Mentoring

From the moment you arrive at Godfrey & Kahn, we support your professional and personal development, not only through one-on-one advising, but also through formal training programs supported by our firm. The foundation of our firm's success is based on teaching younger lawyers the skills needed to grow and flourish, not only as attorneys but as vital members of our community. Your advisors are responsible for helping you with your development and providing you with opportunities for professional growth. We believe mentoring lawyers involves not only teaching the skills necessary to become an excellent lawyer, but also the skills necessary to succeed in building a top-notch law practice. Of course, neither your assigned advisor nor our formal training programs are intended to replace the day-to-day mentoring that occurs as a natural result of our team-based approach.

The Attorney Advisor Program is the Firm's formal mentoring program. Before you begin as a new associate at Godfrey & Kahn, you will be assigned an Associates Committee Advisor (ACA). Your ACA will contact you prior to your arrival at the firm to make an introduction. Your ACA will generally be an off-team junior associate who works in the same office as you.

Your ACA will ensure that all of your questions are answered and that your transition into private practice at Godfrey & Kahn is a smooth one. Your ACA can also assist should you have any concerns relating to your own team, and will help introduce you to members of other practice groups.

Associates at all levels also have a Practice Group Advisor (PGA) who is responsible for assisting the associates with their development and providing them with opportunities for professional growth. The PGA is generally an on-team attorney who will monitor your workload, thereby ensuring you receive the quantity and variety of work necessary to accomplish the team's benchmarks. Your PGA will help you to develop good working relationships with members of your practice group, including staff and other attorneys.

New attorneys in our Appleton, Green Bay and Waukesha offices will be assigned a Firm Advisor (FA) who will assist in developing relationships within the firm and outside of your practice group. Working with your PGA, your FA will also advise you about developing relationships within the community and becoming a member of appropriate professional and civil organizations.

Leadership
You will be encouraged to participate in all aspects of Godfrey & Kahn's success, including firm administration. Through various committees -- like Recruiting, Marketing, Legal Education, Ethics and Conflicts, Social, Community Involvement and Technology -- you will have the opportunity to provide input on firm decision making.

Community Involvement
We encourage our attorneys to become involved in pro bono legal and community activities that will enhance their standing in the legal profession as well as in the community-at-large. Such work will be invaluable to your professional and personal growth. Accordingly, the firm provides staff, financial and other support for these efforts.

Opportunities include:

1. Civil and criminal court appointments;
2. Participation in programs that match attorneys with deserving but unrepresented persons with legal problems such as wrongful eviction, immigration issues, and disputes with others;
3. Service as a mediator in alternative dispute resolution; and
4. Bar activities.

 

Get to Know Us

"Our goal is to provide the foundation and base a person needs in order to be a successful shareholder." Learn how Carol Gehl, Shareholder, was able to grow and develop her practice with support from Godfrey & Kahn.

Brett Koeller believes Godfrey & Kahn has put as much into his career development as he has himself. Learn more about his experiences in building his career.