Susman Godfrey associate Jesse-Justin Cuevas approached firm leaders seeking to address retention of diverse associates through transforming the firm’s mentorship efforts into a formal mentorship program.

Cuevas designed the program to ensure female and minority attorneys are assigned one mentor that is also either a female or minority and one that is not. Partner mentors in the program are also required to meet with associate mentees twice per month and must review mentees’ hours and speak with trial team members to assess the mentee’s performance.