Some comments from mentors and mentees from previous programmes.
"I am delighted to be on this programme, I find it really good and my mentor and I have clicked. At present, the programme has exceeded my expectations and I am very thankful for being a participant."
"I'd like to express my thanks to the Law Society for organising and coordinating this very worthwhile programme."
"Thank you for organising this very worthwhile programme."
"I am enjoying the experience - it's refreshing to hear about working life from the other side of the spectrum."
Justine Carty, Law Society Council member - mentor
"Anyone who has made, or is looking to make, a transition or progress in their career would benefit from mentoring. Mentoring really is about sharing experiences, approaches, successes and failures with someone in a confidential and trusted setting. It’s an opportunity to meet a colleague in a safe environment to talk through concerns and seek guidance on possible solutions."
Elaine Byrne, Elaine Byrne Solicitors, Co. Meath - mentee
“I was at a crossroads in my career, I had three beautiful young children and just back from maternity leave after the birth of my youngest child. I wanted to progress my career."
“I found the programme really helped me. You are working with somebody who ‘has been there and done that'. It is also beneficial from a networking point of view. In my case, the training was in the Law Society so I made some good friends with other mentees in addition to my mentor. My confidence really gained from the programme."
“I found it to be a really positive experience. It was one of the best things I did. The more you put into it the more you will get out of it. We can all do with a little helping hand from time to time. Guidance from an ‘outsider’ can be beneficial.”
Juli Rea, JRAP O’Meara LLP, Co. Cork - mentor
“I was a first time mentor and apprehensive that my level of knowledge, experience and career progression might not be ‘high flying’ enough to enable me to mentor anyone. However, I was matched with a mentee who was working in a similar area, had similar goals and expectations for her career and the pairing could not have worked better."
If you love your work and feel that Law can be a hugely rewarding and interesting career, then mentoring is for you. The fact that you may feel you didn’t have a five-year plan for your own career and that you may have stumbled from career opportunity to career opportunity should not be a barrier; your capacity to lean in and seize opportunities as presented can be model enough in itself."
"There is no need to feel that Women in Leadership is only for the solicitors who want to be Managing Partner of Arthur Cox or Matheson in five years; as a mentee your ambitions may be simply to try and figure out how to achieve work-life balance, how to ensure your voice is heard at meetings or how to have the difficult conversations about pay and workload and it can be nice to have someone objective to discuss those issues with. "
"As a Mentor you get to reflect a little on your own journey and recognise those who helped and supported you. You get to then pay that help and support forward. I would probably previously have been a bit dismissive of the concept of Mentoring programmes, but I have come to appreciate that even low level support and encouragement can make a huge difference to the confidence level of someone at the start of their career."
"The expectations for the were clearly set out at the outset so that, as a mentor, I knew exactly the extent of the commitment being sought. It was clear that considerable thought had been given to what the programme delivery would look like, and the support provided was most impressive. Your time commitment is really honoured, and you really do feel the benefit of your contribution."
"As a mentee, you get an ally who has the benefit of a bit of knowledge of the legal landscape and the challenges of a legal career."
"Everyone starting out needs a mentor and if you can get one hand picked for you, why would you not take the opportunity to take it?”