First-years meet law school alumni at Mentor Lunch

More than 150 first-year students and joined more than 130 USC Law alumni at Town and Gown Feb. 21 for the law school’s annual Mentor Lunch.

The event is designed to introduce new students to the Trojan Network by pairing them up with alumni from the past 40 years who work in law firms, public interest organizations, business and academia. During the lunch, mentors and students discussed law school courses, career options and job search tips.

Associate Dean Rob Saltzman presented opening remarks at the start of the luncheon. He noted that those at the lunch all shared some level of success – the mentors, who are successful in their legal careers, and the students, who have excelled academically.

“We all owe that success, in part, to the help of others,” Saltzman said, and students should learn to rely on their mentors throughout their pursuit of success. “Your mentor can save you. Your mentor is someone who can give you honest advice – counsel – based on their own successes and, maybe, their failures.”

Among the USC Law graduates who signed on to mentor current 1Ls were attorneys from Jones Day, O’Melveny & Myers, Mental Health Advocacy Services, Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

Jonathan Pakravan ’05, an associate practicing family law with Trope and Trope, attended the event as a mentor for the first time since participating as a student four years ago.

“When I was in law school, I was always appreciative when alumni would try to help out students,” said Pakravan, who was paired with 1L Will Helvestine for lunch. “I told myself that I would also volunteer my time to help out students when I had the opportunity, so that’s why I’m here.”

First-year student Vivian Chen, whose future career plans are still undecided, was looking forward to hearing how the attorneys chose their practice areas and what type of work they’re doing.

“I want to see how the alumni got to where they are in their careers,” she said.

After the Mentor Lunch, students and mentors are encouraged to keep in touch throughout the students’ time at USC Law.