Associate Director of Career Strategy - Professional Development and Legal Industry

The Associate Director of Career Strategy reports to the Assistant Dean of Career Strategy and is an essential member of the Career Strategy team providing leadership, career counseling and career development support to the student and alumni constituencies of the W&L Law School community. The Associate Director will deliver career-related programming and offer individualized career advice based upon their professional expertise to facilitate the varying interests and career goals of the students while fostering W&L Law’s commitment to cultivate broad-minded, highly skilled, and honorable lawyers and leaders. Through relationships cultivated with employers, the alumni community, colleagues, and the judiciary, the Associate Director will support the mission of the office to aid the transition from law student to legal industry professional.

Washington and Lee University actively promotes a dynamic and welcoming environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in their areas of expertise.

W&L offers an exceptional benefits package, including a unique Home Loan Program. Full-time exempt employees are immediately eligible to borrow up to $500,000 at a reduced interest rate to purchase or build a primary residence within 50 miles of campus. Learn more about this benefit here. Visit jobs.wlu.edu to learn more about working at W&L, our benefits, community, and living in the area.

Essential Functions:

• Provide one-on-one advising to students and recent graduates on job search strategies, professional identity formation, interview preparation, networking, and career planning.

• Develop and deliver programming, workshops, and resources to support the professional development of law students across all class years.

• Partner with faculty, alumni, and employers to create opportunities for mentoring, internships, and professional skills development.

• Contribute to internal resource development (e.g., handbooks, tip sheets, digital content) related to judicial and other legal career paths.

• Develops a large network of professional connections in the legal industry to assist in developing student employment contacts.

• Assist in managing key events, such as professional development workshops and panels, attorney-student professional connections, legal industry information sessions.

• Gathers and analyzes informational and statistical employment reports and surveys produced by the department and/or national organizations, such as NALP to inform career advising.

• Collaborates with the Assistant Dean and law school leadership on matters of strategic importance related to the growth and management of the office.

• Additional related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school.

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience, which may include judicial clerkship experience, legal practice, or law school career services.

• Excellent interpersonal, advising, presentation, and written communication skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to student success, engagement, and professional development.

• Comfort with data tracking, assessments, reporting tools, and career talent platforms, such as 12Twenty.

• Experience in legal recruiting, law school career services, or higher education administration is strongly preferred.

• Experience in the practice of law in the private sector and/or knowledge of judicial hiring trends is preferred.

Application Instructions:

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.  Required materials include:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• Names and contact information for three professional references

Application instructions for internal and external candidates can be found at https://www.wlu.edu/employment-opportunities/jobs-at-w-l.

Minimum Pay: Pay Commensurate with experience

Campus Safety and Welfare Responsibilities:

• This position is designated as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) in accordance with the Clery Act. This position is required to report Clery qualifying crimes to the Department of Public Safety and complete annual training about your reporting responsibilities under the law.

Physical Requirements:

• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.

• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

Working Conditions: The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Types of Work: Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible

Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer seeking candidates committed to high standards of scholarship, performance, professionalism, and to a welcoming campus community. Job description requirements are representative, but not all‐inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.