Bringing the Profession to Legal Education: How the Local Bench and Bar Can Prepare the Next Generation of Lawyers Through Mentoring
David Bateson, Director of Mentor Externship, University of St. Thomas School of Law, Minneapolis, MN. Will discuss St. Thomas School of Law's Mentor Externship program, a three-year required program that combines real-world legal experience with thoughtful reflection to promote student understanding of professionalism issues that arise in law practice, as well as practical insight into being a professional lawyer.
Topics to be covered include:
a. Explain how the mentor externship program works.
b. Explain how professionalism is important to St. Thomas School of Law and how this program is a continuation of that tradition.
c. Why did St. Thomas decide to mandate students' participation in this program?
d. Discuss the time and costs involved with the administration of the program.
e. How do you respond to law school concerns that implementing a program like this one is cost-prohibitive?
f. How do you recruit mentors? How did you get "buy in" from your local legal community?:
g. What kind of feedback have you received from professors and students? / How do you assess the success of this program?