Assistant Director & Public Interest Coordinator

Overview

Job Location:

Springfield, MA 01119
Position Type:
Full Time Staff
Salary Range: $69,000.00 - $72,100.00 per year

Purpose of this position:
The Assistant Director and Public Interest Coordinator will work in a variety of areas in the Office of Career Services, with primary responsibilities centering on counseling law students and alumni on all aspects of career development and placement, with specific focus on the public interest and governmental sectors. The role includes providing student application material review, creating and presenting programming to support students’ knowledge of the government/public interest legal marketplace, assisting the Assistant Dean with required outcome reporting, and supporting the administration of the School of Law’s Pro Bono Requirement and the summer funding programs overseen by the Office.

The position may liaise with public interest–oriented student groups, the Center for Social Justice, and faculty liaisons, in support of relevant public interest–oriented events, and may serve on committees such as the Public Interest Scholars Program Committee and the Summer Stipend Awards Committee. Services are provided to full-time, part-time, and JD Access remote students.

• Provide individualized counseling to law students on all aspects of career planning and development, including application material review (excluding writing samples), interviewing skills, job searches and other career-related matters.
• Identify, track and inform students about fellowship opportunities, internship opportunities, paid job opportunities, judicial clerkships, etc.
• Assist the Assistant Dean to educate students about online job searches and the use of Symplicity, a job search platform used in Career Services.
• Assist in maintaining Symplicity including but not limited to posting job, fellowship and internship opportunities.
• Inform students about finding, applying for, and obtaining supplemental funding opportunities to support unpaid public interest internships.
• Assist the Assistant Dean to coordinate the WNE Law On Campus Interview (OCI) events.
• Assist law students by publicizing and assisting them to apply to external public interest focused On Campus Interview (OCI) events, if resources permit (e.g., Massachusetts Law School Consortium).
• Assist in the administration of the School of Law’s pro bono graduation requirement (including pre-approval of placements, time-recording, and certification of completion).
• Assist in the administration of the WNE Law internal summer stipends and fellowships application and award process for students, including serving and coordinating the Awards Committee.
• Liaise with the Center for Social Justice, student groups, staff, and faculty in support of institutional initiatives relevant to public interest careers.
• Assist employers by enabling them to advertise job opportunities for students and alumni.
• Assist the Assistant Dean with the required annual employment outcome reporting to the American Bar Association, National Association for Law Placement and U.S. News & World Report.
• Develop and coordinate career-related programming such as panel presentations, career conversations, alumni presentations, and career workshops focused on the public interest when time and resources allow.
• Be available to serve on the Public Interest Scholar Program Committee.
• Provide all of the above for both full-time, part-time, and JD Access remote students.
• Perform these and other duties relevant to Career Services as assigned by the Assistant Dean of Career Services.

• Experience in a related field such as higher education, law, human resources or career services.
• Bachelor's degree is required.
• Juris Doctor (JD) is a preferred credential.
• Previous career services experience preferred.
• Extremely effective oral and written communications skills.
• Highly organized, with self-discipline to work independently.
• Experience in public interest work.
• Experience working with/counseling/advising college and/or graduate students.
• Event planning experience with an educational and/or career services focus.
• Working knowledge of technology such as Microsoft Word, Excel,…