In a recent interview with a 2023 mentor and mentee pairing, we learned that NABL’s mentorship program allows new attorneys in both private and public sectors to tap into an invaluable resource: the other perspective.

Meet the Mentor and Mentee Pairing

Kimberly Min of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, an active NABL volunteer and member since 2009, and Rita Pasarell of the NYC Law Department, who became a NABL member in 2022, were both part of the pilot year of NABL’s mentorship program.

Kimberly began her career at a boutique firm with two public finance attorneys. As a new lawyer, trying to understand public finance, she attended The Essentials and then The Workshop and found it to be an extremely important network with the faculty and her peers. She left the conference feeling connected with people from all over the country who were ready, willing, and able to help as a resource, answer questions, and work with her. Ever since, she has been committed to helping others in the NABL community develop professionally, especially as a female equity partner in the legal industry today.

Rita started her career working on SEC-related litigation and regulatory issues. She began her new role at the NYC Law Department soon after, where she found the environment to be extremely new. Following her boss’s advice, she attended one of NABL’s conferences to gain a better understanding of public finance and municipal bond law. When she saw the mentorship program launch in 2023, she knew it would be the perfect avenue for expanding her knowledge base. Although her organization offers a mentorship program, she found it important to sign up through NABL to gain insights from the private sector and more specific answers to the public finance practice from someone with extensive experience.

Reflecting on the Program Experience

The program itself is designed to last a year, but the pairing remained in touch and continued to meet monthly for the following six months. The highlight of their time together was their ability to discuss a wide range of topics, from personal to substantive questions, because you can’t really separate one from the other when discussing professional development. The pairing spent most of their time meeting virtually, but they also connected in person when business trips overlapped, which was a real treat.

Rita walked away from their talks with a real sense of empowerment in taking control of her time to be a more effective professional. What she appreciated most was the thoughtful and simple-to-apply guidance.

Advice for the Next Generation

NABL’s mentorship program is invaluable because it gives you a broader view of your career. As a new attorney, you can become hyper-focused on tasks, and participating in a program like this allows you to understand how everything connects to the broader sense of what you are doing and why you are doing it.

At the end of it all, you walk away with a new friend.