One-to-One Mentoring includes the mid- and long-term AZBar Mentor Connection programs.

The 12 Month One-to-One Mentor Program is the longest form option offered by the State Bar of Arizona. Originally the only mentor program offered, this program offers the most CLE credit and comprehensive curriculum. Pairs meet every month for a year and cover a different topic each month. After the pairs meets for the first time, they can choose what order to cover the following subjects: Practice Management, Introduction to the Legal Community (Two Meetings), Professionalism (Two Meetings), Law Office Management (Two Meetings, Practice 2.0 Consultation), Ethics, Well Being (Two Meetings), Professional Development.

The 6 Month One-to-One Mentor Program is similar to the original 12 month option but offers more flexibility for the mentee to request mentorship topics of extra emphasis. After the pairs meets for the first time, they can choose what order to cover the following subjects: Professional Development/Introduction to the Legal Community, Professionalism/Ethics, Well Being/Practice 2.0/Law Office Management, Mentee Requested Topic (Two Meetings).

Application:

Participants must apply through the online form.

Required One-time Training:

Before participating in the mentorship program, all mentors and mentees must complete a training. This covers the program requirements, goals, expectations, and best practices.

Staff keep a confidential list of mentors who have completed the one time training. After a mentee completes training, staff will first look to the list of trained mentors to identify a match for the mentee. Some mentors may finish their training but not immediately fit what a current mentee applicant is looking for. Learn More About the Match Process Here. Because the timeline for matching a mentor to mentee is variable, mentor may have a change in their situation between their application and a potential match. Our staff will reach out to a potential mentor about a mentee applicant before moving forward with any matches. Mentors, please keep an eye on your emails for potential match requests. 

Monthly Meetings and Reports:

Within two weeks of their match, the mentee will reach out to the mentor to initiate their first meeting. They should review the Mentoring Plan individually before the meeting and discuss together at their first meeting. The pair is also expected to schedule their future monthly meetings in advance. Many pairs decide on a particular day, like the first Wednesday of each month, to block out for their monthly mentorship meetings.

The Mentor pair is required to meet at least one hour each month. After each meeting, the pair will email their submission form to azbarmentor@staff.azbar.org.

In order to maintain CLE credit, monthly reports are due the 15th of each month following your meeting. For example, all meetings occurring in the month of June have a submission deadline of July 15.

Program Completion:

The mentor pairs will receive CLE credit upon successfully completing the full year and meeting all requirements.

Lawyer Down the Hall is a short-term mentoring connection where an experienced lawyer is paired with lawyers of any experience level who need assistance on an issue, discuss career guidance, practice area or management issues, professionalism resources or attend events. Parties may communicate in person, via email or videoconference. Lawyer Down the Hall does not include a curriculum or require monthly meetings. The mentor pair does not receive CLE at the end of this mentoring relationship.

The Mentor Program was developed through research, exploring mentor principles and practices across the country and experiences of legal mentor work of other states. This program is modeled on programs in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and South Carolina. We appreciate the use of their programs as models of effective mentoring.

In 2018, former State Bar of Arizona President Jeff Willis convened a task force to review the status and develop future programs and services which included mentoring. The Task Force evaluated current State Bar Programs and considered opportunities for encouraging continued engagement of the Bar’s more seasoned attorneys. The Task Force recommended a statewide mentoring program to provide newer lawyers with the skills and resources necessary to increase competence and professionalism in their legal practice.

The State Bar of Arizona Board of Governors approved the mentoring program and established a Mentor Advisory Council to develop and then implement a voluntary mentoring pilot program. The State Bar of Arizona worked closely with the Mentor Advisory Council that was formed in 2019 to develop a comprehensive mentor program. We appreciate the Mentor Advisory Council’s continuous effort and participation. In April 2020, the State Bar of Arizona Executive Council gave final approval for the mentor program to launch.

That original Council developed into the current Mentor Advisory Group. This group meets regularly to consider the trajectory of the program and enhance mentorship opportunities for members of the State Bar of Arizona.

