Program connects current and future alumni for one-one mentoring
By Jordan Poll
U-M Law
It is through mentorship that the next generation joins the ranks of a network of more than 22,000 Michigan Law alumni across the globe.
The Alumni-Student Mentoring Program, piloted in 2014, connects current and future alumni for one-on-one mentoring. The commitment is over a period of six months, starting in May when students travel to their summer internships in New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and extending three months after they return to campus. The program is co-sponsored by the Office of Career Planning and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, who pair participants with shared practice areas and similar backgrounds, interests, and hobbies.
While student participants gain a wealth of insider knowledge and connections, alumni also benefit from meeting current students and giving back to Michigan Law in this way. Mitch Holzrichter, a partner at Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago, has volunteered as a mentor several times.
“What sets Michigan Law apart from other top law schools is the alumni community. They have a passion for Michigan and go above and beyond when called upon,” he said. “That’s why I chose Michigan in the first place. I’ve benefited from the help of alumni, particularly early in my career, and I enjoy being able to help others when I can.”
Mentorship has been important to 2L Megan Ryan since high school.
“I jumped at the opportunity to be involved in the Alumni-Student Mentoring Program because I was once a mentor myself,” she said. “It’s incredibly helpful having someone who’s willing and able to meet with you and who’s equally interested in furthering a professional relationship.”
Ryan spent her summer as a legal intern within the general counsel’s office of the Governor of Illinois in Chicago. Despite pursing different areas of the law, she and her mentor, Holzrichter, talked in-depth—both in person and via email—about their shared experience working at the general counsel’s office and applying to the firms in the area.
“He was very honest about his firm and others. It was really nice to be able to hear from somebody, who I wasn’t currently interviewing with, to get real feedback about what the firms are actually like,” said Ryan, who used the insight to prepare for On-Campus Interviewing in the fall. “It is awesome that Michigan has this program in the major markets and that we have enough alumni to be able to provide mentors.”
Michigan Law is always in search of mentors, but—that said—mentors need to maintain proper perspective as to their purpose.
“It can be habit to treat mentees more like an employee rather than a trusted person in your inner circle,” said Josh Lamel, chief executive officer at InSight Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. “You have to be able to make time for your mentees, and have open conversations without judgement.”
Like Holzrichter, Lamel is a return mentor. His uncommon career path has given him a unique perspective, which he continues to share with his mentees.
“There is a need for different experiences, particularly when discussing issues of diversity and discrimination in the workplace. Mentors should be able to put themselves in their mentees’ shoes and relate to their situation,” said Lamel. “I use my expertise to offer ideas that my mentees may not have thought about. Maybe it’s intersectionality between what they have done in the past and where they want to go that can act as a bridge between those two fields.”
For 3L Ian Williams, Lamel helped him find the connection between his interests in technology policy and civil rights in the form of police technology usage and algorithms in sentencing.
Williams participated in the mentorship program for the second time in 2017, where he was paired with Lamel during his internship with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in Washington, D.C.
“My goal was to make connections with people who are already successful in their careers, and I did just that. Both years I had great mentors who coached me through the trials of my first summer and second summers,” he said. “Both of my mentors talked freely about what it is like to live and practice in Washington, D.C., and the struggles of work-life balance. It was great to get a clearer picture of the different career paths and see that this is the kind of job and the kind of person I could be in 10 to 15 years.”
Holzrichter and Lamel make it a point to remind their mentees that reaching out is never a burden.
“It is the job of the mentee to take advantage of the offers made by the mentor—offers I hope they realize are sincere,” said Lamel. “Mentees are never bothering or wasting our time by doing so.”
Holzrichter agreed, “Michigan alumni are eager to help—it’s what makes Michigan special.” Both alumni remain in contact with their mentees, maintaining a relationship they foresee evolving from one of mentor-mentee to colleagues.
“It is an opportunity to really help someone,” said Lamel. “Someone who you might have a long-term professional relationship with for years to come, and learn about yourself in the process.”
Applications to serve as a mentor are now being accepted. Contact Lara Furar, director of alumni engagement, at lfurar@umich.edu for more details.
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