Mentorship Committee Annual Report

TPCBA Mentorship Committee

The Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association established a Mentorship Committee at the Annual retreat in March 2014. After soliciting members to join the committee through a notice in the Pierce County Lawyer Magazine, the committee met on October 9, 2014 at Bella Nina’s Restaurant in Tacoma. Committee members are: Commissioner Diana Kiesel, Andrew Hay, Diane Clarkson, Keith Armstrong, Morgan Edrington, Sarah Lee, Sophia Palmer, Terri Farmer, and Wendy Zicht as Committee chair. Present at the first meeting were Wendy Zicht, Andrew Hay, Morgan Edrington, Terri Farmer, and Diane Clarkson.

We decided that the goal of the committee is to set up a mentorship program whereby we pair seasoned attorneys (defined as in practice at least 10 years) with new lawyers (defined as in practice less than 5 years). If the program is successful, we can expand it to include matching lawyers who want to change practice areas with seasoned lawyers in the desired practice area.

Additionally, we decided to ask both Mentors and Mentees to make a one year commitment of monthly contact and to be available by phone for questions. Monthly contact could by phone or in person and could include (but not be limited to) lunch, shadowing at court or another proceeding, and attendance together at a TPCBA event.

On October 19th, the committee sent an email to the TPCBA members soliciting Mentors. We received 34 responsive emails from practitioners in a variety of areas. Ms. Zicht also received two telephone calls from new lawyers wanting to participate as Mentees.

The Committee will meet again on January 20th 2015 at the same location, to go over the list of Mentors, discuss how to solicit Mentees, and how to match up pairs.

Submitted this 14th day of January
Wendy E. Zicht
Mentorship Committee Chair