The ISBA proudly supports mentoring and acknowledges the value of having experienced lawyers provide professional guidance and share practical knowledge with new lawyers during the critical transition from law student to legal practitioner.
The ISBA offers:
- An Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism-Approved Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program
- CLE training for new lawyers to meet Commission requirements
- Online discussions groups
- Links to mentoring resources
ISBA’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program
This year-long mentoring program pairs ISBA lawyers with new admittees to provide them guidance during their first years of practice. All participants will receive 6 MCLE credits, including 6 PMCLE credits, upon successful program completion of the year long program. Credit is issued by the Commission on Professionalism when you attest completion of the program. This program can be used as an alternative to the new MCLE requirement of 1 hour of Diversity & Inclusion PMCLE credit and 1 hour of Mental Health/Substance Abuse PMCLE credit.
Mentors
In addition to the above MCLE credit, mentors will also receive an ISBA Certificate for a complimentary ISBA CLE program (up to 6 hours of MCLE credit), upon completion of the program.
Enrollment deadline is extended to December 31, 2024
This was a great program, and my mentee and I have developed a great relationship which I am sure will continue over the years.
– David Rudolph (Mentor)
Mentees
Mentees will also receive an ISBA Certificate for a complimentary ISBA CLE program (up to 6 hours of MCLE credit), upon completion of the program. Information about fulfilling the Commission's 15-hour accredited MCLE requirement for newly admitted attorneys, including the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program.
Enrollment deadline is extended to December 31, 2024
The mentoring program has been truly wonderful for my professional development. Thank you for putting together such a wonderful CLE opportunity.
– Judson Graham (New Attorney)
Program Overview
- Acceptance into the program
- Matching with an experienced ISBA attorney mentor
- Attend the required orientation meeting January 30, 2025 at the ISBA Chicago office or via live webcast.
- Development of a mentoring plan (templates provided)
- Completion of the plan through a minimum of 8 in-person meetings between mentor and mentee within the one-year mentoring term.
- Completion and submission of the Plan Completion Attestation
- Completion of Attorney Application for Mentoring CLE Certificate for receipt of 6 MCLE credits, including 6 professional responsibility MCLE credits. This program satisfies the 1 hour of Diversity & Inclusion PMCLE credit and 1 hour of Mental Health/Substance Abuse PMCLE credit requirement.
Scope of ISBA Program
ISBA’s program will focus on matching new attorneys who live and/or practice in areas of the state unserved by other commission-approved mentoring programs. See if there is already a program in your geographic area.
We will notify you in early January with the outcome of our mentor/mentee matches, but we cannot guarantee a match.
Find Out More from Past Participants
ISBA Central Communities and Discussion Groups
ISBA Central is a group of communities with discussion groups where ISBA members can as questions and get answers including:
Mentor-Mentee Discussion Group
Open to all new lawyers and experienced lawyers who want to give back. It is a place where no question is too dumb!
Other Open Discussion Groups
We also have very active groups open to all ISBA members for general discussion and several broad practice areas which require some form of section membership.
Section Discussion Groups
Most ISBA sections also have a related discussion group restricted to members of those sections.
Find out more about ISBA Central Communities
Other Mentoring Resources
- Find a Local Commission-Approved Mentoring Program
- View the Commission’s Mentoring Plan for complete curriculum
- Illinois MCLE Rules
- MCLE Requirements for New Lawyers
- Illinois MCLE Board
- Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
- Illinois Supreme Court Rules of Professional Conduct
- ISBA New Lawyer Survival Guide
- ISBA Ethics Advisory Opinions
- Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program – Mental Health or Substance Abuse Issues
- 20 Tips for Rising Millennial Attorneys
Contacts
For more information about ILSCCP approved mentoring programs, contact Mark Palmer, Professionalism Counsel, at 312-363-6211 or mark.palmer@2civility.org.
For questions about the ISBA Mentoring Program, please contact the CLE Registrar or call (217) 525-1760 or (800) 252-8908.