The Law School Career Services Survey is a biennial survey by NALP that provides information on salaries and job responsibilities of career services professionals, and programs and equipment at law school career services offices across the country. One copy is sent to each member organization as a member benefit; additional copies are available for purchase from NALP's bookstore. Participants in the Law School Career Services Survey are invited to submit sample job descriptions for professional positions within their career services office. The sample job descriptions received are included here. Schools are invited to submit additional job descriptions to NALP's Director of Research, Judith Collins, jcollins@nalp.org.
The following sample job descriptions for a variety of career services positions were submitted by NALP members. The descriptions have been edited to remove identifying characteristics. These materials are offered as a resource and do not constitute legal advice. NALP urges those responsible for developing job descriptions to check with employment law attorneys to ensure that the descriptions comply with local and federal law.
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Sample job titles: (click on job title to view description)
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Sample Job Description:
Assistant Dean of Career Services & Alumni Relations
Reports to: Law School Dean
Job Summary
Market students/alumni and law school programs to appropriate persons. Act as liaison between potential employers and students/alumni. Provide placement support for students. Develop and manage alumni relations programs for the law school in order to encourage alumni to continue their involvement with the law school.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Market School of Law and students to public.
- Coordinate placement opportunities for students.
- Create environment with learning opportunities for students to prepare them for job search.
- Keep current on job trends, avenues of enhancing job search techniques, etc.
- Create/coordinate seminars for the benefit of students and/or alumni.
- Assist with Externship program.
- Membership and participation of Career Services committee.
- Administrator of all activities relating to the Career Services and Alumni Relations functions.
- Provide staff support to the alumni associations of the law school, including program planning, meeting support, event planning and execution.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications -- Education and/or Experience:
- Undergraduate degree, J.D. preferred.
- Marketing and/or sales experience.
- Previous career services experience in the legal field.
- Counseling experience (through management/employee relations involvement or through actual counseling).
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Ability to aggressively market the Law School to attorneys, corporations, governmental agencies, the judiciary, public concern groups, etc.
- Ability to make presentations.
- Ability to counsel/teach students the skills and abilities needed for a successful job search.
- Knowledge of legal processes, court systems, inner workings of law offices, etc.
- Ability to interact with a variety of constituencies, including volunteers.
- Ability to create effective marketing pieces.
- Ability to maintain positive approach under pressure.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills with ability to write and speak persuasively.
- Professional demeanor and maturity.
- Ability to work independently and exercise good judgement.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Knowledge of personal computer functions.
Essential Physical Requirements:
- Ability to work on multiple tasks.
- Pleasant and clearly understandable phone voice.
- Ability to sit at a desk for one or more hours at a time.
- Ability to lift and carry 10 lbs.
- Ability to operate computer and other equipment in the office.
- Must have sufficient mobility to move around campus and to interact with the community; must be able to move or lift objects of no more than 25 lbs.
- Must be able to move about and between campuses freely, including all office and classroom areas.
Detailed Job Duties
1. Market School of Law, its students and alumni to public
- Create, write, produce and maintain current marketing tools for use in marketing calls to legal employers and anyone else who might have a need for a law student/graduate.
- Contact and/or join any groups which would help expose our Law School and/or students to local legal communities, i.e. Bar Associations, legal interest groups, legal service groups, etc.
- Be available (flex hours) to call on any individual or group that expresses interest in our Career Services program.
- Stay informed about local "legal and business news" by reading current publications and articles.
2. Coordinate placement opportunities to students
- Actively solicit job opportunities using all possible avenues.
- Communicate with firms, individuals, etc., who call in with job opportunities.
- Screen and post all known, pertinent job opportunities.
- Maintain current bulletin board postings and student files.
- Maintain files listing all job opportunities (current and filled).
- Facilitate communication between potential employer and student to ensure job is filled.
- Keep records of applicants and filled positions for EEOC purposes.
- Solicit and coordinate opportunities for on-campus interviews.
- Prepare and post notice of recruitment activities.
- Coordinate all necessary facility arrangements between employers and students.
- Review students' resumes and counsel students regarding corrections, if necessary.
- Interview students and recommend appropriate positions/opportunities.
3. Create environment with learning opportunities for students to become better prepared for job search
- Write and maintain handbook on resume writing, interviewing skills, cover letters, networking, etc.
- Hold classes on resume writing, interviewing, and job search skills.
- Provide handbook to class attendees.
- Establish and maintain contact with groups, organizations, etc. that offer services, information, etc. on placement opportunities, career in transition information, job enhancements, etc.
