at University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Job Description
DepartmentLaw Public Interest
About the Department
The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, UChicago Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Students, faculty, and staff form a small, tightly knit community devoted to the life of the mind.
Job Summary
The University of Chicago Law School seeks an Associate Director of Public Service and Pro Bono to join its team of professionals, leading the Law School's Pro Bono Service Initiative and providing a comprehensive range of career services to students and alumni. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Career Services, the Associate Director develops, plans, implements, and evaluates pro bono legal projects designed to increase law student and alumni participation in community service. The role also manages the work and goals of the Public Service program generally, including providing public service counseling and advising, coaching, programming, and communications to students and alumni.
Responsibilities
- Advises students and alumni on their career development, choices, and opportunities with primary emphasis on public sector and public interest.
- Supports the work and goals of the Office of Career Services generally, including providing career counseling and advising, coaching, and programming services for JD and LLM students.
- Counsels the student Pro Bono Board, the Public Interest Law Society, the Chicago Law Foundation, and other student organizations to develop and maintain student-run pro bono and community service initiatives.
- Administers the Pro Bono Pledge, which asks all law students to perform at least 50 hours of pro bono service before they graduate.
- Researches, manages, and promotes new pro bono and community service opportunities to students.
- Counsels students and pro bono supervisors regarding appropriate pro bono projects and student work.
- Manages an accurate record-keeping system to track student pro bono projects and hours.
- Provides reports to the Registrar to determine graduation recognition.
- Plans events, including the Pro Bono Recognition Luncheon recognizing graduating students who completed the Pledge, the Alumni Public Interest Reception, and the Pro Bono Coffee Mess.
- Conducts information sessions and speaker panels on public service and pro bono projects and topics.
- Develops trainings for students on topics including confidentiality, conflict of interest, and legal ethics.
- Manages the public service career listserv and drafts frequent informational materials for dissemination to students and to this listserv group.
- Maintains and updates public service and pro bono content on the Law School's website and in the OCS Job Search Guide.
- Advertises internal and external fellowship opportunities to students through information sessions and digital communications, advises students through fellowship application processes, and coordinates fellowship programs.
- Partners with the Associate Dean for Career Services to prepare agendas, materials, and reports for the Public Interest Faculty Committee and for other requests for data that arise.
- Attends Admitted Students events, including Entering Students Dinner and Day in the Life.
- Represents the Office of Career Services to internal and external audiences.
- Serves as the Law School's representative to Equal Justice Works, the Public Service Peer Group, and the Chicago Area Law School Consortium Public Service Committee.
- Expands employer relations by attending public service career conferences, networking events, and career fairs, and promotes these events to students when applicable.
- Partners with the Senior Associate Director of Employer Recruitment Programs to recruit and maintain relationships with public sector employers for job postings and participation in the Public Service Interview Program.
- Engages with community supervisors of students performing pro bono work.
- Tracks student employment statistics and maintains records to assist the Career Services team in providing comprehensive services to students and alumni in fulfilling internal and external reporting obligations.
- Analyzes markets and trends as they relate to job searches. Assesses student feedback and evaluations and collaborates with other career services staff members, student organizations, or other staff to determine program offerings and innovations.
- Conducts job search and career management related large lectures, hands-on workshops, special events, training programs, and one-on-one career coaching sessions. Acts as a resource for and directs students to other career resources as needed.
- Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
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Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
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Certifications:
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Preferred Qualifications
Education:
- A post baccalaureate degree is strongly preferred, with a preference for a Juris Doctor or master's degree.
Experience:
- Minimum experience of 3 years in public interest law practice, experience in legal aid, experience in non-profit administration or higher education administration, and/or experience providing career or recruitment services to law students, lawyers, and others in the legal profession is strongly preferred.
Preferred Competencies
- A demonstrated high level of initiative, and the desire to work closely with students and help them use their legal training to serve others.
- Excellent coaching, organizational, interpersonal, and verbal/written communication skills, including strong public speaking and presentation skills.
- Ability to respect the confidentiality of counseling and institutional information.
- Ability to interact comfortably and positively with all constituents.
- Ability to perform efficiently and with a positive outlook even when under stress.
- Ability to work collaboratively within a team and a team approach to interpersonal interactions and problem solving.
- Ability to work independently and to exercise considerable judgment and discretion.
- Strong attention to detail, including close reading and editing.
- Ability to learn and adapt to computer software and applications. Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint strongly preferred.
- Ability to work occasional evening, weekend, and early morning hours.
Working Conditions
- This position is available for partially remote work based on business needs of the Law School.
- Ability to travel as needed is required.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter (required)
When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Student Affairs & Services
Role Impact
Individual Contributor
FLSA Status
Exempt
Pay Frequency
Monthly
Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5
Benefits Eligible
Yes
Drug Test Required
No
Health Screen Required
No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.