Back when I was cutting my teeth as a young analyst, mentors were easy to find. They were the grizzled veterans who’d holler at you from across the room and point out every mistake you made like they were on a scavenger hunt for "stupid oversights". They’d drag you to lunch, tell war stories, and teach you the ropes whether you wanted to learn or not. But now that more and more attorneys are working from home, grabbing coffee with a senior partner can feel as distant as an episode of “Matlock.”
Mentoring hasn’t disappeared—it’s just moved onto Zoom calls and Slack threads. And while that might feel about as natural as eating barbecue with a fork, it’s the world we’re living in. The real question isn’t whether mentorship should happen remotely. It’s how.
Lessons Learned Over a Webcam
Remote mentorship isn’t just a matter of sending a few emails. It’s about staying present, even when you’re not in the same office. That means turning on your camera, looking your mentee in the eye (even if it’s through a screen), and giving them your undivided attention. Because let’s face it: nothing says “I don’t care” like fiddling with your phone while a junior associate tries to pour their heart out.
Beyond that, it’s about adapting your old habits to new tools. The informal hallway chats that used to provide on-the-spot advice can be replaced by quick Slack messages. The long lunch where you’d wax poetic about strategy can become a scheduled video call. The key is to show up consistently, even if your version of “showing up” is logging in from your living room.
What You’re Passing On Matters
Of course, the medium might change, but the wisdom you’re passing along shouldn’t. New attorneys still need to learn how to handle clients, manage their time, and navigate the tricky ethical questions that arise in every practice. They still need guidance on balancing work and life, avoiding burnout, and growing their careers. Those lessons don’t go out of style just because the office is in the cloud.
And while we’re on the subject, remember that mentoring is a two-way street. These younger attorneys have grown up in a digital world. They can teach you a thing or two about the latest tech tools, social media strategies, and maybe even how to stop your camera from making you look like a ghost on every Zoom call.
In a World of Change, Some Things Stay the Same
At its heart, mentoring isn’t about where you are—it’s about being there. It’s about investing time, sharing stories, and being a steady guide in an ever-changing profession. Sure, it may feel different to do it through a screen. It may take some getting used to. But if you care about the future of the law—and if you want to leave the profession better than you found it—you’ll make it work.
Because when you boil it all down, mentoring is about connection. And whether that connection happens over a table at the courthouse diner or over a Wi-Fi connection at home, it’s just as important now as it ever was.
Dedicated to Lewis Grizzard