Director of Employer Relations and Career Development

PRIMARY PURPOSE

The Director of Employer Relations and Career Development works within the Law School Career Services office and reports to the Assistant Dean of Career Services. The role leads the school’s employer engagement and recruitment efforts, advises students and alumni on career strategy, and builds durable relationships with legal employers, bar associations, and professional organizations. Alongside that work, the Director designs and runs recruitment programs and career events and contributes to the day-to-day operations and broader strategy of the office.

A strong candidate brings a J.D., a working knowledge of the legal employment market, persuasive relationship‑building instincts, and fluency with legal recruiting and career programming. Success in the role depends on strategic outreach, sound advising, thoughtful program design, active community engagement, careful data tracking and reporting, and the organizational range to keep several initiatives moving at once.

• Career Advising for Students and Alumni
  • Counsel J.D., LL.M., and M.S.L. students and alumni on career strategy across private practice, public service, judicial clerkships, and law‑adjacent fields.
  • Help advisees identify and pursue internships, fellowships, and post‑graduate employment opportunities.
  • Lead career‑focused sessions within the Foundations of Legal Practice course.
  • Connect students with specialty bars and professional associations, and encourage student leadership that widens their professional networks.
• Employer Relations and Recruitment Strategy
  • Build and carry out employer outreach plans that open new hiring and networking channels for students and alumni.
  • Develop and sustain working relationships with attorneys, legal employers, bar associations, and professional organizations.
  • Represent the law school at conferences, community events, and professional gatherings to raise its visibility.
  • Coordinate partnerships with organizations such as the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association, the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, and the New Lawyers Division.
• Recruitment Programs and Career Programming
  • Plan and run recruitment efforts, including career fairs and on‑campus interview programs.
  • Manage the school’s participation in programs such as the Presidential Management Fellows Program, the Loyola Patent Interview Program, and Oregon State Bar diversity employment and scholarship initiatives.
  • Create and deliver workshops, panels, and career‑exploration programming that introduce students to attorneys and prospective employers.
  • Oversee publicity, outreach, and registration for career‑related events and initiatives.
• Operations and Data Management
  • Run the operational side of the Career Services office, including administration of the Career Connect database and student communications.
  • Use platforms such as 12
    
    Twenty, Zoom, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office to support advising, programming, and data work.
  • Gather and analyze student and graduate employment data for reporting and assessment.
  • Serve as a liaison to law school committees and professional associations, and join advisory boards when invited.
• Other Duties as Assigned
  • Perform any additional responsibilities as needed.

• Deep familiarity with legal career pathways, including private practice, public service, judicial clerkships, and law‑adjacent roles.
• Solid command of the Portland and regional legal employment market, including bar associations and specialty practice groups.
• Strong grasp of recruitment strategy, employer engagement, and career programming in a higher education or legal setting.
• Comfort with career‑management platforms such as 12
  
  Twenty and with data systems used for employment reporting.
• Fluency with Zoom, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office for communication, event coordination, and data management.
• Interpersonal skill that earns the trust of students, alumni, employers, and community partners.
• Clear, professional writing and speaking, including the ability to make complex information accessible.
• Strong organization and attention to detail across competing priorities.
• Analytical ability to read employment…