Development opportunity for experienced solicitors
Experienced members of the legal profession are being invited to sign up as mentors to offer guidance and support to trainee solicitors.
Our TCPD mentoring programme is currently recruiting experienced solicitors to take part, with free training available to those who sign up as mentors.
Mentoring a trainee is the opportunity to impart professional wisdom to maximise someone else’s learning and development at the start of their legal career. As well as a chance to give something back to the industry, solicitors who participate as mentors have a chance to hone skills in certain areas of their own professional lives.
One former mentor said that the scheme “has allowed me to develop new skills and fresh thinking about my own career as well as helping other solicitors”.
Being a mentor to a trainee undergoing the TCPD programme is a chance to provide someone with a support that perhaps you would have appreciated whilst at the same stage.
Independent and objective guidance from a more senior solicitor offers significant benefits to the trainee being mentored. Key areas of development that mentors will provide to a mentee are:
- Taking on feedback constructively, particularly on writing and drafting skills
- Developing good professional judgement by blending knowledge, skills and ethics
In turn, mentors will cultivate crucial skills in:
- Self-awareness and awareness of impact on others
- Developing open and trusting relationships
- Collaborating with others with a patient and positive attitude
- Facilitating and championing the learning and development of others
The TCPD mentoring programme involves a mentor working with a trainee over 12 months. Over this period, the mentor will review written work completed by the trainee in relation to their modules.
To compliment this, mentor and mentee are recommended to have three one-hour face-to-face meetings spread across the year. The total time commitment across the 12 months would be a maximum of 12 hours.
At the end of the year, a mentor will complete a written report for the Law Society commenting on the mentee’s progress.
The next mentor training day is Wednesday 14th December from 10am-4pm at Atria One, Morrison Street, Edinburgh.
If you would like to register your interest in becoming a mentor, please complete this short questionnaire and return it to updatetcpd@lawscot.org.uk
We’re also looking for mentors for our career mentoring scheme which is open to trainees and solicitors from all areas of practice and at all stages of their career.