- Hold "mock" interviews for students with appropriate critiquing.
- Establish and maintain library of Career Services publications to aid students in field selection, opportunities available, etc.
- Provide counseling sessions for students regarding every type of job search skills.
- Write and publish monthly Career Services Bulletin.
- Type, print, email, and mail out (to graduates).
- Hold monthly (first Monday evening of each month) support group meeting for students/graduates involved in full-time job search.
4. Stay current on job trends, avenues of enhancing job search techniques, etc.
- Join and maintain membership in professional placement groups ( NALP, local organizations, etc.).
- Learn trends, regulations, etc., involving Career Services via placement publications, current business publications, outside support group meetings, etc.
5. Create/coordinate seminars for benefit of students/alumni.
- Plan symposiums, panel discussions, and seminars o pertinent, relevant subjects for students and/or graduates (CLE accredited, whenever possible).
- Plan subject matter.
- Contact speakers, panel members, etc.
- Coordinate facilities, times, refreshments, handouts, etc.
- Publicize event via postings, newspapers, etc.
- If CLE accredited, prepare all paperwork, etc. involved in obtaining CLE approval.
- Coordinate with local groups, Bar Associations, State Bar groups, etc. all campus held seminars for benefit of students.
- Participate in Fall Orientation for new students.
6. Assist with Externship Program
- Create and maintain Externship Policy Books explaining Externship Committee forms and policies (where applicable) for all faculty members.
- Explain program to all students.
7. Membership and Participation o Career Services and Diversity Committees
- Attend committee meetings.
- Assist members in any way possible to further recruitment/placement of minorities.
- Elicit faculty assistance in Career Services efforts.
8. Career Services Office Administration
- Write and maintain Career Services Offices Policies handbook.
- Register students for Career Services office.
- Maintain complete file on all students and job ads. Track placements. (Set up files, typing, maintain filing and reporting system).
- Handle student walk-ins, phones, typing, etc. for day-to-day operations of Placement activities.
9. Support Alumni Associations
- Provide staff support to the alumni associations of the law school.
- Assist alumni associations in program planning.
- Provide staff meeting support.
- Provide assistance with event planning and execution.
- Maintain Alumni database and produce annual Directory.
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Sample Job Description:
Director of Career Services
The Director of Career Services supervises all aspects of the Law School Career Services Office (CSO) including: counseling students and alumni in career planning skills and job search strategies, coordination of training skills workshops and career forums, management of the on-campus interviewing (OCI) program, development of relationships with potential employers, aggressive searches for information about employment opportunities, and developing effective working relationships with students, alumni, staff and other placement professionals throughout the United States. The Director is responsible for general office supervision, including managing the budget, supervision of the Associate Director, Secretary, and student workers, and maintaining and enhancing the CSO resource materials.
The Director of Career Services Office also will be responsible for planning and implementing and innovative marketing strategy for identifying a diverse group of potential employers and for developing and maintaining a database for OCI as well as a web-based program for students.
Qualifications:
The Director should have excellent interpersonal, administrative and supervisory skills, as well as strong skills in written and oral expression. The person must have an understanding of career development issues affecting law students and the legal profession, and be able to identify and analyze trends in the legal profession. The position also requires computer literacy, an understanding and appreciation of career services database software and on-line resources, and the willingness to respond to the needs of students and employers in an increasingly technologically-oriented society.
A Juris Doctor degree or Masters level counseling degree is required. Additionally, familiarity with the legal job market is preferred, as is previous experience in career counseling, marketing, workshop planning or administration.
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Sample Job Description:
Director of Career Services
The Director of Career Services for the School of Law develops and supervises career planning and recruitment programs for law students and law alumni.
The Director of Career Services will report directly to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
Duties and Job Responsibilities:
- Developing and maintaining effective relationships with legal employers and recruiters.
- Directing the On-Campus Interview Program.
- Developing, implementing and/or maintaining career planning programs, including Alumni Mentor Program.
- Developing, marketing, and administering fall and spring recruiting programs, including creating publications and advertising materials, coordinating mailings and forecasting target markets.
- Developing and overseeing career services resource library.
- Developing and conducting educational programming, workshops and seminars, including but not limited to, resume and cover letter workshops, career options programming, networking receptions and mock interviews.
- Performing career development and job search counseling for students and alumni.
- Developing and maintaining career services databases.
- Developing and revising of all Career Services publications and policies.
- Strategic and budgetary planning development.
- Preparing statistical and other reports for internal and external constituencies.
- Representing the Law School's career services function to internal and external audiences including marketing services, students and alumni to legal employers.
