Women lawyers seeking professional mentors have a unique opportunity with Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association’s (JWLA) Mentoring Program starting in January 2025.
As a young woman attorney and a first-generation lawyer in her family, program co-chair and Akerman LLP associate Paige Cham recognized the value a mentor figure could provide, and she understood her disadvantage by not having one. “I felt that gap. It’s difficult starting a new career path. I needed someone who could help me navigate law school, applying for jobs and ultimately succeeding in the legal industry,” Cham said.
“I knew getting involved in JWLA right after law school would help me to some extent, but I wanted someone to guide me, I wanted a personal relationship,” she said. “I knew there were others like me with that same need, and I knew that local experienced attorneys want to help in this way. I set out to establish a platform to make those connections.”
After obtaining approval from JWLA’s leadership, Cham approached JWLA member Katelyn Johnston, who had planned to launch a mentoring program in March 2020 before getting circumvented by the pandemic and resulting shut-down. Together, they developed an interesting approach to a mentoring program that will best serve members across all generations.
Johnston, who works as assistant general counsel for the City of Jacksonville and has been on the board of JWLA since 2019, said, “Mentorship in the legal community is not new, but women lawyers historically have had more barriers than men. We’re finding alternate ways to support each other, through small groups with mixed lengths of professional experience.”
JWLA’s successful “Tables for 8” dinner program, which combines a group of mixed types and levels of experience within the legal profession, inspired JWLA’s layered mentoring program, said Cham.
“We are forming small groups of three to five who will mentor each other. The groups will ideally include someone with 10-plus years of experience, a mid-level professional, and a new attorney or law student,” Cham said. “The more experienced attorneys have expressed interest in learning from the younger attorneys, as well, in areas like technology. We believe that this will be a give and take for all generations of women lawyers.”
Cham and Johnston issued a questionnaire this fall seeking member participation and are creating the small groups from a baseline of commonalities and experiences as captured from the survey.
“We want this program to benefit to everyone, so we’ll help manage expectations right at the beginning. We will offer suggestions and ideas, but mentors will bear the responsibility to gather their group to meet once a month,” said Johnston.
At the end of the year, participants will provide feedback about the value of the group and decide whether they’d like to continue or enter into a different group. An annual call for new mentors and mentees will help sustain the program.
“We are matching individuals who can help each other professionally and personally in an organic way,” Johnston said. “I have mentored other women lawyers on balancing work and motherhood after I had twins. I helped others as their guide in life, not only about their law practice. Our profession relies on person-to-person interaction; this is key to being a good lawyer. Mentors can help spot potholes, bridge gaps and facilitate introductions.”
All JWLA members are welcome to participate including men and women in private practice or law school, as well as those serving as corporate counsel or as a judge.
Duval County Court Judge Gary Flower, who is serving as one of the program mentors, stresses the benefits. “Mentorship has been the single most important asset to many legal careers. I describe a mentor as ‘A Legal Life Coach,’ so finding a mentor who exemplifies the standard of professionalism you would like to emulate is essential. Your mentor will guide you, support you and advocate for you. Additionally, a mentor will add a little levity to the heightened emotions which have crept into the practice of law,” he said.
“We are excited to have participants from Jacksonville University College of Law, which offers a natural pipeline for students to get involved as mentees,” said Johnston, who is an adjunct professor and mock trial advocacy coach at the law school.
Jennie Edwards Tyler, a trial attorney at Edwards & Ragatz, P.A. who was supervised by Johnston while they worked together at the Office of the State Attorney, provides a perspective about mentorship that women lawyers often face. “As a young female trial lawyer, I think mentorship is very important, especially from other women. Women deal with challenges in the courtroom that many men don’t even recognize like being talked over, casual touching, or interruptions. A woman mentor can help navigate how to handle these issues. Whether it’s clients, judges or opposing counsel, many people don’t recognize their unconscious bias and actions, and quick reactions can lead to judgment.”
“Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can,” Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said. The JWLA Mentoring Program offers an avenue for women in the legal industry to receive guidance, support and encouragement in both career and life matters.
To learn how to become involved, contact Paige Cham at [email protected] or Katelyn Johnston at [email protected].
