The transfer of wisdom from one generation of attorneys to the next is critical to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethics. Unsurprisingly, and essentially, the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 5.1(c), imposes a duty on lawyers to adequately supervise their subordinates. More broadly, experienced lawyers arguably also have a duty—if not rule-based, one based on professional norms—to mentor law students and junior colleagues.
That’s because mentorship makes individual learning and professional development easier and reflects a commitment to building a strong and well-prepared profession. What if the cultivation and mentorship of future legal talent could begin even before students enter law school or even college? Indeed, a talent pool is hidden in plain sight: I speak, of course, about high school (and middle school) speech and debate programs.
