While law school may offer an education in foundational legal theory, young lawyers learn the practicalities of the profession in the trenches. Three years in the classroom digesting and applying case law, discussing legal theory through the Socratic method, and even time spent working in legal clinics simply does not translate directly to the practice of law. Thus, a need exists to bridge the gap between the fledgling attorney fresh out of the nest to seasoned counsel capable of tackling challenging problems and seeing around corners to predict pitfalls. How does one morph from neophyte to veteran? Mentor up!

Borrowing  Experience

The primary factor lacking in a young attorney straight out of law school obviously proves to be experience in the field. Experience can be accomplished with time, hard work and venturing into new frontiers, but the experience can also be borrowed. From who? Your mentor. If you have done your job when selecting a mentor or mentors to guide you through the early years of your legal journey, you likely have chosen a mentor or mentors with a significant edge in experience.