Having a mentor can be invaluable, especially in the legal profession. But not everyone knows where to find one. To that end, last fall the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) launched Mentor Match, a program that blends traditional mentoring with the best features of online matching platforms.

The program has already successfully matched attorneys, including those who are new to the profession, changing specialties or in a state of transition. Mentor Match can be ideal for attorneys who work alone or in a small practice without a stable of colleagues who work down the hall and are easily available for quick consultations.

Whether one is a mentor or seeking one, those who have been matched in the program say the experience has been invaluable.

“It's a win-win. It's a win for the mentee and a win for the mentor,” said retired state ­Superior Court Assignment Judge Linda R. Feinberg, an attorney with Szaferman Lakind in Lawrenceville.

Feinberg is mentoring two attorneys who were in separate practices for about eight to 10 years, who are each setting up their own practices.

“They are not newbies, but being sole practitioners in the legal field can be rather daunting,” said Feinberg, who wished she'd had a mentor when she was establishing her own practice earlier in her career.

Mentoring is fulfilling, she said, “because if you really love being a lawyer and you love practicing law and you've got 15, 20 or more years of experience, there is so much you can help young lawyers with.”

Roy H. Gordon, who graduated law school in 2017 and started his own practice shortly thereafter, reached out to Mentor Match several months ago.

Gordon said he discovered that law school doesn't teach everything an attorney needs to know.

“If you don't have the experience then something as simple as procedural issues can really hold you up. I needed someone to show me that what I was doing was correct,” Gordon said in an NJSBA Sidebar podcast.

Gordon was matched with a more experienced attorney whom he met in person and then communicated with by phone and email whenever he needed guidance. His mentor invited him to networking and professional events and encouraged him to attend the NJSBA Annual Meeting.

A good mentor is also someone you can reach out to “when you are unsure and when you feel a little bit overwhelmed,” Gordon added.

Whether you are seeking a mentor or want to be a mentor, it's easy to enroll in Mentor Match. Just go to the NJSBA website and, under the CommunityNET tab, click on Mentoring.