Mentoring: New Perspectives and Conversation
For Alisa Fiddes of King & Wood Mallesons, mentoring is about more than offering advice.
“It is incredibly rewarding when you can help someone make their own right decision, see them succeed, and know you’ve played a small part in them fulfilling their potential,” she says.
Alisa is an experienced legal leader and long-time mentor in the MLS Mentor Program. She says that while mentoring gives her the chance to support the next generation of lawyers, it also provides her with fresh perspectives.
“It enriches your own awareness and self-understanding. I learn from my mentees. Sometimes I stop and think, ‘I hadn’t looked at it like that before.’ Those moments offer a chance for self reflection.”
Alisa Fiddes, left, and MLS Juris Doctor student Brianna Wang meet up for coffee as part of the MLS Mentor Program.
The MLS Mentor Program connects Juris Doctor and international Melbourne Law Masters students with law professionals from within the Melbourne Law School community. Mentors act as sounding boards- answering questions, sharing insights, and helping students navigate the realities of the profession.
Alisa explains that the role isn’t about offering work experience or academic help but building a relationship.
“Every mentoring relationship is different. My mentee reaches out; we set up regular meetings and talk through their questions. I provide my viewpoint, but the conversation is always theirs to lead.”
Many students, she says, arrive eager for a ‘secret answer’ that might unlock their future.
“They’re incredibly passionate and often trying to do so many things at once. I like to step back with them, explore their questions, and work towards potential answers together.”
Mentors are matched with JD students at the start of each academic year, and with international Masters students for a 12-month period beginning in either semester one or two. The program is facilitated by the Graduate Services and Careers team at MLS, which matches students and mentors based on expertise, interests, and preferences.
Alisa values the program’s flexibility.
“We might catch up for coffee at my workplace or just meet a few times. Some relationships continue well after the program ends; others wind down earlier- it depends on what the student needs. Mentoring is an offer, not a requirement.”
For legal professionals considering becoming a mentor, Alisa has simple advice: try it.
“It’s genuinely enjoyable. You perform the role of the eternal inner three-year-old, constantly asking ‘Why? ’—and giving students the space to figure out their own answers. It’s just a conversation, no pressure, no notes—just time and space for discovery.”
Learn more about the MLS Mentor Program.