MaryJane Richardson: On the Power of Being Mentored and Mentoring Others
MaryJane Richardson is an Assistant District Attorney for District 16B in Robeson County, where she has practiced for five years. Recently, we talked with her about her work as a prosecutor, mentors who have inspired her, and strategies for building strong relationships with mentors at any stage in one’s career.
For MaryJane Richardson, serving others is a central part of what it means to be a prosecutor.
“I don’t want to go away from here and not have made an impact, even if it is on one person’s life, or help somebody in the smallest way, or help their career,” she shares.
Originally from Lumberton, North Carolina, MaryJane moved to the Triangle to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her bachelor’s degree, North Carolina State University for her Master of Public Administration, and Campbell Law School, where she earned her law degree. After earning her J.D., she served as a prosecutor for District 16A – Hoke County before returning to Lumberton, where she became a prosecutor for District 16B in Robeson County.
When asked what she loves the most about being a prosecutor, she mentions the variety present in her responsibilities.
“You are always learning something. There is always something you can research. There’s always something you should be doing. There is reading. There is writing. There is talking with people and finding things for other people to investigate.”
MaryJane especially enjoys how her job has opened up new opportunities for helping others.
During her tenure, she has established two new programs as part of her work with the Robeson County District Attorney’s Office. This was a significant undertaking, as one of the programs began before the pandemic and the second one was created during that time.
“Trying to figure out on a day-to-day basis how to get a brand-new program off the ground, and keep it running, to try to run it smoothly, especially during a pandemic – it was great. It was right up my alley. You always have something to do, to figure out.”
The two programs are sobriety courts: a DWI treatment court and an adult drug treatment court. As part of her work, she conducted research, completed policy manuals, and tracked down the necessary information to be able to start the programs.
“We started the DWI program in January of 2020, and then the pandemic hit. For a while we were like, is this even possible to keep this kind of program going, because, one, we have never done it, and, two, if everything shut down, how do we get people treatment? How do we still hold court sessions? Are probation officers still allowed to go visit them? We somehow survived it and had people graduate from the program during that time. So it was doable, but it was a constant juggling act.”
Valuing Others
MaryJane hopes to have a positive impact on the lives of others – both on the public she serves and the new ADAs whom she mentors. This goal is one she seeks to realize each day.
One way she does so is by valuing and respecting each person she meets. Recognizing the inherent worth of each person is very important to her. She often shares this central tenet with new attorneys.
“We are government officials. We are public servants. If I, for one, get a case closed, or two, help a person of the public by saying, ‘Hey, here is what I am willing to do with your ticket – I can’t tell you how it will affect your life situation, but here is what I am willing to do,’ I think that is considered part of my job, too. It is not just getting guilties. It is not just getting cases closed. It is really helping the public and making sure they know the DA’s office is accessible to them as well.”
As MaryJane reflects on this idea, she is reminded of two of her lifelong mentors: her mother and father.
Herbert L. Richardson, MaryJane, and Patricia Richardson at MaryJane’s graduation from Campbell Law School.
She recounts how her mother, Patricia, is gifted in treating every person with respect, and how her influence has made an impact on MaryJane’s life.
“My thing is, understand people are humans first, and then all the rest of the differences don’t really matter. There are certain things that we all need, like the hierarchy of needs.”
MaryJane’s father, Herbert L. Richardson, is a significant person as well as a mentor in her life. Richardson served as a judge in North Carolina for nearly 40 years. In 1978, he became the first Black prosecutor in Lumberton and in 1994, he became chief District Court judge in Robeson County. After 2000, he stepped down as chief judge but continued to serve as a District Court judge in Robeson County. Richardson is a 2006 recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award, which recognizes individuals exemplifying lifelong service to the law in North Carolina.
Because of her father’s profession, MaryJane had the opportunity to experience what it was like to be in a courtroom at a young age. She spent summers watching arguments unfold in the courthouse. She looks back on one particular experience that had a lasting influence on her. As she was watching the case unfold, one in which the client had received a speeding ticket, the situation seemed to be serious. At that time, she saw the attorney, a clerk of court, take the client aside and present everything the judge needed to know. MaryJane remembers the way the attorney’s representation had a positive impact on her client.
“She did everything so calmly, professionally and succinctly, that I was kind of taken aback. That is what true representation is for a lawyer. You are supposed to represent and portray a person’s position without all the emotions the average person has.”
From that moment on, MaryJane knew she wanted to become a lawyer in order to represent others and their best interests. Now, as an Assistant District Attorney, she works with the public every day, recognizing their needs and placing their needs first. Keeping the needs of others at the forefront is something she has seen her father do.
