What makes for a great mentor? Nicholas Cerwin, the West Allis Deputy City Attorney, was recently named Mentor of the Year by the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Young Lawyers Division. He shares his perspective.
July 17, 2024 – The State Bar of Wisconsin’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD) named West Allis Deputy City Attorney Nicholas Cerwin its 2024 Mentor of the Year. The YLD presented Cerwin with the award at its annual conference on March 8 in Madison.
“Mentoring provides an opportunity to give what you’ve learned and pass that on and pay forward the goodwill that other people gave you,” Cerwin said after accepting the award.
Cerwin started mentoring as soon as he got out of law school. As a new assistant district attorney, Cerwin would “turn up the volume” on interns in the district attorney’s office.
He continues that practice with the interns and young attorneys he mentors today.
“I treat them as much as I can like a peer and do what I can to get them involved in tasks … so when they get into the real world, they don’t feel like it’s the first time saying their name on the record,” Cerwin said. “The last thing you want to be is uncomfortable in front of a judge or a jury.”
Cerwin said being mentored was essential to his development as a lawyer.
“The world changes when you’re doing it yourself and there’s nobody next to you,” Cerwin said. “Suddenly, all this extra pressure is on you. You’ve really got to look to your mentor … to help you have context or understand the job.”
Looking for a Mentor? Want to be a Mentor?
Check out the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Ready. Set. Practice. Program, a voluntary program that matches new lawyers with experienced mentors in order to assist with law practice management, effective client representation, and career development. Applications are accepted in September and October each year.
