William "Mo" Cowan, chief legal counsel for Gov. Deval Patrick,
spoke about his path to a legal career and the importance of
mentors at an event celebrating the first year of the Massachusetts
Bar Association's Tiered Mentoring Program. Cowan revealed he
originally planned for a career in medicine and said that Patrick
is among his many mentors from all walks of life.
The March 4 gathering at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston
included a tour of the building, including a stop at the Supreme
Judicial Court and its legal exhibits, by SJC Senior Attorney
Barbara Berenson.
The MBA Tiered Mentoring Program, created by Norfolk and Probate
Judge Angela M. Ordoñez, kicked off in October. The program matched
up 40 participants, making 10 groups comprising practicing lawyers
and students from Suffolk University Law School, Roxbury Community
College and John D. O'Bryant High School in Roxbury.