Big law litigator Edward Lopez laughed when he learned that students at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law were calling him “Yoda” because of his mentoring style.

Lopez, an early adopter of an innovative flash mentoring program at SMU Dedman, is quick to point out he doesn't look like the Jedi master. But through the program, Mustang Exchange, Lopez had been meeting one-on-one with law students, talking with them on the phone and mingling at school networking events. Students mentored by Lopez left feedback on Mustang Exchange comparing him to Yoda because of the deep advice he was giving them about their careers and lives in the law.

“I thought it was funny. Of course, I'm a big fan of 'Star Wars,' and I understand the reference. Thankfully, I don't look like Yoda—I'm just the person who tells stories and explains things with parables and reference points,” said Lopez, partner in Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson in Dallas.