Ilia O'Hearn Serves on Connecticut Mentoring Panel

Associate Ilia O’Hearn participated in the panel, “Mentoring, Historical Lessons Still Applicable Today,” at the "Our History, Our Future: Celebrating Attorneys of Color in Connecticut" Symposium at Quinnipiac University School of Law. The event was sponsored by the Connecticut Bar Foundation James W. Cooper Fellows, in partnership with the state of Connecticut’s four bar associations of color. As part of the discussion, the panelists were asked to define mentoring.

“Based on my personal experiences, I view mentoring as an interactive relationship built on trust where the mentee seeks advice, guidance or even comfort from the mentor, who, given his or her personal and professional experiences can provide candid, genuine and meaningful input,” O’Hearn said.

She added: “For the mentee, mentoring should be a lot about strategizing; some mentors will help you figure out what you want, and some others will help you get there. The mentee must be proactive and persistent. As for the mentor, effective mentoring requires commitment, availability, honesty, and understanding.”