Women's Mentoring Program

Program Overview

The Women's Mentoring Program (WMP) facilitates mentoring relationships by pairing first year law students who identify as female with alumnae mentors throughout the United States. The program was founded in the Fall of 1991 by three 1L women to connect first-year women with practicing attorneys and encourage the development of professional relationships. Today, our mentors come from many career paths, including law firms, public interest organizations, government, and business endeavors, providing 1Ls with exposure to a wide array of viewpoints. The program encourages discussion of issues relevant to women both during law school and as they begin their careers. The WMP enables participants to develop meaningful mentoring relationships, hear different perspectives on the Law School and practice of law, and learn about the many available career options.

To sign-up for the program, please click on the appropriate link below:

How can I get involved?
We are currently recruiting alumnae mentor volunteers for the 2024-2025 school year.

What is expected of me as a mentor?
The mentoring program spans the academic year. Therefore, we ask that mentors commit to being involved in the program from November 2024 through June 2025. Your level of involvement with your mentee is to be determined by you and your mentee. We are aware that your schedule is busy, and your time is valuable. We hope that at a minimum you will:

Meet in-person or virtually with your mentee once each quarter
Communicate with your mentee via email or phone periodically as agreed upon by you and your mentee, and
Provide feedback, guidance, and encouragement to your mentee.

What if I am not able to commit to being an alumni mentor?
If you are unable to commit to being a mentor for the full academic year but would still like to be involved, please email Anna Jenkins at annajenkins274@uchicago.edu.

Important Dates:

September 23 - Sign-up form opens for alumni volunteers
September 23 - Sign-up form opens for 1Ls
September 30 - First day of classes
October 11 – Deadline to sign-up as either a mentor or mentee
Late October – Mentors and Mentees will be matched via email
June 27 - Program conclusion

Are there any program-sponsored events?
In place of the Affinity Mentoring Program Kickoff event and the small cohort dinners this year, we will be providing a stipend to 1L Mentees for a coffee or lunch with their mentors. This change is designed to foster more meaningful, one-on-one interactions between students and their mentors. By facilitating these personalized meetings, we aim to enhance engagement and support throughout the mentoring process. We strongly encourage mentees to take the initiative in scheduling these meetings, as we believe that a student-driven approach will further enrich the mentoring relationship and ensure that it meets their unique needs. We are confident that this tailored interaction will better serve our mentees and strengthen their overall experience.

To help guide the mentoring relationship, the Office of External Affairs and WMP Co-Chairs will reach out periodically.

How do I sign-up?
To sign-up to participate as an alumnae mentor, please complete the sign-up form by 5:00 PM CT on Friday, October 11. Please note, the sign-up will open in early Fall.

What is expected of me as a mentee?
The Women's Mentoring Program pairs first-year women with UChicago Law alumnae attorneys. The mentoring programs span the length of the academic year. Therefore, we ask that all mentees to commit to being involved in the program from November 2024 through June 2025.

Your level of involvement with your mentor is entirely up to you and your mentor. Please remember that mentors have very busy schedules and that their time is valuable. During your first meeting, we encourage you and your mentor to discuss your expectations for the year with each other, including meeting/discussion frequency, meeting location, and medium for communication. The Law School will provide more information to guide your mentorship.

Be respectful of the time commitment required of mentors and make sure to respond promptly to communications, be punctual to events, and honor all commitments. We hope that at a minimum you will:

Come up with 3-5 goals you hope to accomplish with the help of your mentor
Meet in person or virtually with your mentor once per quarter
Communicate with your mentor via email, phone, or Zoom periodically as agreed upon by you and your mentor

While this program is designed for one academic year, we hope your mentoring relationship continues past your 1L year.

As a reminder, students may participate in a maximum of two Alumni Mentoring Programs to ensure the best experience for both student mentees and alumni mentors (The Law School Big/Little Sibling program is not included in this limitation).

For additional information, please see the Mentoring Program FAQs.

Important Dates:

September 23 - Sign-up form opens for alumni volunteers
September 23 - Sign-up form opens for 1Ls
September 30 - First day of classes
October 11 – Deadline to sign-up as either a mentor or mentee
Late October – Mentors and Mentees will be matched via email
November – April - 1L Mentees will offered reimbursements to take their Mentors to lunch or coffee
June 27 - Program conclusion

How do I sign-up?
To sign-up to participate as a mentee in the program, please complete the sign-up form by 5:00 PM CT on Friday, October 11.

Please contact the Office of External Affairs at alumni@law.uchicago.edu or
Anna Jenkins, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, annajenkins274@uchicago.edu.

If you're an incoming 2L who is interested in applying to be a co-chair for the Women's Mentoring Program, please submit an application by August 12th. (To be eligible, you must have participated as a mentee in the Women's Mentoring Program during the 2023-24 academic year.)

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Women's Mentoring Program