We Need to Talk More About Black Mentorship Burnout
The abilities of one mentor can be limited when there are many systemic hurdles to clear
The request, like so many others, showed up in my work inbox on a Monday afternoon in early June. The sender was a recent law school graduate interested in pursuing a career in entertainment law. She was hoping that we could find a time to speak by phone or in person so she could ask me about my career path. A copy of her resume was attached so I could review it in advance, although any additional feedback would be appreciated.
A year ago, I would have been enthusiastic about the chance to give guidance to a younger Black women attorney. However, that day I let it linger in my Outlook without a response. The thought of sitting through another career conversation over coffee filled me with a combination of annoyance and exhaustion. How had I gotten to such a bad place?
When I started law school in 2007, I already knew that I wanted to pursue a specialization in entertainment law. I had spent my senior year of college managing my university’s performing arts series and the specialty seemed like a perfect way to merge my interest in the arts and law. What I hadn’t anticipated was how hard it would be to get a foot in the door.
