NAELA's CareerCenter

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University of San Diego School of Law

San Diego, CA

Assistant Dean, Law School Career Services & Professional Development

The University of San Diego School of Law (“USD Law”) seeks a new Assistant Dean, Law School Career Services & Professional Development to lead a seasoned professional operation with a record of high reported student satisfaction.  The Assistant Dean must be a relationship-driven leader who embraces USD Law’s student-first approach and commitment to ensuring that all students secure meaningful employment post-graduation.  Reporting to the Dean and working collaboratively with the Dean’s leadership team, faculty, alumni and the legal community, the Assistant Dean supervises six direct reports and provides leadership, strategic direction and identify/facilitate innovative strategies as they work closely with students and employers to develop productive relationships that yield compelling career opportunities which meet the individual needs and interests of the law school student population.

With the tagline of “The Perfect Climate for Studying the Law,” USD Law is the leading law school in California’s second most populous metro area, anchored by the global city of San Diego (“America’s Finest City”) and with a regional population exceeding three million.  A national law school with both full and part-time programs, USD Law is a magnet for matriculants drawn to the quality of its doctrinal, clinical, advocacy and externship offerings; 8:1 student-faculty ratio; collaborative and community-minded student culture; and international opportunities.  The law school’s location at the heart of the University of San Diego’s Spanish Renaissance campus, with its ocean views and palm-tree-lined courtyards, affords it an unsurpassed setting for scholarship, teaching and learning.  In conjunction with the university’s graduate schools, USD Law offers joint degree programs in international relations, peace and justice, business administration and real estate.  The Office of Career and Professional Development provides USD Law students and alumni with comprehensive career services, including a notable Field Placement Program that allows students to receive academic credit for part-time legal work performed under the supervision of an attorney at approved placement sites and a recently instituted funded summer fellowship program.

As a member of the Dean’s leadership team, the Assistant Dean will contribute to the law school’s overall     strategic planning process, participate in problem-solving and decision-making, and provide input on student recruiting, effective use of law school resources and marketing.   A key focus will be expanding and diversifying the law school’s portfolio of employment relationships across the legal community, including private practice and corporate, public sector and NGO organizations. 

The new Assistant Dean will have the opportunity to design and implement new and creative advising strategies and dynamic programs for students, alumni, faculty, employers and the legal community.  The Assistant Dean will manage a wide range of recruiting programs and employer outreach events on and off campus.  The Assistant Dean will also oversee the Office’s data collection, statistical analysis and reporting      for internal and external audiences, in support of USD Law’s ranking and student recruiting efforts.  The Assistant Dean is a high-profile appointment, representing USD Law to important external constituencies, including local, regional and national legal communities, prospective students, potential employers, alumni and the public.   

The new Assistant Dean will be called upon to:

• Ensure that the Career Services team is fully staffed and sustaining a positive culture that is highly inclusive, creative and high
• Conduct an in-depth assessment of current strategies, processes and procedures; presenting the Dean with findings and
• Formulate and execute innovative strategies for supporting the unique career planning needs of each USD Law student.
• Leverage current relationships, and build new ones, with hiring managers at major businesses, law firms and NGOs across Southern California and specifically in San Diego, while extending outreach to, and familiarizing USD Law students with, other congenial geographical legal services markets.

Qualifications:

• Graduate degree required; JD highly
• Five+ years of professional experience at the managerial level within the legal profession, education administration, development/advancement, talent acquisition or a related
• Solid understanding of hiring and employment related issues within a professional setting such as law, business or other field, including both the student/graduate and employer perspectives.
• Knowledge of legal career employment opportunities and local, regional and national job
• Ability to relate with a diverse array of
• Ability to collect, report and analyze relevant statistical data and to identify and analyze

Review of candidate materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment.  A complete application will include a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae and contact information for five professional references who can speak about the candidate’s qualifications for this appointment.  Named referees will not be contacted without the candidate’s prior consent.  Chuck O’Boyle of C. V. O’Boyle, Jr. LLC is leading the search and will furnish an internal position description upon request.  Expressions of interest, applications, nominations and inquiries should be directed to Mr. O’Boyle at chuck@cvoboyle.com.