Writing for a Bloomberg Law series "Why Mentoring Matters," Washington, DC-based Health Care associate Ramana Rameswaran explained how Dallas-based partner Kenya Woodruff became a mentor who not only helps him navigate his career trajectory but allows him to be comfortable being himself. He recounted sharing his mild devastation when Taco Bell took its Mexican Pizza off its menu.
The two discussed what it meant for Ramana to be a first-generation South Asian immigrant in the 1980s — how Taco Bell was one of the staples of South Asian life in the United States — and how the Mexican Pizza was one of the first things he remembers that his father, then a student, enjoyed as a treat when money was tight.
"I think feeling comfortable enough to tell Kenya, a partner, about what might seem trivial to some, was a clear indication in our mentoring relationship that we really can be honest, and most importantly, human, with one another," Ramana wrote. "It opened the door for her to tell me more about her life as well."
Ramana further describes how Kenya, whom he met through the ABA Health Law Section, has helped him learn about client development, leadership and how to become a better attorney. Mentors like her, he wrote, "have helped guide me when facing difficult situations and have helped promote me whenever possible."
The "Why Mentoring Matters" series features experiences of partners, as mentors and onetime mentees, and more junior lawyers and details how they have benefited from mentor relationships.
"Big Law Attorneys Share Why Mentoring Matters: Part Four," Bloomberg Law, April 27, 2022
"Why Mentoring Matters: Katten's Kenya S. Woodruff," Bloomberg Law, April 27, 2022
"Why Mentoring Matters: Katten's Ramana Rameswaran," Bloomberg Law, April 27, 2022
Originally published by Bloomberg Law.
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