Mentor FAQs

The required qualifications to be a Mentor are:

a. Colorado attorney, judge, or LLP, with an active license, in good standing, and engaged in the practice of law; or retired Colorado attorney or judge, who retired from the practice in good standing.
b. Admitted to the practice law in any jurisdiction for not less than five years.
c. No suspensions or disbarments from the practice of law from any jurisdiction, nor surrender of license to practice law for purpose of disposing of pending disciplinary proceeding in any jurisdiction.
d. No sanction by a governing authority in the five years preceding application as a Mentor.

The mentoring relationship is a professional relationship. It does not contemplate and is not intended to create a formal association or attorney-client relationship between the mentee and the mentor.

As a mentor, your primary role is to provide guidance, share your professional experience, and support your mentee’s growth. This includes meeting regularly, offering constructive feedback, modeling professionalism, and helping your mentee navigate challenges and opportunities in their legal career. You are also encouraged to foster an open, respectful, and confidential mentoring relationship.

CAMP rejects the ‘one size fits all’ approach to mentoring. Our program is designed to be flexible and fully customizable, so each mentee can shape their own experience based on their professional goals and interests. There are no required meetings, time commitments, or rigid structures. Most mentoring pairs work together for 6-12 months and allocate 2-hours per month to the mentoring relationship.

Becoming a mentor is a meaningful way to give back to the legal profession, support the next generation of attorneys, and strengthen Colorado’s legal community. Mentors gain fresh perspectives, develop leadership skills, and find fulfillment in helping others grow while contributing to a more ethical, connected, and thriving profession.

Mentoring is fundamentally about personal growth and building connections. As a mentor, you don’t need to have all the answers to a mentee’s questions from the beginning. You don’t need to be more educated, smarter, older, or more experienced than your mentee. Instead, your role is to listen, share your perspective, and explore solutions together. Often, the most valuable support you can provide is asking thoughtful questions, offering encouragement, and connecting your mentee to helpful resources or networks.

Before any match is made, CAMP takes the time to get to know each mentee. Our team has a one-on-one conversation with every mentee to understand their background, goals, and what they hope to gain from mentoring. Following the pre-match consultation, our staff compiles a curated list of potential mentors for consideration. When we have a mentee that we think would be a good fit for you, we will reach out to discuss the mentee and their professional goals to determine if you are interested and available in working with them. If so, we will connect you with the mentee for an introductory meeting to explore whether the pairing is a good fit for both parties.

It is normal that not all relationships will be perfect. If you find yourself in a situation where conflict or any other problem has developed, please email us at r.peyton@csc.state.co.us. A member of our team will work with you to resolve issues. If you and your mentee are not right for each other, we will end the mentoring partnership early in the relationship.

CAMP is not a job placement program and our mentors do not find jobs for their mentees. Instead, they provide valuable hiring-specific knowledge and advice. Mentors can guide a mentee through the hiring processes typical in legal organizations, offer insights to prepare for interviews, and assist in developing their application materials.

Because CAMP’s matching process prioritizes the “right” mentor instead of the “next” mentor, it may take several weeks or months for us to propose a mentee to you. When we do approach you with a potential mentee, you can be assured that we are reaching out because we believe you are a best fit for this person and their professional goals.

CAMP is Colorado’s hub for legal mentoring resources. Your mentoring connection area includes a variety of videos, articles, and tools to maximize your effectiveness as a mentor. You should also explore our website at www.coloradoattorneyexcellence.org for additional resources, events, and programs to support your mentoring efforts.