In Mongolia, a Hand Up for Young Legal Professionals

Mongolia urgently needs lawyers to support its rapidly growing and increasingly complex society. The Mongolian justice system, which currently includes around 6,680 judges, prosecutors, and attorneys, is expanding to meet these demands. But outdated training methods and insufficient capacity building often leave young legal professionals unprepared for the rigors of their careers, and the high expectations of more-experienced colleagues can create pressures to perform that discourage young professionals from asking questions or seeking guidance.

Support systems such as mentorships and professional development programs offer a valuable hand up to these young professionals as they struggle with heavy workloads, pressing deadlines, and lack of experience with the intricacies of the legal system. Mentorship programs allow them to seek advice and discuss the challenges they encounter without fear of losing face. These programs provide essential guidance and support, cultivating practical skills and insights that strengthen Mongolia’s justice system.

Through its Capacity Development of Young Legal Professionals to Strengthen Mongolia’s Justice System project, funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. State Department, The Asia Foundation worked closely with the Mongolian law and justice system from 2018 to 2023 to introduce mentorship programs for young legal professionals. In particular, we worked with three partner organizations that have taken the lead in instituting mentorship programs for their respective staff and membership—the Judicial Training, Research, and Information Institute (JTRII), the General Prosecutor’s Office (GPO), and the Mongolian Bar Association (MBA).

The Foundation played a significant role in launching these mentorship programs and extending their reach and effectiveness. We worked with our collaborators to develop mentorship handbooks and online platforms to provide seamless mentor-mentee pairing and communication. Our efforts to spread the word about these mentorship programs through videos and websites attracted widespread interest among young legal professionals. With substantial support from the Foundation, and active engagement by JTRII, GPO, and MBA, the project connected 85 mentors with 198 program participants.

Munkhnasan Otgontogtool was one of those participants. Now a tax lawyer with PwC Legal in Ulaanbaatar, Munkhnasan was just beginning her career in 2021 when she learned about The Asia Foundation’s Young Legal Professionals’ Mentorship Program through the MBA website. At the time, Munkhnasan was struggling with uncertainty about the path forward for her legal career. Intrigued by the list of mentors, she quickly enrolled.

She received comprehensive support from her mentor, Manduul Altangerel, who helped her develop a robust career plan and arranged meetings with leading Mongolian law firms, where she acquired new insights into career opportunities, work-life balance, and professional ethics. The two have stayed in touch, which Munkhnasan calls one of the most rewarding aspects of the mentorship program. Their ongoing relationship allows Munkhnasan to seek advice and guidance whenever she needs it, which has been instrumental in helping her navigate complex career decisions, stay up to date on industry trends, and continue to develop her professional skills. “I developed a clear career plan after going through the mentorship program,” she says, “and I am following the plan and seeing notable results.”

The MBA, JTRII, and GPO have now institutionalized the mentorship programs initiated under the project. The MBA conducts its mentorship program independently, while JTRII has announced its own independent program for 2024. Through collaborative efforts and institutional support, these initiatives empower young legal professionals to advance and succeed with greater confidence and competence. As mentorship programs continue to evolve and expand, they hold the promise of fostering an increasingly vibrant legal community in Mongolia.

Naran Munkhbat is Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning manager and Bolortsetseg Oyun is a consultant for the Asia Foundation in Mongolia. They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors, not those of The Asia Foundation.