On Wednesday, October 5, the McLean County Bar Association Mentoring Program held an orientation for its first class of new lawyers and mentors. The MCBA Mentoring Program was created to pair attorneys new to the practice with those more experienced in order to supplement their legal education with practical advice and counseling. The program has been approved by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism (www.ilsccp.org). 

The Mentoring Committee accepts mentor and mentee applications and personally matches each pair based on their qualifications. Mentoring relationships last one year and encompass a wide variety of personal topics including legal ethics, civility, and wellness, and professional topics such as law practice management and effective client communication. Both mentors and mentees who complete the requirements of the program will receive six hours of ethics CLE credit. The program was able to match nine new lawyers with experienced attorneys in the county.  This represents a participation rate of well over 50 percent. The MCBA anticipates a successful year ahead and thanks its mentors and new lawyers for their participation and enthusiasm.