Having some discussion topics prepared in advance of a mentor-mentee meeting helps both parties get the most out of their time together. Below are some suggestions for what to talk about in your mentorship meeting(s):  

• How the mentor’s practice is organized and an introduction to the other lawyers and support staff they work with. 
• Responsibilities and division of duties between lawyers, paralegals, assistants and other office employees. 
• Legal Aid, Pro Bono Law Alberta and opportunities for charitable work as a lawyer. Discuss how to fit volunteer work into a busy practice. 
• Office politics and boundaries for acceptable behavior between lawyers and support staff. 
• Opportunities and benefits of greater bar association involvement. Are there any bar association meetings you could attend together? 
• Time management skills and software. 
• What to include in standard retainer agreements. 
• Ways to protect client confidentiality. 
• How to recognize and deal with conflicts of interest.
• Law office management systems such as: records of client-related expenses; billing systems and frequency of billings; filing systems; document retention plan; file recall and diary systems; or online research.
• Common client management errors and malpractice complaints, how to recognize them and how to avoid them.
• Obligations to report misconduct to the Law Society and potential insurance claims to ALIA.
• How to deal with difficult clients and how to maintain good client relationships.
• The unwritten rules of civility between lawyers and when dealing with members of the judiciary. How to respond to difficult lawyers or judges.
• What to do when the mentee encounters unethical conduct by others or if they are asked to do something unethical or unprofessional by a senior partner or a client.
• Client development techniques that have worked for the mentor.
• How to conduct effective questioning or court applications remotely.
• Different forms of dispute resolution (mediation, arbitration, judicial dispute resolution, mini-trials, summary judgment applications, trials) and their relative strengths and weaknesses.
• Techniques for conducting successful mediations and negotiations.
• The mentee’s career goals and steps to achieve them.
• Ways to balance the mentee’s career and personal life and how to keep job pressures in perspective.
• The value of a business plan and what it should include.
• Substance abuse and mental health issues, what to do if the mentee or a colleague may have substance abuse or mental health problems, and the resources available to get help.
• How to manage law school debt and any financial pressures the mentee may be facing.
• Different uses of a law degree and alternate career paths, including big firm v. small firm, private practice v. in-house positions, government and not-for-profit sectors.
• Possible job search strategies.
• Ethical ramifications of leaving a firm.
• Planning for retirement and developing an exit strategy that complies with the mentee’s professional obligations.