If you are one of the 80 students who signed up to be matched with an attorney mentor, you will receive an email with your attorney mentor’s contact information within the next few weeks!
When you get your mentor’s contact information, google your mentor and their employer to get some idea of what they do. Then, shoot your mentor an email introducing yourself. You might mention where you are from, what year you are in law school, and that you are excited to be paired with them. Suggest that you meet them for coffee, lunch or perhaps just to say hello at their office at a time that is convenient for them. You might suggest a few days that will work over the next few weeks. If you don’t hear back from your mentor in a few days, call them to follow up.
If your mentor is proactive enough to get in touch with you before you get the chance to contact them, get back to them immediately. Not in three days, after pondering the exact-perfect wording for your responsive email!
When you get something set up (a meeting or phone call), just be friendly, professional, and have a few questions (about law school, their job, etc.) ready. You might discuss how the mentoring will work best for both of you—are they open to meeting every so often, taking you to court (if that’s what they do), answering email questions, and reviewing your resume? It’s ok if you don’t get all the details nailed down or even discussed in the first meeting. Take your mentor for what they have to offer and be proactive in following up as needed.