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State
Pitches ‘CAMP’
The first statewide mentoring program is up and running and aims to
promote professional pride, excellence and identity in the legal profession.
By
JOHN BAKER, ESQ.
Summer
2013
Mentoring in the legal
profession is as old as the profession itself. But with the current economics
of law practice many new lawyers don’t get any formal guidance, whether in
private practice or the public sector. Colorado decided to do something about
this.
In 2011, the Chief
Justice’s Commission on the Legal Profession recommended to the Colorado
Supreme Court the establishment of a statewide lawyer mentoring program now
known as the Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program (CAMP). The CAMP program will
be implemented through bar associations, inns of court,
law firms, agencies, and other legal organizations throughout the state.
The
Goals
Colorado Rules of Civil
Procedure 255 establishes CAMP as an independent component of the Supreme
Court’s attorney admission, registration and regulation system. CAMP aims to
promote professional pride, excellence and identity in the legal profession by
forging strong relationships with the bar, courts, clients, law schools and the
public. CAMP helps other legal organizations in three different ways:
· Supports and provides training materials to
existing mentoring programs;
· Assists in implementing mentoring programs by
providing all forms, a template mentoring plan structure, and access to CLE credits
for mentors and mentees;
· Through a virtual online mentoring resource center,
CAMP will provide readings, mentor and mentee training, videos, and other
materials for all lawyers and law offices. The center will open in in October.
The
Mentees
To qualify as a mentee
in CAMP programs, the lawyer must be a licensed, active Colorado lawyer, who is
either practicing or is intending to practice law in the state. Preference will
be given to lawyers who are within their first three years following admission
to practice law in Colorado. The lawyers don’t need to be a member of a bar
association. The sponsoring legal
organizations will have the flexibility to further define who the mentees will
be in local programs.
The
Mentors
Mentors must be Colorado
attorneys or judges with an active license in good standing or retired Colorado
attorneys or judges who retired in good standing. The mentor shall be licensed
for at least five years and have no history of suspension, disbarment, or
pending disciplinary actions, including diversion programs. CAMP will provide training programs and
materials to mentors.
The
Curriculum
The 12-month CAMP
curriculum will be developed by the mentee and mentor but should cover certain
subject areas, including:
· Initial planning meeting
· Personal and professional development, including
work-life balance, inclusiveness & diversity, and wellness
· The Colorado bar and legal community (may
include group activity)
· History and importance of the legal profession
(may include group activity)
· Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct,
professionalism, and civility
· Litigation and transaction experiences (Colorado
courts and procedures)
· Law office management and in-office procedures
· Working with clients
· Pro bono and civic involvement (may include
group activity)
Contact
CAMP
For further information
while the CAMP website is under construction, please contact Director John
Baker at:
Colorado
Attorney Mentoring Program (CAMP)
Colorado Supreme Court
Ralph L. Carr Judicial
Center
1300 Broadway, Suite 230
Denver, Colorado 80202
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