Job Description

SUMMARY

The Assistant Director, Special Projects (Assistant Director) is a critical player in the oversight and management of all special projects within the department. The Assistant Director plays a pivotal role in, and assumes responsibility for, planning, implementing, and executing a wide range of activities that align with the departments strategic initiatives involving judicial internships, judicial clerkships, and alumni engagement.

The Assistant Director counsels students on general career goals, objectives, and job searches.

The Assistant Director is responsible for developing and implementing all functions related to student recruiting processes falling under the purview of judicial directives including judicial internship and clerkship programs. The Assistant Director is specifically responsible for connecting the judiciary with South Texas Law students to secure internships, field placements, and post-graduate clerkship opportunities.

The Assistant Director will serve as a liaison between the Career Services Office and Office of Alumni Engagement to assist in the creation, development, and implementation of novel platforms and programs designed to establish and sustain engagement between the student body and the alumni community. The Assistant Director will serve as lateral support for existing projects.

The Assistant Director will assist in development and execution of other projects as needed for the Career Resource Center as deemed necessary and appropriate.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

The Assistant Director will stay current on trends and best practices in legal hiring, career development, and judicial clerkships, through professional development activities, conferences, and networking opportunities to cultivate and maintain relationships with legal employers, including alumni community for South Texas College of Law Houston, law firms, government agencies, corporations, non-profit organizations, and the judiciary and facilitate engagement and job opportunities for students and alumni.

Career Counseling:

Provide individualized career counseling services for proportional share of student body (300+ law students comprised of 1L, 2L, 3L, full-time/part-time/online populace) in all facets of the practice of law, as well as non-legal/non-traditional areas, in which students might utilize their law degrees, including but not limited to: Big Law Firms, Mid-sized Law Firms, Small Law Firms, Government, Public Interest, Judicial Internships, Judicial Clerkships, and Juris Doctorate Advantage Opportunities. Counseling in these areas should include guidance on the development of career goals, job-search strategies, and interview/networking skills.

Counsel students regarding participation, policies, and procedures in all recruiting events and programs in which the College participates.

Counsel students on interview skills and conduct mock interviews to evaluate and improve student performance and preparation.

Conduct review of student marketing materials, including resumes and cover letters, to format documents according to standards within the legal job market and provide tailored feedback to enhance marketability.

Maintain working and functional knowledge of available resources and protocols to facilitate the provision of trauma-informed counseling to identify students in crisis and offer support and appropriate resources.

Judicial Programming and Outreach:

The Assistant Director is responsible for advancing and complementing all aspects of judicial recruitment including cultivation, management, and maintenance of outreach while developing, executing, and refining program offerings, student development initiatives, and networking events that align with the school's mission. In doing so, they will be responsible for:

• Cultivating new and long-term relationships with the judiciary;

• Representing the law school to internal and external audiences to promote and enhance opportunity for student and alumni placement across sectors in the legal profession;

• Overseeing the strategic planning and execution of the college’s fall, spring, and summer judicial internship resume collect programs. Including all registration mechanisms, processes, and deadlines;

• Collaborating with the “Judicial Clerkship Committee” to develop content regarding judicial clerkships and disseminate information about state and federal judicial clerkships to encourage, assist, and provide advice regarding the judicial clerkship process. Including, but not limited to:

• Creating and revising all existing materials;
• Developing and maintaining online presence to support those seeking judicial clerkship;

• Understanding the judicial clerkship application processes, procedures, and timelines (which differ from Court to Court and Judge to Judge) to provide robust one-on-one counseling for Judicial Clerkships and assist in developing strategies for searching of a position and perfecting applications;

• Creating and maintaining a comprehensive tracking system that identities former and current judicial law clerks from STCLH;

• Researching, identifying, and where appropriate, developing opportunities for funding of unpaid positions, specifically as related to judicial internships;

• Developing and implementing judicial internship and clerkship workshops, from start to finish, to ensure successful program delivery and high yields of satisfaction:
• Ownership of all program processes (planning, deadlines, internal metrics, day-of issues); identification, sourcing, and scheduling of all collaborators; preparation of all program materials and marketing materials (both print and electronic platforms); development and execution of departmental marketing efforts (social media, email, etc.).
• Collaborate with the Career Resource Center Coordinator to confirm reservations, layout, catering, and logistics with third parties, vendors, and other departments, including Security, Property Services, and Information Technology Services.

