Mentoring, for purposes of continuing professional development (CPD) credit, is a relationship in which a lawyer with experience or expertise in a practice area or practice skill (the “mentor”) provides guidance or advice in support of the professional or practice goals of another lawyer, or an articled student in another firm, who requests assistance (the “mentee”) (Rules 3-26 and 3-30). Mentoring can be either face to face or by telephone, including real time videoconferencing or by electronic means.
Accreditation of a mentor
The Credentials Committee, on a referral by the Executive Director or on the recommendation of the Discipline Committee, Practice Standards Committee or its own motion, can deny a mentorship proposal where sufficient concern exists about the suitability of the proposed mentor.
Recording mentoring credits
When the requirements of the mentorship plan have been completed, the mentor must log in and mark the plan as complete. The mentee’s record will automatically be updated. The six hours must have been completed before the mentor marks the mentorship plan as complete.
The following provisions apply to mentoring:
- A lawyer who is qualified to act as a principal under Rule 2-57(2) and (2.1), and who is not the subject of an order of the Credential Committee under Rule 3-30(4)(c), is eligible to be a mentor principal [updated for 2021].
- Mentoring credit is available for mentoring another lawyer or an articling student, but not for an articling principal mentoring one’s own articling student.
- Mentoring credit is not available for mentoring a paralegal.
- Mentoring goals must comply with the subject matter requirements applicable for any other CPD credit.
- Mentoring must not be file specific or simply answer questions about specific files.
- A mentor is entitled to 6 hours of credit per mentee, plus another 6 hours (for a total of 12 hours) if mentoring two mentees separately. If two or more mentees are mentored in a group, the mentor is entitled to 6 hours, and each mentee is entitled to 6 hours.
- Credit is for time actually spent together in the mentoring sessions, and can be face to face or by telephone, including real time videoconferencing.
- Mentoring by email or similar electronic means qualifies for credit.
- There is no minimum time for each mentoring session.