Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Maleaka Guice was interviewed for an article published by the American Health Law Association (AHLA) recapping her experience with the AHLA and CVS Health Bridges to Law Mentoring Program. The goal of the one-year program is to provide support to diverse new attorneys to build professional relationships, promote leadership and professional development, identify career planning opportunities, and provide guidance on developing competence in specific fields of practice within healthcare law and other practice areas within a health care company. For the 2023 Bridges to Law Mentoring Program, Maleaka was paired with a senior legal counsel at CVS.
When asked about how the mentoring relationship contributed to her personal and professional goals, Maleaka said, “Expectedly, it has helped me professionally because I kept a focus on my goals and have taken meaningful steps to achieving them this year. Unexpectedly, [my mentor] has helped me grow personally by encouraging me to have the confidence to take ownership of my career. It can be so easy to follow along the paths that others have set out without ever being mindful of what is right for me and what I desire. [My mentor] and I have been able to have open and honest conversations, unlike conversations I have been able to have with others.”
Maleaka noted that she would absolutely recommend mentorship to others, adding, “With a note that all mentor relationships are not created equally. It is great to be mentored by a variety of people, but it is incomparable to have a mentor relationship with someone who provides honest feedback and someone you can also be honest with.”
The full article, “AHLA and CVS Health Bridges to Law Mentoring Program,” was published in the March/April 2024 issue of the AHLA Health Law Connections magazine (subscription required).