Mentoring

Learn From the Best

Promoting a collegial and strong bench and bar is what The Advocates’ Society does – and mentoring is one way by which we do it. Each year TAS offers members a variety of ways to seek advice and support in our adversarial and challenging profession, through both group mentoring events and one-to-one connections via our online Mentoring Portal. 

Mentoring

Mentors and Mentees Connect on the NEW TAS Mentoring Portal

The Advocates’ Society is proud to announce a new mentoring program exclusively for TAS members. The program is set to launch at the end of January 2023 and will be hosted on Mentorship Rocket. At this time, the program platform is only available in English, but we are working with Mentorship Rocket to build out a fully bilingual (French) site to launch later in 2023.

We know isolation has become a significant issue for junior counsel since 2020, so a key goal of this new mentoring program is to create a simple way for members to feel more connected to their professional community and obtain some career advice from more senior members of the bar. This program model is convenient, efficient and effective:
 
·  No long-term commitments.
·  No extensive questionnaires or profile setups.
·  No heavy agendas, minute taking or long-term planning.
 
Just simple connection and conversation for junior lawyers to get some tips and connect with someone new. And if there is a fit? Great! You and your mentee can choose to connect or meet again. But that is up to you. 

Mentee registration for TAS Members Junior and Regular members under 10 years of call is now open! Click here . 

Getting set up as a mentee is as easy as 1, 2, 3! 
1.   Register!  Once you register to be a mentee, TAS staff will set you up in the portal and send you log on instructions by email.
2.   Set up your account!  Once you are logged in to your personal account on Mentorship Rocket, you will have access to the gallery of mentors. 
3.   Find a Mentor & Connect! Choosing a mentor is in the mentee's control. Mentees review profiles in the mentor gallery and contact mentors with available sessions for a one-hour micro-mentoring session at a time convenient to both parties. New mentors will be added regularly, so keep checking back.

The program allows up to 12 mentoring sessions over the year, offering mentees the opportunity to connect with a variety of experienced counsel. Mentoring sessions are intended to be an informal way for mentees to seek advice on topics important to them. Although sessions cannot be booked for more than one hour, mentees are encouraged to book sessions even if they expect that the session will last less than an hour.  

Want to be a Mentor for the new program?  Regular TAS members (8+ years of call) can opt in to be a mentor on their member profile on the TAS website under the Preferences tab. TAS staff will add you to the Mentorship Rocket portal and send set up instructions. 

Once you are signed up and have an account on Mentorship Rocket, you will be able to access the mentoring portal. 

Access the Member-Only TAS Mentoring Portal Here

What is One-to-One Mentoring?

  • One-to-one mentoring can range from an informal coffee chat to a more formal, longer term relationship.
  • Developing a one to one mentoring relationship can offer excellent short or long term support to lawyers of any vintage who have questions to ask.
  • Mentors can be found at formal mentoring programs run by firms, law schools or law societies, or more informal programs like the new TAS Mentoring Portal, where members can connect with someone to gather some tips and advice.
  • If you are seeking a longer term mentoring relationship, we encourage you to read our Resource Guide for Mentoring, to help you prepare and set some goals.


What is Group Mentoring?

  • Participants can pose questions – and learn from questions posed by their peers – in an open and supportive environment.
  • The social setting promotes diversity and inclusion by demonstrating the wide variety of approaches that can be used to address challenges.
  • Formal group mentoring creates new connections for participants, both with their peers and with their experienced mentors.
  • Some group mentoring offered by The Advocates' Society:
    • Mentoring Dinners and Events
    • Mentoring Round Tables at conferences such as Fall Forum and Women in Litigation
    • Advocacy Skills Training Workshops

 
Have questions about our mentoring programs or want to volunteer to be a mentor?  We are happy to help. Contact Robin Black, Director, Marketing & Membership at robin@advocates.ca  

The Advocates’ Society Guide to Mentoring

The Advocates’ Society is committed to providing effective mentoring to advocates who are in the early stages of their practice.  In addition to our regular mentoring events, we welcome you to read our 2017 publication entitled “The Advocates’ Society Guide to Mentoring.” This resource was developed by a joint CMM/YASC Task Force and provides helpful advice for both mentees and mentors who seek to develop a mentoring relationship, as well as a sample mentoring agreement and information on CPD credits for mentoring across Canada.

The Advocates' Society Guide to Mentoring
 CPD & Mentoring Across Canada