MAA Mentor - Mentee Programme Guidelines

Roles, Responsibilities and Expectations

MAA Mentor - Mentee  Programme

The MAA Mentor - Mentee  Programme offers law students and young professionals the opportunity to receive guidance and support from experienced legal professionals and academics as they begin to develop their careers.

The 2023 - 2024  MAA Mentor - Mentee Programme is scheduled to take place from early October 2023 to 30 April 2024.

These guidelines provide a framework for mentors and mentees to participate in the MAA Mentor - Mentee Programme. Participants are expected to communicate and interact in order to achieve their goals within the Mentor - Mentee Programme in the way that best suits them.

The aim of the Programme is to facilitate the interaction of mentors and mentees and enable them to explore new opportunities to create professional relationships. The MAA is not responsible for the success of the interaction, as individual participants bear responsibility for their own actions and experience.

The structure of the Programme consists of one-on-one (virtual or in-person) meetings between a mentee and mentor with additional opportunities for further networking between groups of mentees and mentors. The MAA will periodically contact participants throughout the duration of the MAA Mentor - Mentee Programme. At the end of the Programme, mentors and mentees will be requested to provide feedback on their experience to allow for future improvements. 

Thank you for your interest in the MAA Mentor - Mentee Programme! We hope it is an enjoyable and enriching experience for all mentees and mentors. If you have any questions, please contact the MAA Mentor - Mentee Team at MAAMentorMentee@maa.net.

Eligibility and Application Process

All programme participants must be members of the MAA. If you are not yet a member of the MAA, simply sign up here first. Please note that, while applicants are not required to be Premium MAA Members, priority will be given to Premium MAA Members should the need arise. Please note that if you apply to the Programme and use a different name and/or email address to those associated with your MAA membership, it can be difficult for your membership to be verified and you may be deemed ineligible for the Programme. Please therefore ensure that the details used in your application are consistent with your MAA membership, or otherwise provide the name and/or email address associated with your MAA Membership in the relevant field of the application form. 

The MAA Mentor - Mentee Programme aims to be an inclusive and diverse programme, involving participants from a wide variety of countries, profiles, and professional backgrounds. All interested MAA members are encouraged to apply. Applicants who are not members of the MAA will not be considered.

Mentors

Mentors will ideally have at least five years of professional and/or post-graduate academic experience in international dispute resolution, arbitration, commercial and/or trade law. Mentors will have excellent communication skills, the time to commit themselves to at least three one-on-one (virtual or in-person) meetings with their mentee and a desire to contribute to the growth and development of young legal professionals. 

Interested mentors should contact the MAA at MAAMentorMentee@maa.net by early September 2023. Mentors will be selected at the sole discretion of the Mentor - Mentee Team and the MAA Executive Board. Mentors participating in the Programme will be connected with their respective mentees by early October 2023.

   Mentees

Mentees should be law students, recent graduates of a degree in law or young professionals with less than five years of post-qualified experience. Mentees should ideally have an interest in a career as a practitioner and/or academic in international dispute resolution, arbitration, commercial and/or trade law. Mentees should have an interest in seeking guidance and support in their professional development, including networking, writing opportunities and shaping career goals. Mentees who have taken part in a previous cycle of the Programme are not eligible to participate in another cycle.

Interested mentees should complete an application form with a one-page motivation letter and a CV by 1 September 2023. The application form can be accessed here. We recommend that the motivation letter address at least three of the following questions:

• Why are you interested in international dispute resolution, arbitration, commercial and/or trade law? What experience, if any, have you had in these fields?
  

• Why do you want to participate in the programme?
  

• What specific goals do you hope to achieve through the programme, and how will the programme help you achieve them?
  

• What do you believe is the role of a mentee and what makes you suitable for this role?
  

• What particular attributes or qualities make you stand out as a potential mentee?
  

• What challenges (if any) have you overcome or are you facing in developing a career in international dispute resolution, arbitration, commercial and/or trade law?
  

Mentees will be selected at the sole discretion of the Mentor - Mentee Team and the MAA Executive Board, on the basis of their motivation letter and CV. As explained on the MAA website, Premium MAA members will receive priority with mentee applications.

