Memorandum

To: Paralegal Scholars

From: Kathy Smith/David Freeman

Subject: Mentor / Networking Assignment

Rationale for assignment:

            Successful careers are often attributed to the presence of a mentor and the development of networking skills. This assignment requires you to interact with a mentor and undertake networking activities.

  Mentors are people experienced and willing to provide the benefit of their insight into career decisions.  Mentors are particularly valuable to students by their insight and experience in career decisions.  

            Many volunteers in the Philadelphia legal community have offered to serve as mentors to our students taking their first course in the Paralegal Program, Introduction to Paralegal Studies (PLS 101), but some of you may want to seek out a mentor on your own.  Mentors are engaged in many facets of the legal community and will serve in this capacity to assist in career development for students just getting started with their careers.

            In an effort to make the best use of our mentors and provide the best experience for students, we have devised an assignment that will have two goals:  1) develop a  “contact” in the legal community, and 2) develop insights into careers, and specifically legal careers and the factors which go into developing a successful career.

I) Networking Assignment

You must undertake two networking assignments. Networking assignments include informational interviews, attendance at professional conferences and meetings and attendance at workshops and seminars. You may use as one of your networking activities attendance at a Constitution Day [9/18] event during class time. A second activity may be attendance at an event which is not during your classtime. Informational interviews can be done with anyone in the legal field. Attorneys, paralegals, judges, legal managers etc are all suitable for interview purposes, BUT the interview must be with someone you do not currently know. You must write a brief (one page for each of your two activities summarizing the activity and describing what you learned.) Your summaries of your networking activities are due (handed in and posted to the blog) by Tuesday, October 16, 2007.

 II)  The  Mentor Assignment

A)    Options for getting a mentor

1. Finding your own mentor. You may seek out a mentor on your own. Those who obtain their own mentor will be entitled to five points extra credit added to their scores on Project 1, but this option is available to only the first twelve students who opt to do so. Mentors must currently working in the legal field and must be willing to exchange two emails with you, engage in a telephone contact and meet with you once. Your mentor cannot be the person you did your informational interview with, but that person may mentor another students. (Remember to use the student helping students section of the blog if you wish to ask your classmates for help.)  If you decide to elect this option, l will need the contact information for your mentor no later than Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 11:00 a.m.

2. Assigned a mentor

We have many volunteers in the Philadelphia legal community who have offered to serve as mentors. Some of them participated this summer in pilot of the Paralegal Mentor program, while others are new to mentoring.  Some are graduates of this Program, some are attorneys, and others are working in related legal careers with employers such as insurance companies and law libraries. If you are sure you want to be assigned a mentor, email me any time, but no later than Tuesday,  September 25, 2007  at 11:00 a.m. and you will be paired with a mentor. 

B. First Mentor Assignment       

Your first communication with your mentor should be by e-mail.  Your initial task is to introduce yourself and tell the mentor a little about yourself and what you hope to achieve by taking the paralegal course.  This should be accomplished by Tuesday October 2, 2007 by class time. 

Email me to indicate that you have made contact with your mentor.

C. Second Assignment:   Interview your mentor is for the purpose of obtaining  at least the following information.  This interview should not take more than 20- 30 minutes of your mentor’s time. This interview must be accomplished in person or phone. Remember that this is your assignment, not your mentor’s.

Issues to address with your mentor (you may, of course address additional issues)

1. typical job functions.

2. career paths

3. role of legal ethics

4. achieving balance with work and personal life.

5. advice for you and your goals.

You must have the answers to these questions by Tuesday, October 16, 2007  by classtime. Your responses should be posted to the “mentor” section of our blog and handed in.

D. Third Assignment: Meet your mentor: IF at all possible, go to your mentor’s workplace for a brief meeting.  Just get to know your mentor better and get an impression of the workplace.

Write a summary of this meeting (one page). This summary is due no later than Tuesday, October 30, 2007.  Your summary must be posted to the mentor section of the blog and handed in.

E. Fourth Assignment: Student Assessment  Complete the following questions and return it by email to Tuesday,  November 6, 2007 by class time).

We are asking you to complete the form to help us assess the mentor project.

1.  Did this experience improve your oral communications skills? Please explain

                        Very much    Somewhat    No help at all

2. Did this experience improve your written skills? Please explain.

                        Very much    Somewhat    No help at all

3. Did the mentor experience  improve your career awareness? Please explain.

                        Very much    Somewhat    No help at all

4. What was the best part of the mentor experience?

5. How could the mentor experience be improved?

6. Do you expect to be in contact with the mentor you were assigned after this course is over?

7. If you obtained your own mentor, is that person willing to participate in the mentoring students in the future?

F. Grading

First of all you must complete all assignments requested of you in a timely manner as detailed above. The assessment form simply must be completed – the content of your responses will not be used to grade you in this assignment. Nor will any feedback provided to you by your mentor constitute part of your grade. Any piece of this assignment which is late will result in a late penalty. 

Otherwise, you will be grade in the mentor project will be based on:

·        the completeness of your postings regarding this assignment

·        the clarity of your postings regarding this assignment

·        the insight and thoroughness exhibited in your postings regarding this assignments.