although the idea of introducing oneself to prestigious individuals can be gut-wrenching, the benefits far outweigh any potential embarrassment. Judge Cox’s mantra: “All you need is one yes.”
Nekinia Wright, third-year law school student
Nekinia Wright is a third-year law student at Florida Coastal School of Law. She was raised in the military town of Fairbanks, Alaska.
Throughout the stages of her education and career, she has had many influential mentors. After her first year of law school, she realized no one can handle law school alone. In the beginning of her second year, she attended the Kozyak’s Minority Mentoring Picnic in Miami in search of a mentor.
After taking the chance to attend the picnic, she was walking through the event when she encountered her mentor. She never expected that a senior federal judge would become one of the most influential people in her personal, professional, and spiritual development.
Although both are from different paths, they have many things in common and share a wonderful bond. Nekinia has learned valuable lessons from her mentor:
“What I have learned from my mentor is to not be afraid of taking risks. Every experience is a learning experience where I can grow. If I fall on my face, I should get up and thank God for the growth. My mentor always emphasizes the following: strive for excellence in all you do, your word is your bond, and have a good moral character and a good attitude.”
Nekinia’s story of meeting her mentor underscores how easy it can be for mentees to establish connections with other members of the legal community.
For those feeling shy about finding a mentor, Nekinia offers the following advice: Do not be afraid to ask for help. Get out there.
Get to know people with a good moral character and keep reaching out to those that take an interest in your personal, professional, and spiritual development.
“It all begins with you,” she declared.
How to seize the opportunity
RSVP today on The Jacksonville Bar Association’s Upcoming Events Calendar at jaxbar.org. The attire for the event is casual.
This event is being sponsored by The Florida Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Foley & Lardner, Conroy Simberg, Rogers Towers, Deutsche Bank, Jackson Lewis, The D.W. Perkins Bar, The Jacksonville Asian American Bar Association, Combs Greene, Holland & Knight, Florida Coastal School of Law, as well as Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight & Jones.
The Diversity Committee would like to recognize and thank each sponsor for its contributions and commitment to diversity and mentorship.
The Diversity Committee also thanks the Judge Cox and Nekinia Wright for their willingness to share their stories and wisdom.