| 2018-2019 Sections and Interest Groups |
Committees and Task Forces |
Advisory Groups |
Event Planning Work Groups |
The 2019-2020 Sections & Interest Groups will be meeting in person during the 2019 NALP Annual Education Conference in San Diego, April 9-12, 2019. For times and locations of the section and interest group meetings in San Diego, click here.
NALP thrives on member involvement, and one of the many benefits of NALP membership is the opportunity to actively participate in the NALP community. Sections are a great way to join colleagues with whom you share interests and work responsibilities, and also provide an ideal way to get involved in the work of NALP. Sections provide an opportunity for networking and for sharing information, ideas, and best practices. Sections also provide information and education to the rest of the NALP community on the Section members’ particular area of interest or expertise.
Work Groups will address specific tasks; they will work on the specified project, and will disband when the target task is completed. Several Work Groups fall under the auspices of a Section, while others are stand-alone. Where already known, Work Group projects are listed below within each Section description (follow the "learn more" link). Section members are encouraged to identify additional issues and projects of interest to the group.
All Sections have open membership, and many Work Groups need volunteers. NALP members are invited to contact Section Chairs to learn more about Section activities and involvement. Section membership is based on individual membership with NALP. Click on the "learn more" link for each section to find out about the work of that section and how you can get involved.
2018-2019 Sections and Interest Groups
Canadian Section
The Canadian Section is for NALP members with a particular interest in Canadian legal education, Canadian law school career services, and issues surrounding legal employment and admission to the bar in Canada.
Section Chair: Danica Steadman, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
Diversity & Inclusion Section
NALP has a longstanding commitment to be an advocate for diversity in
the legal profession and in our membership. The Diversity Section is
for NALP members with a particular interest in or responsibility for
advocating for diversity in legal education and legal employment. This
section will serve as a resource for all NALP members on matters of
diversity. This section will also serve as the home of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Work Group. Diversity directors and those focusing on diversity matters
at law firms and law schools are encouraged to join their colleagues in
this section.
Section Chair: Courtney Dredden Carter, Jenner & Block LLP
Experienced Professionals Section
The Experienced Professionals Section includes NALP members who
self-identify as "experienced" in the legal recruitment industry and
seek to collaborate with similarly situated colleagues for purposes of
networking and professional development and to contribute to
activities, services, and educational programs to benefit NALP. Section
members can be characterized by years of NALP membership, years in the
industry, and/or levels of leadership engagement within their
organizations or with NALP. (It is suggested that members have at least eight years of experience in a lead role and have actively participated in NALP.)
Section Chair: Michele Bendekovic, Bass Berry & Sims PLC
International and Advanced Degree Advising and Recruiting Section
The International and Advanced Degree Advising and Recruiting Section is for NALP career services members who advise
domestic and international advanced degree and LL.M. candidates and for NALP legal
employer members who hire graduates with advanced and LL.M. degrees. The
Section is also for NALP members who advise JD degree candidates and alumni
regarding international opportunities and NALP legal employer members who are
involved in JD international recruiting and the evaluation of international
experience for both international and domestic positions.
Section Chair: Sarah Hall, USC Gould School of Law
JD Career Advisors Section
The JD Career Advisors Section is for NALP members who have an interest in or responsibility for the career development of law students and alumni. The section will include work groups on developing resources and conference programming on career development. The section will also serve as the home for the CSO Employer Outreach Work Group, and for those interested in JD advantage careers and alumni career services.
Section Chair: Leslie Becker Wilson, University of Massachusetts School of Law
Judicial Clerkship Section
The Judicial Clerkship Section is for NALP members who have an interest
in or responsbility for preparing law students for judicial clerkships
or for managing the departure and return from employer organizations of
associates who pursue judicial clerkships. This Section serves as a
clearinghouse for judicial clerkship information important to the NALP
membership.
Section Chair: Samantha Kasmarek, Syracuse University College of Law
Law Student Professional Development Section
The Law Student Professional Development Section is for NALP members
with an interest in or responsibility for educating law students about
expectations of professionalism in the legal profession.
Section Chair: Eric Bono, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Lawyer Professional Development Section
The Lawyer Professional Development Section is for NALP members who are
interested in or have a responsibility for law firm professional
development programming.
