12/19/2025
Last month, I had the opportunity to join a panel at the Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton focused on “How to Find Your Community.”
For many attorneys, the practice of law can feel isolating. Building and nurturing a professional community matters, but it often feels difficult to prioritize when you’re managing clients, cases, and the other responsibilities of running a practice.
I shared lessons shaped by decades in practice and my time helping the incubatees of the Seattle University School of Law’s Incubator Program and others mentees with whom I have had the pleasure to connect with over the years--and how they helped me.
We discussed different mentoring models, from practice-specific guidance to business development and coaching, and talked about why mentoring doesn’t require seniority or an overwhelming time commitment.
One of the most important takeaways is that mentoring benefits mentors just as much as mentees.
I’m grateful to my fellow panelists, Christopher Fargo-Masuda and Carrie Griffin Basas, for their insights, and to everyone who contributed questions and reflections.
Thank you to the Washington State Bar Association Solo and Small Conference, especially Ann Guinn and Darcel Lobo for inviting me to be a part of such a wonderful event.
Strong legal communities don’t happen by accident. They’re built intentionally, one relationship at a time.
