Director of Public Service, School of Law

About the role

The University of Virginia School of Law seeks to hire a Director of Public Service within the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center (PSC). The Director of Public Service will be responsible for highly individualized counseling to Law School students and graduates on public service searches, employer outreach, the creation of resources and programming, and additional projects as assigned by the Assistant Dean for Public Service.

The PSC provides guidance to law students on all facets of their search for summer and postgraduate positions with public service employers. This includes counseling students on job searches and professional development; providing information on, and assisting in applying for, available positions; facilitating and preparing candidates for interviews; and creating career-related programming. The PSC also provides assistance to graduates of the Law School on career searches and transitions.

In addition to its counseling-centered work, the PSC administers the Law School’s public service summer and postgraduate fellowship programs, and it assists students in identifying and applying for externally funded fellowships, grants, and other programs that support careers in public service.

Responsibilities

The position calls for substantial knowledge of and/or experience in public service law, with a demonstrated understanding of career paths and employment opportunities in areas such as indigent defense, nonprofit advocacy, civil legal services, and government practice (civil or criminal).

Other keys to success include the ability to establish professional credibility and trust within a diverse community of students, graduates, and employers; exceptional writing skills, including the ability to provide effective critiques of students’ writing; superior project management, client relations, and teamwork skills; and, the ability to work diligently in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment.

Requirements

• A master’s degree with five years of experience is required.
• A J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school (which will satisfy the master’s degree requirement) is strongly preferred, along with at least three years of experience working in a law practice following graduation from law school, at least one of which is in a public service law practice (government or nonprofit employer).
• The ideal candidate will have at least five years of law practice, at least three of which are in public service; and legal experience in indigent defense, criminal justice reform, or nonprofit advocacy.

Qualifications

This position is primarily in person, with the opportunity to perform a limited amount of work remotely in accordance with Law School policy. This is an exempt-level position with benefits.

Skills

Exceptional writing skills, including the ability to provide effective critiques of students’ writing; superior project management, client relations, and teamwork skills; and, the ability to work diligently in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment.

Benefits

This is an exempt-level position with benefits.

Schedule

This position is primarily in person, with the opportunity to perform a limited amount of work remotely in accordance with Law School policy.