Section Chair: Jeanette Forgey, Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.
Legal Employer Alumni Relations/Programs Section
The Legal Employer Alumni Relations/Programs Section is intended to include NALP members who have an interest in or responsibility for alumni related issues.
Section Co-Chairs: Adriana Marchetti, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP and Brian Sogol, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Newer Professionals Section
The Newer Professionals Section is for NALP members who have been in the profession for two years or less.
Section Chair: Catherine Clement, K&L Gates LLP
Public Service Section
The Public Service Section is for NALP members who have an interest in
or responsibility for advising law students whose career paths lead to
public sector, public interest, and pro bono work during law school and
after graduation. The section supports NALP's role as one of the
leading providers of information and education about public service
opportunities for law students and lawyers. NALP's public sector and
nonprofit employer members and those responsible for implementing or
marketing law school or law firm pro bono programs also participate in
this section.
Section Chair: Rashida West, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Recruiting Section
The Recruiting Section is for NALP members who are responsible for, or
who have an interest in, issues related to recruiting and hiring law
students, new graduates and lateral attorneys.
Section Chair: Jenny Li, Arnold & Porter
Small and Solo Career Services Office Section
This Section is for NALP members in career services offices of three or fewer total staff. Members of this group have long been a strong support for one another and have been an excellent source of programming and resources for all career services offices that manage with limited resources.
Section Chair: Alisa Benedict O’Brien, University of Akron School of Law C. Blake McDowell Law Center
Chief Officer Interest Group
This network is open to any NALP member who holds a chief role of any sort, broadly defined, and is meant to facilitate information sharing and best practices among its members, and to provide leadership and guidance to the association and its members about issues around industry change and evolution.
Interest Group Chair: Kay Nash, Wiley Rein LLP
Legal Master’s Programs Interest Group
The Legal Master's Programs Interest Group is for NALP members working in this space to facilitate collaboration and support for one another and to share learning and best practices with one another and the rest of the NALP community.
Interest Group Chair: Sandee Magliozzi, Santa Clara Univ. School of Law
NALP Committees and Task Forces are either elected by
the membership or appointed by the President to complete a specific
task or project.
Nominating Committee
Chair: Marilyn Drees, Yale Law School. Vice
Chair: Jessica Buchsbaum, Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod. The Nominating Committee will
cultivate nominations for and develop a slate of officers and board
members for the 2018-2019 NALP year. The Committee will also oversee
the nomination and election process of regional representatives, conference planning coordinators, and
nominating committee members. NALP members elect regional
representatives to the Nominating Committee each year. For more
information and a list of committee members, see Board of Directors and Leaders.
Lawyer and Law Student Well-Being Task Force
Chair: Amy Perez, University of Miami. Members: Donna Branca, Blank Rome LLP; Kara Dodson, Volta Talent Strategies; Lisa Feden, Ballard Spahr LLP; Beth Moeller, UCLA School of Law; Kay Nash, Wiley Rein LLP; Cybele Smith, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; Waleska Vernon, University of Toronto Faculty of Law; Courtney Wylie, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. Advisor: David Jaffe, American University Washington College of Law.
NALP Knowledge Management Task Force
Chair: Andy Hales, Venable LLP. Members: Chris Boyd, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Rob Cacace, Georgetown University Law Center; Bruce Elvin, Duke Law School; Christina Fox, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; Kristin Hulse, University of Denver School of Law; Stacey Kielbasa, Chapman and Cutler LLP; Jason McCann, Harvard Law School; Mark Weber, Harvard Law School.
Reimagining Recruiting Task Force
Co-Chairs: Donna Gerson, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law and
Kristine McKinney, Fish & Richardson, P.C. Members: Kevin Donovan, University of Virginia School of Law; Elizabeth Granlund, UC Berkeley School of Law; Mina Jones Jefferson, University of Cincinnati College of Law; Irena McGrath, Hogan Lovells US LLP; Cristóbal Modesto, Davis Polk & Wardell LLP; Kisha Nunez, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz; Natalie Quinn, Fox Rothschild LLP; Maureen Reilly, University of Pennsylvania Law School; Marcia Shannon, Georgetown University Law Center; Tony Waller, University of Georgia School of Law; Anna Whitener, Dykema Gossett PLLC. Advisor: Jennifer Queen, Bracewell LLP.
