ASIL Women in International Law Mentoring Program

Since 2013, over 600 women have enrolled in ASIL’s Mentoring Program as both mentors and mentees in 15 countries and 38 cities from Tucson to Singapore. The feedback has been extremely positive, and the current participants have built a strong, inter-connected, and global network. ASIL hopes to reach more women for the 2022-23 Program, which will run from September 2022 to May 2023.

The Women in International Law Mentoring Program is the first of its kind in international law and is designed to foster the next generation of female international lawyers. The program connects experienced female international law professionals with female law students and new attorneys interested in professional development in the field of international law.

Mentoring takes place in a group setting, with a maximum of four mentees for every mentor. Mentors and mentees convene every other month during the course of an academic year to discuss topics of interest to the group and engage in activities and trainings designed to help junior women develop key tools to enter and be successful in the beginning years of practicing international law. Mentors are provided with a suggested set of topics to discuss during these sessions, as well as other supporting materials. Upon finishing the requirements of the one-year program, all participants receive a certificate of completion.

This upcoming year, the Mentoring Program will again run in a virtual format, due to uncertainty around COVID-19 restrictions. While the main elements of the program will remain the same, mentoring groups will meet through an online platform (e.g. Zoom, Webex, Skype, WhatsApp). This format will allow for mentoring to continue despite physical distancing requirements, facilitate access to the program for mentees, and allow for more flexible scheduling of meetings.