- Demonstrate positive attitudes and positive actions through a display of courtesy, congeniality, cooperation, sensitivity and professionalism.
- Protect the confidentiality of information with areas of position responsibilities by preventing unauthorized release, both verbally and/or in writing.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
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Sample Job Description:
Director of Career Services
Counseling. Provide individualized counseling to students and alumni regarding career planning, goals, options and opportunities, as well as job search strategies.
Responsible for all job fairs. Duties include school registration, advertisement, distribution of student registration materials, collection and transmittal of resumes and application materials, maintenance of list of participating students, receipt and distribution of interview schedules, all communications with job fair coordinator, familiarity with deadlines, and on-site responsibilities.
Fellowship, Internship and Interview Programs. Solely responsible for coordinating the logistics of all fellowship, internship and interview programs.
Career Services Newsletter. Responsible for production of Newsletter containing relevant career information. Newsletter is produced every other week during school year.
Surveys. Compile and maintain all statistical information on employment and recruiting for use in National surveys, including U.S. News & World Report, American Bar Association, Barron's, Peterson's, Princeton Review and all National Association of Law Placement surveys.
Graduate Employment. Prepare statistical reports and maintain all records on graduate employment.
Programming. Create and implement all educational and professional programs/workshops; develop seminar materials.
Mock Interview Program. Solely responsible for all aspects of the Mock Interview Program.
Student Directory. Primarily responsible for development and production of Student Directory.
Career Services Manual. Primarily responsible for development and production of materials to be included in the Manual.
On-Campus Interview (OCI) Program (including Resume Forwarding, RF) for Fall and Spring. Primarily responsible for all aspects of the On-Campus Interview and Resume Forwarding Programs in Spring and Fall.
Mailings/Surveys. Primarily responsible for all mailings to potential employers and students. Primarily responsible for all employer and student surveys.
Career Services Orientation. Primarily responsible for career services orientation of 1Ls and transfer students. Prepare materials, present program.
Career Services employer database. Primary liaison with software vendor; develop all custom reports, troubleshoot, train new staff on database.
Miscellaneous
- Participate in Law School events, including speaking at Law School Orientation and Admissions Open Houses; speak to various student organizations on topic of their choosing; and judge Moot Court practice rounds;
- Attend Law School events, including graduation, Senior Dinner, Law Day events, Receptions, Symposiums and other events;
- NALP service;
- Primary contact for all services that we utilize (i.e. EmplawyerNet, PSLawNet, Infirmation.com, and LawMatch);
- Entry of data into Law Clerk Information System;
- Seek out new resources for Career Services Library;
- Along with other professional, interview, hire and supervise student assistants;
- Maintain the Career Services web site;
- Responsible for the development, updating, and distribution of the informational brochure about the Public Interest Practicum Program;
- Responsible for drafting welcome letters to all admitted and incoming students; and
- Miscellaneous clerical duties.
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Sample Job Description:
Assistant Director of Career Services
Reports to: Director of Career Services
Purpose of the position:
The Assistant Director will assist the Career Services Director with all aspects of the office's administration, programming, and outreach functions and will oversee the office in the absence of the Director.
Accountabilities:
- Assist the Director in providing career counseling and job search resources to students and alumni;
- Oversee the administration of the office Web site, including on-line job listings;
- Assist the Director in planning and implementing programming;
- Assist the Director in marketing to legal employers;
- Manage the on-campus interviewing activities;
- Oversee involvement in off-campus job fairs; and
- Assist the Director with management of employment surveys.
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Sample Job Description:
Assistant Director of Career Services & Alumni Relations
Reports to: Asst. Dean of Career Services and Alumni Relations
Job Summary:
Provide assistance to Assistant Dean for Career Services and Alumni Relations in carrying out mission of the Office of Career Services and Alumni Relations.
Essential Responsibilities:
Assist Assistant Dean in all tasks assigned with students and alumni, including:
- Reviewing resumes.
- Providing personal counseling to students and alumni.
- Communicate with individuals and entities who are interested in hiring students and/or alumni and/or posting jobs on law school web site and take needed action.
- Hold seminars on wide variety of job-related issues either personally or arrange for 3rd parties to do so - as assigned by Asst. Dean.
- Maintain contact with students' organizations to enhance students' knowledge of job-hunting responsibilities and opportunities.
- Maintain with administrative assistant current Bulletin Boards and other notices regarding Career Service activities.
- Prepare weekly career services email and postings for distribution each Monday morning.
- Participate with any law school committees (as assigned) to enhance Career Services efforts.
- Cooperate with any law school faculty or staff to enhance Career Services efforts.
