Studying Law Around the World Law, Leadership, and Mentorship with Brian Potts
Jul 14, 2025
Brian Potts, a partner at Husch Blackwell and founder of the Legal Mentor Network, shares his insights as a nationally recognized energy lawyer and legal tech entrepreneur. He discusses the transformative power of mentorship, detailing his journey from facing 100 rejection letters to achieving partnership and founding a vital networking initiative. Potts emphasizes the importance of building genuine professional relationships and offers strategic advice for law students and early-career lawyers on navigating their careers.
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Helping Others Opened Entrepreneurial Paths
- Brian pivoted from aiming to be a law professor to building startups and mentoring after realizing he could commercialize ideas.
- Helping people for free organically led to multiple ventures and professional opportunities.
Rejection Letter That Sparked A Movement
- Brian framed a 2002 rejection letter from a law firm where he later became a partner and posted it on LinkedIn during COVID.
- That post reached ~5 million people and directly led to the creation of the Legal Mentor Network with thousands of mentees and mentors.
Email Mentors Directly For Better Response
- When using the Legal Mentor Network, contact mentors at their work emails because many lawyers ignore new portals.
- Expect mentors from big firms, small firms, government, and NGOs and email them directly for better responses.