What Matters Most: Making a Difference
Right now, MCCA® is in the midst of receiving applications for the second class of fellows and scholars under our Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program. This is a terrific program, funded through the generosity of leading corporations, law firms, and legal service providers, including many who participated in our recent Third Annual General Counsel Invitational Golf Classic at the Doral Resort in Miami.
Last year, I had the pleasure of participating in the scholarship selection process. Ours is a financial need-based scholarship program. In addition to having outstanding academic records, leadership experience, and community service, the final candidates have overcome significant personal and financial challenges. Their stories left me awe-struck and inspired. From a pool of 40 finalists, the Selection Committee’s job was to choose 18 winners to whom a financial commitment of $380,000 would be made.
In the midst of the selection process last Fall, I was invited to attend a Welcoming Reception hosted for Howard University Law School’s incoming, first-year law class by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP at its Washington, DC office, where through the firm’s generosity, MCCA also resides. At this reception, I met several new law students, including an impressive young man named Charlie Bingham, whose name I instantly recognized as one of the finalists for MCCA’s scholarship program. Members of the Scholarship Selection Committee had already submitted their votes so I was pleased to have a chance to talk with the person behind the application.
After the final votes were tallied, I was disappointed to learn that Charlie was not among the 18 students selected as MCCA’s inaugural class of scholars and fellows. However, Charlie so impressed me that shortly after the letters went out, I invited him to meet with me over lunch and offered to be his mentor. Since our first lunch, I have really enjoyed getting to know Charlie and although it has been a long time since I was a first-year law student, it has been gratifying to hear that he has found my advice of value. What I’ve encouraged Charlie to do is to talk to lawyers who work in many different areas of law and practice settings, and not to move too quickly or narrowly on “deciding” what practice area to pursue. Law school offers such a great opportunity to learn, sample, and test oneself. There will be plenty of time later on to specialize.
Charlie definitely has what it takes to succeed. He’s intelligent, hard working, professional, and motivated. But in addition to these key ingredients, all young lawyers need more experienced attorneys to take an interest in their professional development. Through being Charlie’s mentor, I’ve realized that I have a lot more to share than I might otherwise have expected. If you are not yet mentoring a young lawyer, I encourage you to reallocate your time so that you can. I can speak from experience about how rewarding being a mentor can be!
Veta T. Richardson
From the May/June 2006 issue of Diversity & The Bar®