Associate Director, Law Careers and Pre-Law Advising

Job Title:

Associate Director, Law Careers and Pre-Law Advising

Job Summary:

The Associate Director, Law Careers and Pre-Law Advising is responsible for maintaining an ecosystem of support for students interested in pursuing law careers. The Associate Director serves as the primary point of contact for students exploring or pursuing law careers, providing advising, coaching, and mentoring through individual/group advising that guides students through the process of discerning whether a law career is the right choice, obtaining internships and shadowing opportunities to clarify paths, developing curated resources and programming, and providing support throughout the application process for law school or post-graduate paths. To do this effectively, the Associate Director must collaborate with Furman’s Pre-Law Advisory Group comprised of faculty and staff with experience in law or law-related fields, be student-centered, have a strong commitment to the liberal arts, and actively engage both internal and external stakeholders through effective communications and programming to promote student success.

Responsibilities:

Individual and Group Advising

Serves as an expert for law careers, staying up-to-date on trends in the field, timelines for application processes, federal policies that impact law school financing, and educational and co-curricular expectations of recruiting practices Advises students and alumni in one-on-one and group meetings:

• Connects advisees to the curricular interests, majors/minors, and out-of-class experiences (e.g., Mock Trial, Medical Legal Partnership) that support goals and interests along their individualized pathways
• Provides information on a wide range of legal careers
• Counsels on both immediate and long-term personal and professional goals
• Provides support for resume writing and interview preparation for internships and employment
• Writes recommendation letters for both on-campus and external programs and activities
• Represents pre-law advising during orientation events
• Coordinates pre-law exploratory meetings
• Facilitates connections with members of the Pre-Law Advisory Group as relates to student interests

Provides guidance regarding the law school application process and preparation of the application package for current students and alumni

• Advises on law school exploration and planning, including helping students discern whether law school is the right choice for them, and what to look for in a law school
• Advises on LSAT preparation
• Provides resources and guidelines for and feedback on personal statements, recommendation letters, resumes, and cover letters for current students and recent alumni
• Provides support for interview preparation for law school applicants
• Meets with students individually to discuss application and recommendation process
• Provides post-application support

Provides support for prospective students considering pre-law:

• Serves as the contact person for Enrollment Services to ensure that prospective students and families are connected with the appropriate faculty and resources
• Facilitates and conducts group information sessions for prospective students
• Faciliates and conducts information sessions for on-campus Admissions programs and events
• Responds to emails and phone calls from both prospective students and parents/guardians throughout the year

Develops a plan for the assessment of outcomes and advising practices:

• Tracks student engagement with the office and outcomes, including student acceptances to law school, as well as placement in related fields to determine best practices for pre-law advising
• Tracks student performance on LSAT exam
• Solicits and collects feedback on advising process for pre-law students
• Keeps faculty and relevant administrators advised annually on the success of candidates in the application process

Programming & Resources

Assists with development, implementation, support, and management of programming to support pre-law student exploration and preparation, and facilitates connections between students and professionals in the field and celebrates successes.  Examples include:

• External speaker seminar series
• Alumni panels
• Community and alumni law professional networking events
• Career Conversations with alumni and professionals in the field
• Law Day Celebration of rising 1Ls

Cultivates on-going relationships with law school admission officials and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC):

• Coordinates recruitment visits and presentations by law school admission officials
• Plans and leads students on visits to law schools and regional law school fairs, as appropriate, to make connections and cultivate relationships with law school admission officials
• Communicates changes in LSAT preparation and admissions standards and processes to the Pre-Law Advisory Group
• Acts as an advocate of Furman University as an institution that successfully prepares students for law school as well as an advocate on behalf of Furman’s law school applicants

Establishes and maintains online platforms for sharing resources and communicating with pre-law students. This includes:

• The Pre-Law Advising Moodle page, which acts as a repository of resources for current students (legal field career guides, videos of alumni panels and talks, resources for application steps for law school)
• The pre-law program website, which acts as an external facing resource for prospective and current students, and alumni
• Managing a law -focused alumni group in The Furman Network (i.e., PeopleGrove)
• Using systems for student appointments and information sharing with campus resources (e.g., Handshake)
• Social media channels

Acts as the advisor for the Pre-Law Society (student organization for pre-law students) to develop and deliver effective programming to align with student needs and interests.

Collaborates with campus partners, e.g., Mock Trial, Medical Legal Partnership, the Riley Institute for Public Policy and Civic Leadership and other campus Centers and Institutes, to promote existing programs and design relevant collaborative opportunities, where appropriate.

Relationship Development & Engagement

Develops and maintains relationships with faculty, employers, professional associations, alumni, parents, and graduate schools for advising, networking, programming, and other career exploration purposes for students pursuing careers in law.

Collaborates with the Associate Director of Networking and Student Connections to build a network of support for students and alumni pursuing careers in law. This includes developing relationships with alumni and other professionals working in the legal field who are willing to connect with students and alumni for inquiries, career conversations, mock interviews, etc.

Works with faculty and staff mentors, alumni, local partners, and relevant administrative offices to develop opportunities to expose students to potential pathways in the legal profession

• Identifies existing opportunities and markets them to current students and alumni
• Develops shadowing opportunities for students to explore the field of law
• Develops internship/externship opportunities for students to obtain hands-on experience

Serves as the campus point person to request resources for supporting students pursuing law careers. Provides guidance and support to Furman faculty, academic departments, and administrative offices including but not limited to:

• Serving as a liaison for the pre-law pathway and consults with faculty to ensure they are updated on the law school admission process and pre-law pathway experiences
• Works with the Malone Center for Career Engagement in conjunction with the Director of Internship Initiatives and Strategy to develop internships that expose students to potential pathways in the legal profession
• Works with the Associate Director of Networking and Student Connections and uses the Furman Network (i.e., Peoplegrove) to connect students with alumni mentors who have careers in the legal profession
• Partners with Associate Directors in the Malone Center for Career Engagement to establish opportunities for co-sponsoring visits by legal experts that intersect with other industry-specific areas
• Creates guidelines for letters of recommendation and prepares faculty to use those guidelines when writing letters for students.

Minimum Qualifications:

Juris Doctorate (strongly preferred) or Master’s degree with a minimum of two years experience in a legal setting and/or advising experience in higher education.

Strong interpersonal skills, and effective oral and written communication skills.

Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Ability to work effectively with diverse constituents, including students, parents, faculty, admissions officers, and administrative staff.

Sensitivity to the needs of a diverse student population, including minority and international students.

Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and/or weekends. 

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience in legal settings and / or knowledge of the expectations, responsibilities, and accountabilities of legal professionals.

Experience with systems such as Workday Student, course management software (e.g., Moodle), Handshake, and PeopleGrove