Rafael X. Zahralddin, Delaware Life Fellow and Director and Practice Chair of the Restructuring and Commercial Bankruptcy at Elliott Greenleaf, P.C., has published The Evolution of Mentorship in Legal Professional Development in the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association website. The article explores and describes the state of mentorship programs in the legal industry, drawing from notable thought leaders in business and the experiences of law firms with mentorship and sponsorship programs. In summation, the article posits that internal programs with regard to training and development have left young lawyers without the necessary resources to succeed in the profession, and that an effort to bridge the gap through mentorships has created favoritism of those who closely match the mentor’s class and race. Instead, it is increasingly recommended that law firms adopt the more protege-centric method of sponsorships in order to better reflect their dedication to the success of women and lawyers of color.
Read more here.