As Co-Chair of the CBA’s Professionalism Committee and the 2025 Chair of the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism, I am excited to highlight a mentoring program that has enjoyed decades of success, and which has served as model for similar programs nationwide.
In 2006, the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism launched a statewide mentoring pilot for newly admitted lawyers. A select group of 174 newly admitted Ohio attorneys participated in mentoring to fulfill part of their new lawyer training requirements. Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive and the Commission on Professionalism subsequently developed a robust curriculum and programmatic approach to mentorship designed to foster an environment for seasoned lawyers to mentor new lawyers during the transition from student to practitioner. In 2008, the Supreme Court approved and codified the mentoring program in Gov. Bar R. XV (3) (A) (7), assigning its oversight and administration to the Commission on Professionalism. Now known as the Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program, it is a permanent program offered to all new lawyers admitted in Ohio.
Research shows that mentorship programs benefit participants’ wellbeing by contributing to career progression and helping participants feel connected to a stronger networking circle and enthusiastic about the legal profession. The Lawyer to Lawyer program pairs newly admitted attorneys with experienced lawyers to provide professional guidance and share practical knowledge that is essential for new lawyers making the transition from law school to legal practitioner.
Mentees who have participated in recent years noted their primary goal for participation in Lawyer to Lawyer was to gain advice and insight from an experienced attorney. Other goals included learning practice skills, earning New Lawyer Training Credit, and gaining new perspectives from another law practice, office, or position.
Mentors report a wide range of motivations for participating in the program including enjoyment of the mentoring experience; participating at the request of a mentee attorney; a sense of professional obligation; CLE credits at no cost; and previous participation as mentee. Over 99% of both mentor and mentee participants indicated they met their program goals.
The Commission provides resources as part of the Lawyer to Lawyer program. These include worksheets, talking points, information about bar association events such as Courthouse Connections where mentors and mentees can network, and opportunities to volunteer at pro bono events. The program runs for approximately 10 months. Mentors and mentees must meet at least six times for a total of nine hours. Mentors who successfully complete the program earn 12 hours of CLE credits while mentees receive nine of the 12 required New Lawyer Training credits. While most participants report they meet with their mentor/mentee in-person, the program does provide the flexibility to meet remotely, which can be especially beneficial for mentoring pairs who may not be located near one another, or where scheduling in-person meetings may be difficult due to travel schedules or other factors.
To participate, New Lawyers must:
To be an eligible Mentor, you must:
Participants can register for the program online subject to approval by the Commission and as administered by the Ohio Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Services. Mentees can either select a pre-approved mentor from the Lawyer to Lawyer Program’s active pool, or they may identify an unregistered attorney mentor known to them. Would-be mentees may also approach any attorney or judge who is not on the Pre-Approved Mentor List and ask him/her to be their mentor. If the mentor agrees, he or she needs to complete the Mentor Application online.
The Commission’s Pre-Approved Mentor List contains individual mentor information, including areas of practice, size of firm or legal organization, geographical location, educational background, bar association membership, civic activities, hobbies and interests, and special skills. After searching the Pre-Approved Mentor List, a new lawyer may submit his or her top three mentor nominations in their New Lawyer Application.
The Lawyer to Lawyer Program has enjoyed decades of success because of the energy and enthusiasm brought to the relationships by the new lawyer mentees and the experienced practitioners who serve as mentors. I encourage CBA members old and new to participate in this important program. I’d be hard-pressed to think of another program that enjoys a 99% satisfaction and success rate and provides an opportunity to develop a lasting and mutually beneficial relationship among practitioners.
For more information visit the Ohio Supreme Court website.
Laura Welles Wilson is an attorney at Freking Myers & Ruel, LLC. She co-chairs the CBA’s Professionalism Committee and was Chair of the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism for 2025. When she’s not working you can probably find her enjoying a walk or slog on the trails in and around her neighborhood or at the Cincinnati Nature Center.