An Overview

As a New York Law School student, you have access to our Alumni Mentor Program,
which successfully offers you unparalleled opportunities to meet alumni and
explore career options.

In order to meet individual needs, the program offers considerable flexibility. Many students
are not yet sure how they intend to use their law degree and find the program helps them
explore various career options. Students who already have plans to specialize in a specific
practice area often use the program to meet practitioners in that field and learn more about
the "real world" outside of law school.  Others consult with mentors for practical advice
on the job search process, and use the mentor program as a networking resource.

All mentors are New York Law School graduates who have volunteered to answer students'
questions, provide career-related advice, and help bridge the gap between the academic
environment and the outside professional world.  Alumni mentors vary considerably
in their individual approach to mentoring, depending on their experience, time availability,
and personality. You should plan to meet with more than one mentor in order to get
the most from the program.

Here's how it works

First you must find a Mentor! Our online Alumni Mentor Program allows you to search the
resulting database by criteria including: year of graduation, whether they were a day or
evening division student, undergraduate institution, most recent or relevant job title of employment,
and preferred method for student contact.  It can be accessed through NYLS Career Court 
(using your username and password to sign in) and select the Alumni Mentor link.    

 
What do I do next?

So, you've found several mentors who you think could afford you valuable career
planning and job search advice.  It is now your responsibility to contact the alumni mentor(s). 

Okay, I've chosen a mentor, Now what?

Before meeting with a mentor, please take some time to think about what you hope
to gain from the experience. Remember, the mentor can't read your mind. Mentors
sometimes report that while a student was very likeable or impressive, the mentor
wasn't sure what type of help the student sought.  That was probably because the student
had not sufficiently thought through what he/she was hoping to get out of the meeting. 
You should not ask the alumni mentor to give you a job.  Occasionally, that is exactly
what has happened, however, a student should not contact an alumni mentor with
employment expectations. 

It is your job to ask for the information that you seek.  Recognize that you have
short term goals and long term goals. Perhaps you want to understand different
career paths, or how the mentor got involved in his/her particular career. 
You may want to ask about their clients, daily activities, rewarding aspects
of their practice, skills that are important to their field, and any law school
experiences/classes that they might recommend.

If you are having a difficult time articulating your mentoring objectives, please
do not hesitate to meet with a Career Services counselor for assistance.

We all hope that you have a very satisfying experience with our Alumni Mentor Program!