- Assist Assistant Dean in updating handouts for students and alumni.
- Prepare documents in at least draft form on computer.
- Assist in maintaining appropriate statistics on students and alumni jobs, including a variety of characteristics of same for purpose of reporting to NALP and for internal purposes.
- Assist in coordinating interviews on-campus, off-campus, at job fairs, etc.
- Maintain job postings on web site.
- Make sure records are maintained of all activities.
- Actively participate in evening and weekend activities as required.
- Perform all of the above with sense of compassion and creativity toward students.
Qualifications -- Education and/or Experience:
- Undergraduate degree and J.D. degree.
- Experience working with people.
- Counseling, career services or marketing experience preferred.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
All required to perform the Essential Responsibilities.
Essential Physical Requirements:
- Ability to work on multiple tasks at one time.
- Ability to work under stressful situations.
- Pleasant and clearly understandable voice.
- Ability to lift and carry at least 10 pounds.
- Ability to operate computer and other office equipment in the office.
- Ability sit at a des for more than one hour at a time.
- Ability to move about the campus and to interact with students, faculty and staff and potential employers.
- Ability to bend and stoop in order to file and shelve.
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Sample Job Description:
Career Services Officer (Canadian School)
Job Description:
- Establishing and maintaining relationships with prospective employers to encourage the hiring of students for articling positions, non-traditional, and summer placements.
- Maintaining good working relationships with the various legal organizations and societies.
- Establishing a liaison role between students and Faculty administration concerning placement and career counseling.
- Maintaining an adequate library and records system for employment-related resources.
- Posting on the web, under glass and via e-mail, all articling, summer job and post-graduate/internship opportunities.
- Assisting the Student Committee that is involved with career services in the performance of their duties.
- Development of a program concerning On-campus interviews for summer legal positions and organizing accompanying day and social events.
- Web site management.
- Provide individual counseling and career development assistance to students and graduates on job search strategies, including: self-assessment, networking, and skills development; reviewing cover letters and resumes; conducting practice interviews; assisting students with employer research utilizing on-line and print resources; planning and presenting skills programs and workshops.
- Liaise with other career development officers.
- Prepare informational materials and newsletters for publications.
- Assist in the organizing of Career Day for Law Students.
- Organizing and hosting Public Interest Law Career Fair.
- Development of career services materials.
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Sample Job Description:
Career Services Specialist
Assists the Assistant Dean for Career Services in the delivery of services of a comprehensive career services program for students and alumni of the law school. The Career Services Specialist will work closely with the Assistant Dean to broaden and deepen relationships with employers and to develop additional marketing outreach strategies. The Specialist will provide professional development counseling to students and alumni via direct individual counseling and group programs. Additional responsibilities include planning and organizing programs on varying career-related topics; directing the development and content of a Career Services Newsletter; and assisting with solicitation of employment data and other reporting needs for compilation of statistical requirements.
Job Development/Marketing Outreach
- Assist with the development of creative initiatives for marketing and promoting the School of Law to employers and students.
- Identify additional employers for outreach in designated strategic geographic areas.
- Assist with planning and implementing strategies that encourage employers to hire law school students.
- Conduct employer visits locally, regionally and nationally.
- Solicit additional on campus interviewers.
Counseling Students
- Provide instruction, orientation and counseling to law students and alumni in career development issues.
- Provide individual resume and cover letter review and assistance.
- Coach students to develop short and long term job seeking strategies/career plans.
- Plan and conduct specific group programs on career strategic planning and related topics.
Coordinate Career Services Newsletter
- Develop design and layout.
- Develop content: write articles and solicit material from others.
- Survey employers, students and review periodicals to determine up to date topics of interest and newsletter thematic approaches.
Programming
- Assist with career services programming on a variety of career topics.
- Design and implement job seeking skills seminars.
- Plan and develop practice area seminars.
- Assist with program evaluation for program strengthening and diversity.
Information Gathering and Dissemination
- Assist with compilation of employment data for annual Employment Report and Salary Survey (ERSS).
- Monitor legal employment trends and generate written summaries.
- Assist with expansion of employer database.
- Coordinate law clerk/summer associate employment data and reporting.
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Sample Job Description:
Career Services Coordinator
General Statement Describing Expectations of the Position
The function of the Career Services program is to facilitate the job search process for our students and recent graduates/alumni. While obtaining employment is an individual and personal endeavor, the Career Services Coordinator provides support, guidance, information and skills training, and acts a liaison between job-seeking students and employers who wish to hire.
- Counsel students regarding job search strategy and cover letter/resume preparation.
