At a January 20 Elon Law event recognizing more than 50 lawyers and judges who serve as mentors and coaches to law students, former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers reflected on her career in national politics and government, discussing several mentors that were pivotal in her professional development and success.
Myers, the first woman to serve as a White House press secretary, spoke at the law school as Elon University’s sixth Isabella Cannon Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership.
Reflecting on Elon Law’s preceptor program, through which lawyers serve as mentors and coaches to law students, Myers said exploring how to navigate the legal profession before entering it made a great deal of sense.
“Some things young lawyers will have to learn just by going out there and making mistakes, but so many of those mistakes can be avoided by talking through things with mentors, and they can start that much further ahead of the game,” Myers said.
Myers highlighted five-term Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley among a number of mentors whose guidance had been critical as she took on increasingly senior positions in national politics and government.
“Tom Bradley is one of the fairest people I have ever know,” Myers said. “I learned a great deal from him, not simply by observing him in politics, but through conversations, because he took the time to know me and to advise me in my career.”
Law school dean George R. Johnson, Jr. thanked preceptors at the event for the insights they offer and the time that they devote to law students.
“You have helped us to create something unique in legal education and special in the lives of Elon law students,” said Johnson. “Our students and our graduates tell us that the preceptor program is among the most valuable aspects of their legal education. We thank you for being a really important part of Elon University School of Law.”
Greensboro attorney Mike Marshall, who has served as a preceptor since 2006, also spoke at the forum, commenting on the program’s benefits for students and for the lawyers involved as well.
“The fact that students have someone in the profession to call on if they have a question, if they don’t understand something, or if they just want to know what is it like to be a lawyer, I think is very valuable,” Marshall said. “For me, the preceptor program has been an opportunity to serve, to act as a mentor for students, to do something for an institution I believe in, and to give back to the profession.”
Myers spoke with Elon Law leadership fellows and second-year law students, through the school’s winter session Public Law & Leadership course, following the preceptor forum. Myers advised students to focus on things they are passionate about and to take risks in order to make a difference in the world.
“You’ll have a more interesting life and you’ll be able to make more of a difference if you take some chances.,” Myers said. “Set your goals and never stop trying to achieve them. Passion is the most important thing for achieving success.”
Myers also encouraged students to continue pursuing their goals even if they don’t succeed initially.
“If there’s one consistent quality among the leaders that I have been around it is resilience,” Myers said. “It’s the ability to take a risk and if you fail, to get up and keep trying. It’s important to remember that everyone gets knocked down; the one’s that succeed are the ones that get up.”
Myers was the first woman and one of the youngest individuals to serve as White House press secretary. Since leaving the White House, she has worked as a political analyst, commentator and writer. She currently is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair magazine and a frequent guest on broadcast and cable television networks. An original consultant to the NBC series The West Wing, Myers contributed story lines and technical advice throughout the show’s award-winning run.
