March 21, 2018 – John Starkweather is changing the course of the careers of young lawyers at his firm.

Starkweather, a partner in the Real Estate Practice Group at Boardman & Clark LLP in Madison, is the 2018 recipient of the Young Lawyers Division’s Outstanding Mentor Award.

Ashley Thompson was first a law student clerk, then a new lawyer at Boardman & Clark, where Starkweather “always made himself available as a sounding board,” she said. “Even as a partner with so much on his plate, he never made me feel that he was too busy for a question.”

A Natural Mentor

Thompson had envisioned a career as a litigator, although she was not very passionate about it, choosing it because she felt it fit her skill set. “Then John asked me to try one real estate transaction with him,” she said. “That request changed the course of my career.”

She hadn’t taken a real estate course in law school – but John took up the task, teaching her about the practice. “I spent long hours in John’s office soaking up the practical wisdom he developed over decades of practice. My confidence increased leaps and bounds with John’s mentorship.”

Starkweather is an “incredible resource” for new attorneys, said Kathryn Pfefferle of Boardman & Clark. “He is a natural mentor – providing insightful and wise advice on how to navigate our profession and maximize value to our clients.”

Don’t feel obligated to do things the way they’ve always been done. Instead, ask why you are doing this.

“John is a fantastic teacher,” said Julia Potter of Boardman & Clark, who says he spent hours guiding her through her first real estate transaction deal, including walking through documents line-by-line and explaining his thought process step-by-step. “John consistently thinks proactively about my growth as a lawyer and makes an effort to get me in on the ground floor on deals” to give her experience.

Starkweather is a great role model as well. “He is an excellent model of the thoughtful and diligent practice of law. He is highly ethical and works incredibly hard for his clients,” Potter said.

“As much time and energy as he's invested in me, he's done just as much for other associates at the firm,” Potter said.

Not Consciously Mentoring

Starkweather said he is “deeply honored and surprised” as recipient of the award.

He confessed he wasn’t consciously mentoring these young lawyers. “It just seems like, if you want someone to help you with a project, you ought to give them some direction,” he said.

Starkweather loves the practice of real estate – and it showed to his mentees. “Real estate is cool, because it’s both ancient and modern,” he said, a mix of the old – such as easements – and the new, like tax incremental financing. “It’s a rich field to practice in.”

With his years of experience, he admits that he takes pride in the way he does things, and in explaining to the young lawyers why he does them in a certain way. As a result, his advice to those interested in becoming mentors is to “get in touch with your prideful nature.”

And he has further advice for young lawyers: Don’t feel obligated to do things the way they’ve always been done. Instead, ask why you are doing this. “You don’t have to go to every fight you’re invited to. Think critically about everything you’re asked to do,” he said.

It is vitally important to recognize lawyers who are mentors, says Ben Roovers, co-chair of the YLD’s Nominations & Elections Committee.

“Young lawyers are often confronted with the realities of practicing law for the first time after they’ve already graduated from law school. Because you’re dealing with real world cases and real world consequences, having a mentor in the early stages of your career is extremely important,” Roovers said.

He also benefited from a more experience colleague who acted as his mentor. “The experience I gained from working with him was invaluable. I feel much more confident and able than I would have if I had started from scratch.”