Editor’s Note: This is the latest installment in a series of roundtable discussions on diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession, presented by the Law.com Contributing Editors Group. Our aim is to facilitate honest—and often difficult—conversations with the ultimate goal of helping to make progress toward a more inclusive legal industry. Today’s discussion focuses on why mentorship and sponsorship is key to attracting and, especially, retaining diverse legal talent.

Introvert or extrovert, attorneys play a great role in their own career advancement—especially if they allow for vulnerability—an inherent trait in the best mentor-mentee partnerships.