“My dad had a very special relationship with the people. Coming to the court, it wasn’t, ‘Here is this judge sitting on the bench looking down on me.’ He treated every single person who came to the room as ‘This is my community member. This is an extended family member. I can admonish them when I need to; I can encourage them when I need to.’ He is very good at reading people and situations and figuring out how to respond appropriately.”
Sharing a profession with her father continues to be a source of joy. It gives her much to talk about with him.
“It is great and intimidating at the same time . . . I get him in a way that you can’t get with my non-lawyer friends.”
Building Relationships With Others
Her mother and father have been influential in her life, and another mentor who has made a difference is Nahale Kalfas, chair of the NCBA Administrative Law Section. MaryJane was introduced to Nahale when MaryJane joined the North Carolina Board of Examiners of Speech Language Audiologists and Pathologists in 2018.
In March, MaryJane was appointed to the Administrative Law Section Council, and she recalls how Nahale encouraged her to become involved in the association. With MaryJane’s interest in administrative law, she has welcomed these opportunities to serve and looks forward to being a part of the council this year.
Reflecting on how mentors can build empowering relationships with others, MaryJane says it is simple: form a relationship built on trust.
“I think as a mentor, as someone who has definitely been there, just reach out and be friendly. That’s all. It doesn’t require you taking them out to dinner or inviting them over. Just speak to them, ask them about their day, get to know them, try to figure if they have family, dogs, whatever. It doesn’t have to be work related.”
This is especially true when reaching out to new attorneys.
“There are a lot of young attorneys who don’t necessary feel like they have the privilege to go up and speak to someone who they admire. They may think ‘they are too busy to speak to me.’ They may not feel comfortable doing it.
“One of the best things mentors can do, is – going back to what my mom taught to me about treating people like human beings – is to go up and speak. Ask them some questions about their day. They may not open up at first, but you do it a couple times, that builds this trust and this relationship with the person.”
Cultivating relationships with others is important when lawyers mentor other lawyers, and it is also key for establishing relationships with clients. When MaryJane provides advice to new assistant district attorneys, she shares a valuable practice for informing clients early on.
“Sitting down, explaining to them up front what the good and the bad is for each case, and telling them what you expect – what the best outcome is, what the worst outcome is – it is the best way to communicate with your client or your victim.
“If you manage expectations and be up front with them, it sets a better response. It changes the relationship between you and the person. You are doing the best for them. Going to court is often not in their control, and they don’t feel powerless. If we give them some of that power back, you are going to have a much better relationship with them.”
Trusting Oneself and Others
She notes that new lawyers can also build their skill set by remembering to have faith in their abilities.
“Don’t be afraid to be your best advocate. A lot of times when you are first in court, especially if you are a trial attorney, you may be a little more hesitant to do that objection or are not sure if you should ask the judge . . . I remember a case I tried, I wish I had done a little bit more. A judge can tell when you are trying to do your best versus when you are trying to feed your own ego.
“Advocate as hard as you can, don’t worry about what it looks like, because everyone is going to get embarrassed in court. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it’s going to happen. Everyone is going to wish they hadn’t done something a certain way. It’s going to happen whether you are really timid or you are not. So might as well go full on, full throttle, and do your absolute best, and the most you can, and then learn from it later versus the – the ‘I wish part’ is what you are going to regret most.”
Trusting oneself is helpful in the courtroom and outside it.
When asked how lawyers can more effectively balance their work and life, she observes one can look inwards – by checking in internally to figure out what one needs the most.
“I don’t think work-life balance is 30 percent this, and 30 percent this, and 40 percent this all the time. I may go really hard for a couple of weeks, and not bring work home for a month. Work-life balance is like being on a balance beam. You really need to be able to do some kind of self-reflection.”
Trusting oneself is a strategy for finding work-life balance, as is looking to others for feedback.
She mentions it is a good idea to have “a loved one, a friend, who can be aware and hold you accountable for your mental and emotional health. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a lawyer.”
Prioritizing Mentorship At Every Stage Of One’s Career
For MaryJane, mentorship is valuable to one’s practice and to one’s life – it is not only helpful for new attorneys but also for experienced attorneys, who can benefit from learning from their peers.
“Mentorship isn’t based on age or years; it is experience. So I like that adage that the smartest person in the room is the person who surrounds themselves with people smarter than them, so that is what mentorship should be about: finding people who are smarter than you, more experienced than you, who can help you grow.”
Jessica Junqueira is communications manager for the North Carolina Bar Association.