Checking in with the Law Mentorship Program at IE Law School

The annual Law Mentorship Program brings students and experienced professionals together to exchange insights on the legal expression. Having kicked off on February 6th of this year, the program recently brought mentors and mentees together for a midpoint check-in at IE University’s Aula Magna. 

The four-month program centers on five key objectives: to assist students in transitioning from academic environments to professional life, to explore various career options within the legal field, to enrich participants’ understanding of the sector, and to help them build vital skills while developing their professional networks. The midpoint check-in was an opportunity to revisit these objects—followed by a relaxed cocktail event to help participants network across teams. 

Valeria Rosenholtz, Associate Director at IE Law School, says the program is rooted in the IE philosophy: "We stand for diversity of minds, entrepreneurship, anyone being different, and thinking outside the box. The program highlights that true IE spirit because we allow professionals to give knowledge back to our students. We have students who are hungry to know more about what the legal profession is like. And we have top-tier lawyers who want to help them."

With the program in its fourth edition, its scope is growing. "This year we have 18 firms participating from all over the world," says Rosenholtz. "Mentees can be paired up with mentors in China and Peru. The idea is that the program can be hybrid so that students can learn about different jurisdictions. It’s an innovative take on the typical mentoring model."

The legal profession has changed over the past few years. New generations aspire less to build a hierarchical career—and practicing professionals are eager to understand more about this changing culture from those who will soon be their colleagues. 

As highlighted by participants like Felipe López and Miguel Carbonero, the program fosters meaningful connections. López, a current Master of Laws (LL.M.) student from Colombia, says hands-on knowledge of the legal sector in Spain has proven invaluable. “We have our legal fields in common, which are corporate transactions, arbitration and international arbitration," says López. “We’re getting to know each other, sharing points of view about the legal field and how best we can perform in the profession.” 

Carbonero, meanwhile, says the program is necessary preparation for the reality of legal work. “Your first years in a law firm are very insightful, but then you get into different stages when politics and client expectations come into play," says Carbonero. “This is a great opportunity to really share with each other, in confidence, outside the classroom. Once you start working inside office politics—it’s not that simple." 

For mentee Dasha Pichel and mentor Jeannette Valle, the contrasts in their preferred fields have been especially insightful. "I’m interested in M&A, which is different to where my mentor works," says Pichel. "But there’s been so much new stuff to learn beyond what I already knew."

Valle praised IE Law School’s commitment to mentorship schemes, noting that a similar program was essential for her development when studying. "It helped me to understand the shift from studying to working," says Valle. "It’s a unique way to gain new skills."

With its innovative approach and commitment to professional development, the Law Mentorship Program offers a gateway to the true legal world. It also creates relationships that will last careers—ensuring IE Law School graduates are positioned for immediate and continued success. 

Thanks to A&O Sherman, Ashurst, Clifford Chance, Conway & Partners, ECIJA, EY, Hogan Lovells, KPMG, MLAB Abogados, Pérez Llorca, Ric Energy, Santander, Sidley Austin, Simmons & Simmons, Skadden, Squire Patton Boggs, Veritas International, White & Case and IE Alumni for their participation.