All applicants will be notified about the status of their application by early October 2023 from the email address MAAMentorMentee@maa.net. We kindly request that applicants whitelist our email address and refrain from emailing the MAA Mentor - Mentee Team prior to this date regarding the status of their application. If successful, the applicant’s motivation letter and CV will be shared with their assigned mentor.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a mutually beneficial professional relationship through which an experienced person (the mentor) assists a less experienced person (the mentee) to develop specific skills and knowledge that will enhance the mentee’s career and personal growth. Research shows that there are also many benefits for mentors, such as lower levels of stress and improvements to their mental health.

A mentor provides support, knowledge, encouragement, guidance, constructive feedback, and acts like a sounding board to the mentee by developing a genuine interest in the growth of the mentee’s abilities and talents.

Mentees actively seek support and guidance in their career and professional development from a more experienced professional. A mentee always has the ultimate responsibility for their career and professional development.

The mentor - mentee relationship is based upon encouragement, constructive feedback, openness, mutual trust, respect and a willingness to learn and share.

• Act ethically and respectfully towards all participants
  

• Maintain professional boundaries and necessary confidentiality
  

• Commit to attend all pre-arranged meetings/phone calls or to give advance notice of non-participation
  

• Active participation from both mentors and mentees
  

• Discuss reciprocal expectations in the first Mentor - Mentee meeting
  

• Submit a feedback evaluation form upon completion of the MAA Mentor - Mentee Programme
  

Roles of Mentors and Mentees

• At least three meetings (in-person or virtual) with mentee throughout the Programme
  
• At least one group meeting (in person or virtual) with other mentors and mentees throughout the Programme, if possible
  
• Lead the initial meeting/conversation with mentee
  
• Help the mentee to identify and form professional goals
  
• Assist the mentee in developing/expanding their network
  
• Provide insight into a particular area of legal practice
  
• Provide guidance on publication opportunities and, if agreed, oversee publications or co-publish with the mentee
  

• Being open-minded, non-judgmental and providing constructive feedback
  
• Actively listening to the mentees’ questions and inquiries
  
• Managing the framework of the mentoring meetings, while encouraging the mentee to take responsibility for the meeting agenda and content
  
• Assisting the mentee to identify career goals
  
• Sharing professional experiences
  
• Offering advice on how a mentee can achieve their career goals
  
• Sharing "hard lessons" the mentor learned that the mentee can benefit from
  
• Sharing information about networking events, forums, conferences, etc.
  
• Advising on topics or recent cases for the mentee to write/co-publish
  

• Respect and consideration for the mentee
  
• A high level of expertise and knowledge of the legal profession
  
• A genuine interest in the mentees’ growth and development
  
• Highly developed communication skills (particularly listening, questioning and giving constructive feedback)
  
• A commitment to the Mentor - Mentee Programme
  
  

Roles of Mentors and Mentees

• At least three meetings (in-person or virtual) with mentor throughout the Programme
  
• At least one group meeting (in person or virtual) with other mentors and mentees throughout the Programme, if possible
  
• Take steps to initiate and organise follow-up meetings with mentor
  
• Prepare an (informal or formal) agenda of discussion topics and questions for meetings
  
• Identify and outline professional goals and share those with the mentor
  
• Write or co-publish with the mentor
  

• Sharing their particular interests in law
  
• Discussing and developing their career goals
  
• Generating a list of questions about their prospective career path or area of practice for discussion in conversations with the mentor
  
• Discussing topics taught and debated as part of their legal studies
  
• Asking their mentor for topics, articles, or recent cases in order to write and/or collaborate on a co-publication
  
• Providing drafts of their potential publication for the mentor’s review and comment
  

• Have respect and consideration for the mentor
  
• Take initiative in their communications and interactions with the mentor
  
• Organise and prepare for meetings with the mentor
  
• Maintain a willingness to share their hopes, needs and expectations
  
• Take responsibility for their own personal and professional development and opportunities
  
• Seek constructive feedback
  
• Commit to the Mentor - Mentee Programme