What's expected of you as a Mentee?

Mentee Guidelines & Expectation

  • Must be a student at or above 160-level speed or a new reporter within the first year of reporting and a member in good standing with DRA.
  • Respond to mentor as soon as possible after initial contact.
  • If you do not receive contact from your mentor within 10 days of being notified of the match, contact the Mentor Program Coordinator.
  • Prepare a list of things that you would like to achieve through your mentoring relationship and share these goals with your mentor.
  • Must complete the quarterly reports and the program evaluation at the end of the year.
  • Maintain regular contact with your mentor, preferably at least once a month. Mentor and mentee should agree upon the frequency of contacts and the parameters of the relationship itself. Contact may be in person or via other forms of communication, such as telephone or email. Consider establishing a scheduled time for meetings. Acknowledge the end date for the relationship (one year postcommencement).
  • Do not be afraid to ask even the most basic or the toughest questions. No question is "dumb."  Listen actively to understand.  Talk through the situation.  Ask clarifying questions.  Recognize that not everything your mentor says will be usable immediately.
  • Be considerate of the mentor's schedule. Respect the mentor's time and answer emails promptly.  Maintain confidentiality in all matters disclosed by your mentor. When venting frustration or concern, do not use profanity, make derogatory remarks, or specify names of people or entities in any communications.
  • The mentoring relationship is not one-sided. Enter the process with thoughts about how you can help your mentor give you the best advice.  Encourage your mentor to be critical. Be receptive to feedback and take it objectively.
  • If you will be sitting out with your mentor, discuss your availability and limitations.  Be sure to communicate any specific periods of time you are unavailable.  It may take a few weeks to find an appropriate deposition to sit in, so be patient.
  • When sitting out, try to sit out with more than one deposition reporter.  If you need help finding someone to sit out with, you can contact the Student Mentor Coordinator, and we will find someone for you.
  • Inform other prospective mentees about the DRA Mentor program.
  • Acknowledge that any views, opinions, guidance, or remarks your mentor may make are personal and may not reflect the views, opinions, guidance, or remarks of the Deposition Reporters Association of California or any other professional associations.

I understand that my assignment as a mentee is voluntary. If I elect to discontinue my participation in the program, I agree to promptly email my mentor of this decision, as well as the mentor program coordinator so that another mentee may be assigned to my mentor. The DRA does not reimburse any expenditure associated with the Student Mentor Program.

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