Mentor Advisory Group 2025-2026

• DeShon Pullen, Chair
• Ross Arellano-Edwards
• Steven Berger
• Staci Maret
• James O'Sullivan
• Lisa Johnson Stone
• Kaitlin Amos
• Stephanie Ehrbright
• Jillian Bauman
• Staff Liaison: Emma Schlenker

Mentor Advisory Council 2024-2025

• Ross Arellano-Edwards, Steven Berger, Staci Maret, James O'Sullivan, DeShon Pullen, Lisa Johnson Stone

Mentor Advisory Council 2023-2024

• Ross Arellano-Edwards, Kira Barrett, Hon. Sunita Cairo, Hon. Yancy Jencsok, DeShon Pullen, Lisa Johnson Stone

Mentor Advisory Council 2022-2023

• Ali Anderson, Ross Arellano-Edwards, Kira Barrett, Hon. Sunita Cairo, Hon. Yancy Jencsok, David Matheson

Mentor Advisory Council 2021-2022

• Will Knight(Chair), Hon. Patricia Norris (Ret.), James O’Sullivan, Ali Anderson, David Matheson, Donald Powell, Yancy Jencsok, Kira Barrett, Sunita Krishna, Ross Arellano-Edwards, Kendra Owens-Johnson(Staff Liaison)

The mentor and mentee fill out an application on the State Bar of Arizona website where you will indicate which program interests you, One-to-One or Lawyer Down the Hall. The staff reviews the application to ensure the eligibility qualifications are met. The parties are then matched based on practice area, geographic location and preferences. The parties will receive a confirmation email with contact information regarding their potential mentor/mentee.

What should you expect after submitting your application?

After a mentee submits their application, staff reaches out to them for a discussion about the type of mentorship they hope to receive and what kind of mentor they think would be best. Staff asks mentor and mentee applicants similar questions about their preferences.

What do we want to know about applicants to help match them?

For example, communication is important. Some pairs meet in person, via videoconference, phone call, or a mixture of styles. Some pairs prefer to communicate via email and others via text message. If you feel strongly about one form of communication, please tell staff so it can be considered in the matching process.

Geographic location is sometimes prioritized because it is intended for the mentor/mentee meetings to integrate work environments as well as the ability to attend legal, professional and/or State Bar of Arizona meetings together. However, some geographic locations actually make proximity likely to cause conflicts of interest. In those cases, someone from a different part of the state or other county may be a better match.

Staff will also ask about and consider any shared experiences a potential mentor and mentee may have. These sometimes include being a first generation college student, the first attorney in their family, experience with a disability, being a parent or caretaker, speaking other languages, and even a mixture of those situations. Sometimes the applicant will include information about these experiences in their application but some feel more comfortable sharing personal details in a phone conversation. 

Applicants should be clear in their application and conversations with staff about their hopes and expectations for the mentorship experience. All information about your application and preferences is kept confidentially with staff so we encourage open and honest responses during the matching process.

How does the State Bar know which people to pair together?

After gathering the necessary information, staff sends the mentee the one time training to complete. While the mentee is working on their training, staff will work to find a potential mentor match. 

The first place staff will look for a potential mentor match is the confidential list of mentors who have already completed the one time training. The mentee's priorities for a mentor are cross checked with the names on our list. Likely there are a few mentors who fit some, if not all, of the requirements. The closest match will be reached out to first. 

Because the timeline for matching a mentor to mentee is variable, a mentor may have a change in their situation between their application and a potential match. Our staff will reach out to a potential mentor about a mentee applicant to ensure they are still willing to participate in the mentorship program and have the capacity to mentor the mentee applicant. Mentors, please keep an eye on your emails for potential match requests. 

If the first potential mentor is unavailable or does not respond in a few days, the next closest potential mentor will be contacted. Each potential mentor will receive some information about what the mentee is looking to learn and connect over without disclosing the identity of the mentee. If there are no matching mentors on our current list, State Bar staff will work to recruit a qualifying mentor. 

What if I end up not being a good fit with my match?

If a mentor or mentee has their initial meeting with their match and does not think it is a good fit, they should reach out to staff at azbarmentor@staff.azbar.org to schedule a re-match conversation. Participants can always be re-matched to find another fit. They are not "stuck" with their first match.

The mentor and mentee will receive CLE credit upon successfully completing the One-to-One program. The parties must meet all qualifications of the program which includes attending the mandatory training, meeting monthly, submitting program evaluations and completing mentor plan activities. The mentor pair does not receive CLE credit for the Lawyer Down the Hall program.