- Knowledge of methods and procedures for seeking professional legal employment. Ability to communicate with students on a one-to-one basis, helping them identify their professional and personal strengths, encouraging them to apply to and interview with a variety of legal employers, and helping them remain positive and upbeat throughout the job search process. Knowledge of legal resume and cover letter format. Strong writing, proof reading, and editing skills.
- Act as liaison between students and employers who wish to hire.
- Knowledge of legal employers (primarily but not limited to in-state legal employers) and their hiring needs. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Interpersonal skills. Organization skills. Ability to administer eAttorney Broadreach.
- Organize career planning workshops.
- Skill in event planning and promotion. Knowledge of State Bar members and their respective areas of expertise. Ability to introduce panel members, encourage students to ask questions, and keep workshop on track.
- Organize a two-day on-campus recruitment event each semester.
- Skill in event planning and promotion. Ability to schedule (without conflict) 100+ interviews between 50+ students and 20+ employers. Problem solving skills. Ability to prioritize work, multi-task, set and meet deadlines.
- Publish an in-house Career Services newsletter.
- Strong writing skills. Knowledge of public interest fellowship opportunities, federal honor and summer intern programs, judicial clerkship job search procedures, out-of-state job search techniques, etc. Layout and design ability.
- Maintain employment statistics on graduating class.
- Data entry. Attention to detail. Ability to note and track employment trends.
- Additional functions include but are not limited to:
- -writing and updating the Career Services Handbook
-managing reciprocity requests
-distributing an alumni job bulletin
-maintaining and updating the Career Services library
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Sample Job Description:
Career Counselor/Coordinator of Judicial Clerkship, Public Interest, Government and Diversity Programs
Reports to: Director of Career Services
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Counsel law students regarding summer clerkships and career options upon graduation (e.g. graduate programs, fellowships, judicial clerkships, alternative careers).
2. Maintain a database of student activity. Prepare monthly reports of counseling activities.
3. Publish a weekly career counseling student newsletter.
4. Coordinate and implement a judicial clerkship counseling program which includes but is not limited to:
- publish an annual state Judicial Clerkship Directory;
- establish and coordinate a Judicial Clerkship Placement Program, including:
- create and maintain a resume database of those students and alumni/ae seeking judicial clerkships;
- create and maintain an outreach program by regularly visiting local, state and federal courts.
- maintain Judicial Clerkship Interviewing Information database;
- coordinate and conduct an annual Judicial Clerkship Informational Workshop;
- establish and maintain a Judicial Clerkship Library of national judicial directories;
- create and maintain a database of alumni/ae who have completed a judicial clerkship and/or are currently employed as a judicial law clerk.
5. Coordinate and implement a public interest counseling program which includes but is not limited to:
- familiarize oneself with Equal Justice Works (formerly known as the National Association of Public Interest Law) including but not limited to its fellowship and grant opportunities; and,
- coordinate and supervise students attending the annual Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair.
- publish an annual state Public Interest Clerkship Information Directory;
- establish and coordinate a Public Interest Placement Program, including:
- create and maintain a resume database of those students and alumni/ae seeking careers in public interest law;
- create and maintain an outreach program by regularly visiting local and state public interest employers.
- maintain a public interest informational database on a national opportunities including but not limited to fellowships;
- coordinate and conduct an annual public interest career informational workshop;
- establish and maintain a library of national public interest informational materials;
- create and maintain a database of alumni/ae who are currently employed in the public interest practice area.
6. Coordinate and supervise the minority students attending national job fairs.
7. Coordinate and supervise on-going skills workshop. Coordinate and present courts, panel discussions, local and national speakers and resource centers as informational sources to the law student body.
8. Read recent publications, attend seminars and advise law students to current market trends regarding employment issues (legal and non-legal).
9. Read recent publications, attend seminars and advise law students to interviewing, correspondence and resume writing techniques.
10. Coordinate and run an annual mock interviewing seminar for law students. Set-up mock interviews on a per needed basis.
11. Manage the Career Services' web page as pertaining to Judicial Clerkships, Public Interest, Government and Diversity Programs.
Minimum Qualifications
- Juris Doctor. Other graduate degree commensurate with position a plus.
- Computer skills; a working knowledge of the legal profession and a working knowledge of perimeter professions, excellent organizational, interpersonal, communications and counseling skills.
Job Requirements
- Position requires in-depth knowledge of the legal profession and a working knowledge of perimeter professions, excellent organizational, interpersonal, communications and counseling skills.
- Position will require some travel and irregular hours in the evenings and on weekends.
