sidley austin firmwide summer associates mentorship Event
The City Tutors had the fortune of hosting a first ever firmwide mentorship event in partnership with Sidley Austin LLP. Summer associates from Sidley offices across the nation got to meet mentees representing the varied lived American experiences: immigrants, children of immigrants, first in their families to attend college., all thinking about possibly going on to law school. This event helped empower their decision making by offering a one-of-a-kind opportunity for mentees to learn about the law school landscape at the highest level.
“From our founding, Sidley Austin has invested in our mission and the communities that we serve. They’ve sponsored our work, provided technical legal support as we’ve grown, and have worked closely with us to provide opportunities for students and graduates within CUNY to learn about all aspects of corporate law. Earlier this year mentees had a chance to learn from Sidley’s seasoned attorneys and their professional counterparts at Morgan Stanley. With this firmwide summer associates event, mentees had the privilege to see how those professional journeys begin across the nation. We are thankful to Sidley for providing the network and time to our community of learners so they can decide on the professional next steps that are right for them”
—Garri Rivkin, Executive Director, The City Tutors
Here are some of the takeaways from mentees attending the event:
➢Because law school has a grueling workload, it is better to take a gap year and be fully prepared for the grind of law school, especially if you don't have the best habits. (Harrison, Macaulay)
➢I learned that there are several factors that go into the law school application process and that there isn't any one most important element. Everyone's application will be different because everyone's narrative is different. I also learned that we should invest in ourselves in order to know ourselves better and make our application even stronger. (Neriah, Macaulay)
➢At Sidley when you intern during the summer you will have weekly check-ins. Everyone at Sidley is supportive and collaborative. There are also various scholar programs that connect interns with mentors at Sidley. (Karen, Kingsborough)
➢What most resonated with me was that mentors are just like other regular people. They suffer from the same anxieties, despite successfully reaching the halfway point in their education. It seems regardless of what stage of career we are in, the struggle with apprehension always hovers over our next steps in life and we can treat it with resentment or excitement. With that said, I look forward to more opportunities with Sidley Austin. (Karlston, Baruch College)
65% of the CUNY students that use the City Mentors Program have never received any type of professional development support. 85% of our mentees have never worked 1:1 with someone on their professional development. For many, the City Mentors Program is their first point of contact for professional development.
About Us
The City Tutors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is building an on-demand, no cost learning and career center that can serve as a public utility in support of first generation, immigrant, and low resourced communities.