Director for Government and Public Interest

Job Summary

The Career Development Office at the University of Colorado Law School encourages applications for a Director for Government and Public Interest!

The primary duties and responsibilities of the Director for Government and Public Interest are to help students and alumni find employment and help employers find the right match among our students and alumni.

The Career Development Office at CU Law contributes to the campus community by serving as the center of law student and law alumni career-related activity. The changing job market for law school graduates has created new challenges and opportunities for this office. The Director takes the lead in getting in touch with government and public interest organizations to develop opportunities for Colorado Law students and graduates. The Director reports to the Assistant Dean for Career Development.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

We are an engaged, diverse, and inclusive community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who help one another succeed. Our selective admissions process keeps our student body small, enabling our faculty, staff, alumni, and community to invest deeply in each student’s success. Because we take our responsibility to educate and train future lawyers very seriously, our curriculum, research centers, and experiential learning opportunities are designed to prepare students for success in today’s changing legal environment.

The primary purpose of the Career Development Office is to facilitate employment of law students. Additional purposes are to educate students about the breadth of career opportunities for which a law degree prepares students and the most successful strategies for pursuing such opportunities, to support the strategic career development of students and alumni through counseling, workshops and programs, and to enhance the reputation of the school and its students.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Career counseling:

• Counsel students and recent alumni to identify career areas of interest regarding specific job search techniques and strategies and how to apply for public interest/government/non-profit employment opportunities.
• Create job search action plans with students and follow up with students, as needed.
• Counsel students on basic/advanced skills and strategies for effective resume and cover letter preparation, successful interviewing, purposeful and constructive networking, and other skills essential for a successful job search. Review and critique resumes, cover letters, and other student-created documents.
• Counsel and support alumni regarding career transitions and alternatives.
• Report progress and issues relating to career counseling in the public sector, private sector and alternative career areas to the Assistant Dean at each weekly staff meeting.

Government and public interest research and advising:

• Research, identify, and keep current on government and public interest sector employers and employment opportunities.
• Assist students in the coordination and presentation of resume/cover letter workshops with special emphasis on preparation to submit application materials to public sector/public interest employers.
• Create CDOnline resource materials such as a Public Interest Directory and a Government Employers Directory.
• Advertise appropriate government and public interest employment listings culled from national sources such as the University of Arizona Government Honors Handbook, Presidential Management Fellows program, Equal Justice Works fellowships, PSJD, etc.
• Coordinate public sector career panels, Lunch and Learns, and information sessions.
• Work with officers of public interest-related student groups, such as the Public Interest Student Association to promote workshops event, and applications for summer fellowships funding.
• Manage the Annual CU/DU Government and Public Interest Career Fair.
• Manage the Spring On-Campus Interview (OCI) Program, as unlike Fall OCI the employer participants are more likely to be in the government and public interest sectors.

Employer outreach:

• Conduct ongoing employer outreach (primarily through phone and email with occasional in-person visits) and establish strong professional relationships with employers, particularly government and public interest employers.
• Promote students to employers; cultivate contacts among employers and provide students with contacts for formal and informational interviews; solicit job opportunities for postings on CDOnline from employers and, as often as possible, match students and employers; maintain continuous contact with students and alumni regarding employment opportunities.
• Attend meetings, receptions, and other events related to areas of responsibility.
• Attend the annual Equal Justice Works Public Interest Conference in Washington, D.C., which includes attending the public interest programs, meeting and networking with national public interest employers, serving as a liaison between Colorado Law students and potential employers, and reporting new information, ideas and contacts to the Assistant Dean.
• Represent the Career Development Office and the Law School in the community by maintaining active bar association memberships with local bar associations.
• Report steps, progress and issues relating to government and public interest sector outreach to the Assistant Dean at each weekly staff meeting.
• Manage and administer diversity hiring initiatives related to government and public interest employers, including the Public Interest Diversity Internship Program.

Administration and oversight of public service funding programs:

• Manage the selection process for summer Public Service Fellowships, including publicizing availability, coordinating application receipt and review (with committee involvement where appropriate), providing notices, and coordinating with payroll.

Administrative:

• Monitor the Career Development Office website to create and update all government, public interest, and alternative career sections of the website.
• Actively participate in contacting graduates to compile and report graduate employment statistics and maintain information regarding the current employment status of students.
• Respond to inquiries from prospective students as requested by the Admissions Office.
• Maintain a social media presence for the Career Development Office.
• Provide assistance to Office colleagues in their primary responsibilities, as needed.

What You Should Know

• All University of Colorado Boulder employees are required to follow the campus COVID-19 vaccine requirement . New employees must provide proof of vaccination or receive a medical or religious exemption within 30 days of employment.
• The position will work in a hybrid modality with 3 days a week in person and 2 days remote.

What We Can Offer

• Annual salary range is $70,000- $80,000. Onboarding assistance is available within Colorado Law guidelines.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder .

Be Statements
Be collaborative. Be impactful. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Juris Doctorate and minimum of one experience in legal practice, career counseling or related work.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute (e.g. a Master's degree and two years of related work, etc).

What You Will Need

• Knowledge of the various aspects of the recent law school graduate job search.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to motivate and prepare students for the job search, including encouraging purposeful career planning, and promoting students to potential employers.
• Must be thorough, good with follow-through, and able to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team and with numerous diverse constituencies.
• Ability to take an energetic and creative approach to identifying professional development trends.
• Excellent supervisory, interpersonal, counseling, and programming skills.
• Demonstrated maturity, energy, initiative, professionalism, attention to detail, ability to follow through, positive demeanor, and an understanding of the critical importance of confidentiality are absolutely essential.
• Ability to be creative, supportive, and thoughtful in problem-solving while considering diverse perspectives.
• Ability to promote an inclusive environment which reflects the broad diversity and backgrounds represented by law school students, staff, faculty, and community members.

What We Would Like You To Have

• A Juris Doctor degree.
• Experience counseling and marketing law students and/or lawyers.
• Experience creating effective job search strategies for law students in the current job market.
• Experience with web-based legal career research systems, social media, and ways of applying technology to be as efficient and effective as possible.
• A network of connections in Colorado and elsewhere that can be accessed to assist students in finding employment.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. A current resume/CV.
2. A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.

Please apply by December 12, 2022 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs .

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources

Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu