New Year
Happy New Year! As we step into 2024, it’s time for setting new goals and looking back on lessons learned. I am optimistic the coming year will provide many opportunities for KCBA to bring us all together to celebrate our successes, provide support to our community, and to support one another.
Our first opportunity to gather will be at the 2024 Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon on Friday January 12, 2024 at the Seattle Convention Center. This luncheon provides the opportunity to gather and support KCBA’s pro bono services and KCBF’s minority law scholarships. We will hear inspiring words from Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr., author, political commentator, and educator. I will ask those in attendance to begin thinking about their nominations for KCBA’s upcoming annual awards, which will include lawyer of the year and judicial officer of the year. We want to celebrate those among us who have had an exceptional year or career. I will also ask attendees to think of whom they want to nominate for the New Lawyer Division’s Mentor of the Year.
Remember, mentorship comes in many guises, from the formal to the everyday conversations we have with those who have been practicing our craft for longer. No matter the form, mentorship is key for learning and growing together — for both the mentor and mentee. It is how we foster a culture of collective improvement.
Many firms and organizations have established mentorship initiatives, typically pairing newer attorneys with more experienced ones. And, of course, this plays a crucial role in cultivating and training new generations of legal minds. However, the true breadth of mentorship often reveals itself in the everyday, informal interactions with our co-workers and colleagues, when seasoned individuals take a moment to impart wisdom or share a strategy driven by a genuine desire to support another’s growth.
Since I first became a lawyer in King County, mentorship has played a key role in the development of my professional skills. I have been lucky enough to have been mentored by amazing and patient attorneys and role models who started before me. I have also had the opportunity to share my own experiences and lessons with those who have started later. No matter how long we have practiced, or how much we think we know, we can always use a mentor.
When I faced my first trial, I was extremely nervous and anxious. I wanted to do a good job for my client. I didn’t want to fail or embarrass myself. At times it felt paralyzing. I was lucky enough to learn from those in my firm who were not even working on that case with me, but who nonetheless took their own time to answer phone calls and emails late at night in between trial days. No question was silly, and no answer was condescending. It had the effect of calming me and giving me confidence. I can’t fathom going through that ordeal (or any ordeal, really) without the help of someone else’s experienced insight. That help was not structured. It was not planned. It was not owed. It was given by a desire to help me succeed — in that moment and many professional moments that followed.
Since taking on the role of president in July 2023, the opportunity to experience mentorship has presented itself to me again. As soon as I stepped into this role, I received numerous welcoming messages from previous presidents and members of the community, offering their support and availability should I need any assistance during my term. Throughout my presidency, I’ve frequently sought the advice and guidance of these former presidents, and I know I will continue to do so until it is over. These former leaders have helped me navigate the complex challenges we currently face, have provided me with the background on current issues facing KCBA, and have offered a willing and kind ear whenever needed. I am deeply appreciative of their patience, wisdom, and generosity, as they continue to dedicate their time to both KCBA and to supporting me personally.
I still look to those around me to learn, and I am lucky that so many of them are generous enough to continue to listen, give their time, and guide me.
All of this is to remind you that mentors are everywhere. When you are thinking about whether you know someone who should be nominated to be Mentor of the Year, you do. The nominee need not be someone who was assigned to you (or anyone) in any structured mentorship program. Rather, it can be anyone who helps those around them learn and grow, giving from a place of genuine care and commitment to others’ success, whether through sharing their knowledge, providing support, or just being a great listener when it’s needed the most.