Advisory Groups
Advisory Groups support NALP staff on matters of policy, procedure, and content with our core products and services. Advisory Groups are appointed by the President on an annual basis. Although membership in Advisory Groups is appointed rather than open, all members are invited to share ideas with Group leaders and members.
ABA/NALP Employment Outcomes Reporting Advisory Group
Chair: Heather DiFranco, Cleveland Marshall College of Law Cleveland State University. NALP Members: Betsy Armour, USC Gould School of Law; Melissa Berry, University of Washington School of Law; Eric Bono, University of Denver Sturm College of Law; Angelica Evans, The University of Texas School of Law; Courtney Fitzgibbons, New York Law School; Fiona Hornblower, Boston University School of Law; Brian Lewis, University of North Carolina School of Law; Arturo Thompson, University of Kansas School of Law. ABA Members: Bill Adams, ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar; Kirsten Winek, ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.
Communications Advisory Group
Chair: Jolie Blanchard, Jones Day. Members: Michael Keller, University of Wisconsin Law School; Josie Mitchell, Seattle University School of Law; Susan Reonegro, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP; Jim Walsh, The Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Law.
Ethics and Standards Advisory Group
Chair: David Diamond, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law . Members: Eric Bono, University of Denver Sturm College of Law; Mike Gotham, Perkins Coie; Caroline Menes, Proskauer Rose LLP; Lynn Herron, Hogan Lovells US LLP.
PD Quarterly Advisory Group
Members: Steve Armstrong, Armstrong Talent; Emily Atkinson, Torys LLP; Charles Curtis, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (Board liaison); Stephanie Felder, McGuireWoods LLP; Andy Hales, Venable LLP; Stacey Kielbasa, Chapman and Cutler LLP; Kay Nash, Wiley Rein LLP; Beth Shackleford, University of Georgia Law School; Brad Sprayberry, Gunster; Scott Westfahl, Harvard Law School; Sheri Zachary, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP.
PSJD Advisory Group
Chair: Michelle Grossfield, Boston College Law School. Interim Chair: Terry Galligan, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Members: Kathleen Behan, University of Windsor Faculty of Law; Michael Bergmann, Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI); Sharon Booth, University of Miami School of Law; Stella Boswell, Duke University School of Law; Rena Cervoni, US Department of Justice; Lauren Dubin, Georgetown University Law Center; Lawson Konvalinka, The University of Texas School of Law; Michelle Vodenik, Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Event Planning Work Groups
2019 Annual Education Conference Planning Work Group
The Annual Education Conference Planning Work Group will plan and present the 2016 Annual Education Conference in Boston.
Chair: Lynn Herron, Hogan Lovells US LLP.
Vice-Chairs: Debra Perry Clarkson, Latham & Watkins LLP; Paula Gluzman, University of San Diego School of Law; Janet Hutchinson, University of Richmond School of Law. The elected Conference Planning Coordinators serve as members of the Annual Education Conference Planning team.
2019 Emerging Legal Careers Planning Team
Members: Lyndsey Bullock, Cornell Law School; Kate Eklund, UCLA School of Law; Irina Gomelskaya, New York Law School; Jamey Mentzer, University of Pittsburgh School of Law; Rhonda Rittenberg, Northeastern University School of Law; Laura Torchio, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University; Jennifer Zwagerman, Drake University Law School.
2019 Legal Recruiting Summit Planning Work Group
The Legal Recruiting Summit Planning Committee will plan and present the NALP Legal Recruiting Summit.
Members: Jolie Blanchard, Jones Day; Rebecca Calman, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP; Jessica Fijolek (Section Liaison), Crowell & Moring LLP; Michael Gotham, Perkins Coie LLP; Karl Riehl, Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.; Wendy Siegel, New York University School of Law; Jessica Sisco, Reed Smith LLP.
Professional Development Institute Planning Work Group
The Professional Development Institute Planning Committee, in
partnership with ALI-ABA and the PDC, plans and presents the annual
Professional Development Institute.
Members — NALP Representatives: Mindy Herczfeld, Cozen O’Connor; Patricia Lopez,
Case Western Reserve University School of Law; Melanie Priddy, Crowell & Moring LLP; Jean Marie Vrola, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
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