Alumni Engagement:

The Assistant Director will serve as a liaison between the Career Services Office and Office of Alumni Engagement to assist in the creation, development, and implementation of novel platforms and programs designed to establish and sustain engagement between the student body and the alumni community, including, but not limited to:

• Research, identifying, and where appropriate, developing mentorship opportunities;

• Providing lateral support for existing projects.

Other:

Work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Provide support in all aspects of the office.

Represent the Career Resource Center on the College's and professional associations' committees and present programs at professional meetings and conferences.

Assist in the development and implementation of career planning and placement programs, activities and materials.

Complies with all aspects of the law school’s Customer Service Standards.

Other duties as assigned to contribute to the overall mission and goals of the law school and the Career Resource Center.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

N/A

Competitive Benefits Package for full-time staff

• All Health/Dental/Vision Insurance Coverage Effective on your date of hire
• CIGNA Plus Medical & Prescription Coverage (Employee Only Semi-Monthly $71.92)
• CIGNA Dental & Vision (Employee Only Semi-Monthly $3.56)
• HSA/FSA Medical Savings Accounts
• Pet Insurance.
• Life Insurance covered by the law school at two times your basic annual salary.
• Optional Life Insurance for employee and spouse
• Short & Long Term Disability coverage no cost to employee
• 403(b) employee only contribution; auto-enrolled at 2%
• 401(a) Employer contributes 8% of your salary after 1 year and worked 1,000 hours.
• Paid Leave Time, New Employees earn 1 day (7.5 hours) per month
• Sick Leave Time, New Employees Sick leave will be prorated based on the hire date at 9.375 hours per month for the first partial year of employment. On January 1st, staff employees are eligible for 15 days sick leave at full pay.
• 18 Paid Holidays 2024
• Employee and Dependent Tuition Remission options
• FREE Downtown Employee Parking
• Discount Tickets to STCLH Sporting Events for Employee and Family
• On Campus Cafe

Job Location Houston, Texas, United States Position Type Full-Time/Regular Salary 72,500.00 - 84,500.00 USD

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

A poised and professional image is required and the selected candidate should possess the following attributes and skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively and efficiently with all visitors and students while projecting a positive image for the Career Resource Center and the College;
• Service oriented with the ability to make all customers feel welcome;
• Proficiency in Windows-based software, word processing, desktop publishing and database skills (Microsoft applications such as Word, Access, and PowerPoint preferred);
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team in a fast paced environment with multiple interruptions;
• Self-starter with ability to prioritize and organize.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

JD preferred. Previous judicial clerking experience is a plus.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Possess good oral and written communication skills with ability to accurately proofread all outgoing material.

Ability to respond professionally to inquiries or complaints from students and members of the legal or business community.

Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.

Ability to present information effectively to various constituents such as students, alumni, employers, and other groups.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Basic math skills

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define routine problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions to solve routine problems and/or deal with a variety of variables in situations, especially when other Career Resource Center members may be out of the office or unavailable. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

N/A

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk and listen. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk. Occasional light to moderate lifting from floor level, at waist, and above shoulders required . Infrequent bending and stooping necessary. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision in order to accurately input data and proofread, and distance vision in order to recognize and assist visitors to the Center.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function. Must adhere to published Customer Service Standards.

Fast paced, multi-tasking, non-smoking work environment. Must be able to work the general business schedule of the College (9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) plus occasional evenings and weekends as necessary.