Job title: Associate Director, Law School Career Services & Professional Development
Company: University of San Diego
Job description: Position Title & Department: Associate Director, Law School Career Services & Professional Development; School of Law
Posting #
4769
Department Description:
USD School of Law is one of the 84 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school’s faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks in the top 20% (36th out of 204) among U.S. law schools in scholarly impact according to a 2018 study. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.
University Description:
The University of San Diego, a contemporary and engaged , was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of and an earnest confrontation of .
Detailed Description:
Serve as recruiting and public relations professional to local, regional, and national legal employer communities. Manage, coordinate, design and initiate programs and projects in response to dynamic legal employment environment. Manage and run recruiting programs, coordinate off campus recruitment, and coordinate employer outreach events. Advise J.D. students and alumni on career planning, traditional and alternative legal careers, and job opportunities. Develop and present career-search resources, tools and programs.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Employer Communications and Outreach Management:
- Develop, maintain, and manage employer contact and relationships with law firms, corporations, government agencies, courts, public interest agencies, and other potential employers to cultivate legal employment opportunities.
- Perform outreach and communications with respect to local, regional, and national employers and market students and graduates to such employers.
- Design employer-directed marketing materials and programs to promote school, students, and recruiting programs.
- With the Assistant Director of Operations and Special Projects, develop and maintain employer records and database for internal and student utility.
- Regularly initiate recruiting calls to employers and field and respond to such calls from employers. Train and advise other Career Development staff on initiating and responding to such calls. Attend events with groups such as SDCBA, SDLRA, LAALRA, OCLRA, SDNCBA, Lawyers Club, IP and other specialty bar and related networking events, including alumni receptions.
- Attend local, regional and national events and job fairs that market the law school’s students and graduates to legal employers.
- Note: occasional events, presentations, and meetings occur outside of regular business hours. Create, maintain, and manage networks with local, national, and international employers to create networks for job opportunities; visit alumni and potential employers to create additional opportunities for students and alumni.
- Obtain, evaluate, and synthesize information about legal employers and employment opportunities nationwide.
- Cultivate relationships with judges and judicial law clerks to increase student and alumni access to judicial externships and clerkships.
Management of Recruiting Programs:
- Implement, develop, and manage all aspects of recruiting programs, including coordination of on campus and virtual interviews, resume collections, and direct application opportunities. Manage all aspects of recruiting new employers for these programs, and work to increase the number of employment opportunities for students and alumni.
- Develop, monitor, and promote job opportunities for students and alumni.
- Oversee and manage student and alumni job board including job posting rules and procedures to ensure maximum exposure, timeliness, and completeness.
- Work closely with Assistant Director of Operations and Special Projects with respect to recruiting functions, including management of career management system.
- Develop and manage student materials regarding recruiting programs, including correspondence, guides, and policies.
- Manage Career Development website content and other media regarding employers and recruiting programs in conjunction with the Law School Communications office.
Career Advising and Programs:
- Provide comprehensive and continuing career counseling and programming to law students and alumni of the school.
- Familiarize students and alumni with resources and programs available in the Career Development office, including timing and scheduling of activities.
- Review and edit resumes, cover letters, and other employment application materials.
- Conduct mock interviews with students and alumni.
- Develop and present workshops, conferences, programs, and panels to assist students and alumni with career planning and job development skills. Advise students with Tax and IP backgrounds and practice interests. Assist in creating Tax and IP related job search resources, programs, and communications and provide information on Tax and IP-specific job fairs and employment opportunities, and related annual career events.
- Create, revise, and update Career Development’s series of written guides on career development topics, responding to the particular needs and concerns of students and alumni. Assist in maintaining up-to-date career related information on Career Development’s website. Assist in maintaining and ensuring up-to-date Career Development’s presence on LinkedIn and other social media.
- Advise students and alumni on all aspects of judicial externships and clerkships, including applications and interviews.
Special Conditions of Employment:
Effective June 1, 2023, based on CDC guidance, the University strongly encourages all campus members to stay up to date with Influenza and COVID-19 vaccination recommendations. For more regarding information USD’s COVID-19 protocols, please visit sandiego.edu/onward.
Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.
Job Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- At least three years of work experience in the legal profession, education administration, student services, recruiting or a related field required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor strongly preferred.
- One year of counseling experience in a student-oriented (customer-service) setting preferred.
- Legal recruiting experience strongly preferred.
Performance Expectations – Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrated ability to address issues raised by a large, diverse student body, along with the ability to successfully interact with various populations including students, faculty, administrators, employers and colleagues at other institutions.
- Strong understanding of career development issues affecting law students, lawyers, and the legal profession; ability to develop related programs and materials.
- Knowledge of legal career employment opportunities and local, regional and national job markets.
- Ability to develop marketing strategies to enhance employment opportunities.
- Administrative, managerial, and supervisory skills and experience.
- Skill in use of computer software and web-based legal employer and job search programs.
- Excellent oral and written communications skills.
Posting Salary:
$5547 – $6667 per month; Excellent Benefits
The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical, dental, vision, a retirement contribution given to you by the University, and access to on-campus Fitness Centers. Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer.
The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.
Special Application Instructions:
Resume and Cover Letter Required
Click the ‘Apply Now’ button to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review. If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at
Additional Details:
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Closing date: Open until filled
Note: External job postings will be up for at least five days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.
The University of San Diego is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion and is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the campus community.
The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit
Advertised: November 17, 2023 Pacific Standard Time
Applications close:
Expected salary: $5547 – 6667 per month
Location: San Diego, CA
Job date: Sun, 19 Nov 2023 06:44:58 GMT