Labor and Employment Mentorship Academy

The first of its kind, in 2016 the Labor & Employment Law Section launched the Mentorship Academy, a mentoring program designed to provide mentorship to newly admitted attorneys (fiive or less years of experience/practice) and/or attorneys new to the labor and employment practice. Participants work in various industries, in private and public practice, and are located around the state of Georgia. The Academy has been a roaring success, with more than 150 section members benefitting to date and serves as a program model for other State Bar of Georgia Sections and other Labor & Employment organizations nationwide.

Mentors and mentees are required to commit to serve for one year for three to four hours each month, including attending professional development events, including Courtroom Experience with federal district court and magistrate judges, one-on-one relationships between mentors and mentees and social meetings/activities. These events serve as networking opportunities with in-house counsel, practicing employment attorneys from both sides of the aisle and with the launch of the Courtroom Experience in 2018—participants can also network with federal judges outside of the courtroom.

The Mentorship Academy provides great benefits to Mentors and Mentees. Mentors can give back and contribute to the labor and employment practice. Mentees learn and grow within the labor and employment practice and develop relationships that last throughout their career.