New York City Bar Mentoring Circles
for Small Firm and Solo Practitioners

 

"Thank you very much for the opportunity to have participated in the Litigation Mentoring Circle. As this Circle draws to a close, I would particularly like to thank Ms. Virginia Trunkes and Messrs. Jim Landau and John Siffert, who served as genuine mentors, whose encouragement and wisdom was pivotal - in my ability to handle my first oral argument at the appellate level last week - and will remain with me as a model of professionalism and humanity throughout my life." - Victorine Froehlich

 

The New York City Bar Mentoring Circles are designed to serve members at all stages of their practice. Each Circle will include several experienced lawyers and a somewhat larger group of newer lawyers who are establishing a practice.

In a traditional mentoring set up, experienced practitioners advise junior practitioners one-on-one. With Mentoring Circles, each member is both a mentee and a mentor and all members receive professional development and networking opportunities. While the benefits to a newer attorney might be obvious, Circles offer equally valuable opportunities to more experienced attorneys, for whom networking with newer solos and small firm practitioners may open up opportunities for help with piled up legal work and expansion of business through referrals of cases.

Mentoring Circles provide members with a confidential and more personal forum that allows the groups to hone law practice development and management skills, build relationships, expand referral networks and engage in substantive discussions.

The City Bar Mentoring Circles are divided into the following areas: the Litigation Circle, the Corporate Practice Circle and the General Practice Circle.

You must be a current City Bar lawyer member to participate. Attendance is limited and the annual cost of participation is $85. If you are not a current member, please click here to join the City Bar.

If you are a member and would like to join a Mentoring Circle please click here to fill out and submit a Mentoring Circle application. Not all applicants are assured of being placed in a Mentoring Circle. Anyone not placed in a Circle will have her/his payment refunded.

If the Circle you wish to participate in is currently full please note that we hope to run additional Circles in the areas of Litigation, Corporate and General Practice again. You will have the opportunity to to learn more about the Mentoring Circles at our 9th Annual Small Law Firm Symposium on November 8, 2012. If you would like to register for the Symposium, please click here.

 

UPCOMING MENTORING CIRCLE EVENTS:

Kick-off Mentoring Circles Reception
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the City Bar.

Upcoming meeting dates for each Circle are as follows:
Litigation Circle: Oct 23, Dec 4, Feb 5, April 2 and June 4
Corporate Practice Circle: Oct 24, Dec 5, Feb 6, April 3 and June 5
General Practice Circle: Oct 25, Dec 6, Feb 7, April 4 and June 6

For questions about the Mentoring Circles please contact Alla Roytberg, aroytberg@nycbar.org or Martha Harris, mharris@nycbar.org