S&C Stories: Mentoring the Next Generation

“For me, the mentor/mentee relationship is about professional development, feedback and learning how to do things at the levels of excellence expected by our clients. I’ll forever be grateful to the mentors who took me under their wings when I was an associate. My goal as a mentor is to make sure my mentees obtain a variety of diverse experiences, hit milestones when they should, and work with an array of lawyers at the Firm. For instance, Nina and I sit down every six months to talk about her workload, see what types of work she has (and hasn’t) experienced, and talk through whether there are other opportunities at the Firm she should look for. And if something seems missing, Nina and I noodle through how best to check that box in the near future. Given Nina’s trial, investigations, evidentiary hearing, deposition and other discovery experiences to date, we are running out of boxes to check!”

Bill Monahan’s Clerkship:

• Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 2003–2004

“After clerking, I was eager to return to S&C to put what I’d learned at district court into practice. Mentoring has been instrumental to that learning process. I’ve been fortunate to work with Bill and other partners who are eager to find opportunities for associates to actively participate in litigation early on in our careers by, for example, taking depositions and “owning” parts of a matter. Mentors at S&C are available every step of the way to discuss whatever may come to mind, be it documents to use at depositions, or strategic issues, such as how expert testimony fits into a key theory.”

Nina Labovich’s Clerkship:

• Judge Douglas P. Woodlock, United States District Court, District of Massachusetts, 2022–2023

“I was very lucky to have had many extraordinary mentors as I started my legal career. Suffice it to say that I would not be where I am without them. And I have continued to have phenomenal mentors as I made the transition to partnership, took on leadership roles at S&C and grew my practice. Put simply, mentorship is a key component of success in the law. I try to be as helpful of a mentor as I can be. Whether it is my associate advisees, summer advisees, team members or other associates I have met at the Firm, I seek to be a resource and to assist in whatever way is best for them.”

Julia Malkina’s Clerkships:

• Justice Stephen G. Breyer, United States Supreme Court, 2013–2014
• Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, United States Supreme Court, 2013–2014
• Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 2011–2012

“Solving complex, challenging problems is one of the most rewarding parts of being a lawyer at S&C. My many mentors at the Firm, including Julia, have been invaluable resources in helping me solve problems both big and small over the years. Since my first day as a summer associate, I have found partners and associates willing to answer my questions and share their advice whenever I have asked for it. This is true both of the mentors I have been paired with during my time at S&C and the many lawyers with whom I have developed mentoring relationships on my own. I hope I can be a resource of advice and guidance for new associates at the Firm in the same way my mentors continue to be a resource for me.”

Gulliver Brady