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NJSBA Sidebar: The Mentoring Edition

By NJSBA Staff posted 03-06-2019 10:01 AM

  
Roy Gordon graduated law school two years ago and opened his own firm in Camden County right away.

He handles mostly civil litigation, and while he’s happy with how it’s going, he knows enough to know he doesn’t know everything yet. When the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) launched MentorMatch, a program for members that blends traditional mentoring with online matching, he jumped to participate.

“I needed someone to show me that what I was doing was correct,” said Gordon. “Asking for help from someone you don’t know is definitely not an easy thing to do. Having this program and knowing automatically going into this relationship that I have someone who is willing to help and who understands I need help was a huge factor for me.”

The NJSBA's online mentoring program, launched earlier this year, has continued to pick up steam. Over 120 lawyers are participating in the program, either as a mentor or mentee. Many of those who have signed up to be mentors are retired judges and leaders in the NJSBA and their practice areas.

The latest episode of the NJSBA Sidebar podcast features a chat between Gordon and his mentor, Eric Fikry. Listen in to find out more about the program; what a mentor and a mentee should each contribute to the relationship to make it a success; and what the program can do for you.

After signing up in the fall, Gordon quickly connected with Fikry, a former NJSBA trustee, experienced corporate litigator and former president of the Camden County Bar Association. For the past several months they have been emailing and talking by phone, and have even met for lunch and attended networking events together.

“I learn something from Eric every time I speak with him, and it goes beyond just answering the questions or getting suggestions. Having someone with his level of experience…seeing the way he speaks and how he holds himself, and his level of confidence has (given me) something I aspire to have in my own career and life,” said Gordon.

Fikry said he’s participated in many other mentoring programs during his career to varying degrees of success, but has found MentorMatch to be a success.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested (to sign up). It literally takes just a moment or two… I’m glad to be a part of it,” said Fikry.
To find out more, visit njsba.com.

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