Semester in Practice

Information for Mentors

Over the last 25 years, the Semester in Practice Program has cultivated a diverse group of experienced mentors. At the present time we have more than 500 judges and attorneys who have supervised students in the program.

When we ask these people to work with students, we invite them to serve as teachers. As Vermont Law School entrusts one-sixth of the legal education of a VLS student to a mentor, potential mentors are considered extremely carefully. Effective mentors want students to see the practice of law at its best, to learn as they work and to serve as another observer and participant with whom the mentor can discuss the variety of situations that arise daily.

This does not mean we assume supervisors will give up the practice of law and devote all their available time to teaching. Neither, however, is this a situation where a student functions as a free "go-fer." The best situations occur when the field supervisor wants to give the student the experience the supervisor wishes he or she could have had, or may actually have had, as a student.

Individuals considered for mentor status are contacted personally by the program director, Liz Ryan Cole, and are provided with written materials regarding the program and asked to complete an informational site description. If it appears on review that the skills, interest area, and experience of the potential mentor are appropriate to the academic demands of the SiP, the new mentor will be considered eligible for a proposed match. The director does not generally seek out mentors until a specific student need is identified.

In making the match, the director takes into account the needs, expectations, and skills of the mentor, as well as the experience, expectations and learning style of the student. After discussion with the program director and their faculty advisor, students select the potential mentor who best promises a unique educational experience for that particular student, given the student's academic interest and preparation, geographic considerations, and the needs, skills, and expectations of the mentor.

Once a potential match is identified, the student's resumé and appropriate supporting documentation are forwarded to the mentor. Subsequently, the student and mentor meet personally, unless distance demands they talk by phone. In addition to providing the student with an opportunity to discuss his or her goals for the semester, this initial interview allows the mentor to describe the upcoming semester, answer any questions the student may have, and suggest preparatory work, such as specific readings.

The conversation also supplies both mentor and student with the information necessary assess and agree to the match. After the conversation, the student or mentor may opt to seek a second choice, if either so desires. We believe our approach to matching ordinarily allows accommodation to every student's first choice. In every case, however, final student selection is left to the mentor.

Throughout the semester, VLS provides a variety of support to mentors. Sometimes this support is as little as a few conversations and a leisurely lunch. At other times, it can involve providing back up with regard to research, drafting, and issues in substantive law. Additionally, mentors are eligible for full scholarships to workshops VLS offers for attorneys and law professors.

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