1. Who can be a Pembe mentor? Outstanding lawyers and law students (particularly those sharing African ancestry) with a desire to serve the African diasporic community by boosting representation in the American legal profession are welcome to join Pembe. 

 

2. Who are the target mentees? Pembe’s target mentee is primarily: a junior in college or above, who is of African descent, and is planning to apply to law school within 2 years of joining Pembe.

 

3. What do Pembe mentors do? Broadly, Pembe mentors help guide their mentees through what can be a complicated and opaque law school admissions process. More specifically, Pembe mentors provide:

        a.    LSAT preparation tips and resources; 

        b.    Law school application strategizing; 

        c.    Guidance on the law school selection process;

        d.    Resume review; 

        e.    Review of personal and diversity statements; 

        f.     Guidance on obtaining letters of recommendation;

        g.    Law school admission interview preparation; 

        h.    Resources to consider post-admission (e.g., scholarship programs, SEO career development programs, etc.); 

        i.     Law school waitlist consultation; and 

        j.     Lifelong connections to rising and established legal professionals of the African diaspora.

 

4. What if I don’t feel qualified to provide that type of advice? We don’t expect Pembe mentors to have the admissions process mastered. We understand that mentors’ own admissions experiences may be far in the rearview mirror, so we equip all of our mentors with the resources they need to be effective. These resources include training sessions and helpful primers on everything from how to master specific LSAT sections to how to write stand-out personal and diversity statements. And whatever we do not have, we can find. Simply put, we stand ready to provide mentors with whatever is needed to be successful.

 

All of that said, our mentees understand that Pembe mentors are neither admissions professionals nor LSAT tutors. Indeed, by signing the Pembe Code of Conduct, mentors agree to merely provide general advice and promise to never direct a mentee into a course of action. Accordingly, mentors assume no responsibility or liability for mentees’ decisions. This should align with our mentee’s expectations. Pembe will ensure that mentees understand the role of mentors and are primarily interested in their personal experience and wisdom. 

 

5. When and how will I be matched with a mentee? Mentors will be matched with a mentee based on a variety of factors including, among others, breadth of applicant pool, as well as the background and legal area of interest of both the mentee and mentor. Pembe will work hard to make sure that mentors are matched with a mentee as soon as possible, but we cannot promise that you will be matched immediately. This is because our organization is dynamic. At any given point, we may have more mentors than mentees, or vice versa. Accordingly, we ask our mentors (and mentees) to be patient as we find optimal fits. 

 

6. What if my mentee and I do not get along? A mentor’s relationship with a mentee should  be professional. At a minimum, mentors must treat your mentees with dignity and respect, and you should always be punctual, kind, responsive, and honest. At the same time, however, we understand that a mentor/mentee relationship may organically blossom into a friendship. We ask mentors to maintain confidentiality throughout the program and beyond, for example, to help ensure that mentees feel safe to be honest and vulnerable about the law school admissions process. We will try hard to match mentors with someone who we think they can have a good mentoring relationship with, but we understand that we will not always get it right. Some personalities simply do not match. Nonetheless, rest assured that Pembe leadership stands ready to respond to any challenges you may face. Honest and consistent communication with your Directors of Mentor Recruiting and Directors of Mentee and Mentor Engagement is vital. Of course, mentors have an affirmative duty to report actions that may constitute an ethical breach or are reasonably likely to violate the Pembe Mentor Code of Conduct. But do not let it get that far.  Please contact the Directors of Mentor Recruiting and Directors of Mentee and Mentor Engagement if there are  ANY concerns or escalations about one’s mentoring relationship. 

 

7. Once I am matched, what happens next? Once matched, mentors must read the Pembe Mentor Code of Conduct, Pembe Mentor FAQ, and Pembe Mentor Training Guide, all of which can be downloaded via the Mentorship Program Website. In addition, Pembe hosts a meeting at the beginning of each matching session that both mentors and mentees are required to attend.

 

8. How often should I meet with my mentee? We generally expect mentors to meet with their mentees about once a month, but we recognize that occasionally things may come up that require delaying a meeting by a few days. Naturally, one’s mentee may require more attention depending on where they are in their admissions process. 

9. How long does the  mentorship relationship last? By signing the Code of Conduct, mentors commit to providing mentorship through the mentees’ law school admissions and selection process. Of course, mentors are encouraged to develop friendships with their mentees over time. However, the formal Pembe mentorship relationship concludes (i) the date on which the mentee completes the law school admissions and selection process, or (ii) 18 months from the start of the Pembe mentoring relationship, whichever occurs earlier.