Director of Public Service, School of Law

University of Virginia

$100K — $120K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's degree required; J.D. strongly preferred.
  • 5+ years of experience in law practice, including 3+ years in public service.
  • Experience in indigent defense, nonprofit advocacy, or government practice required.
  • Exceptional writing and project management skills.
  • Proven ability to build trust and rapport within a diverse community.

Responsibilities

  • Provide individualized counseling for law students and graduates on public service job searches.
  • Manage employer outreach and develop career resources and programming.
  • Facilitate interview preparation and application processes for students and graduates.
  • Administer public service summer and postgraduate fellowship programs.
  • Assist students in identifying externally funded fellowships and grants.

Benefits

  • Exempt-level position with benefits.
  • Opportunity for limited remote work in accordance with policy.
  • Engagement with a diverse student and employer community.
  • Support from a collaborative Public Service Center team.
  • Access to professional development and networking opportunities.
Full Job Description
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 incumbent will work closely with other members of the Public Service Center, the Office of Private Practice, and the Office of Judicial Clerkships.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

TO APPLY:

Apply online and search for requisition # R[redacted]. Internal applicants must apply through the UVA Internal Careers website . Complete the application, and attach the following:
  • Cover letter.
  • CV/resume.

Names and contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notice to the candidate.

Please note that ALL REQUESTED documents MUST be uploaded in the resume submission field, and you can combine documents into one PDF.

Applications that do not have all the required documents will not receive full consideration.

Review of applications is ongoing.

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Ryan Faulconer, Assistant Dean for Public Service, at [redacted] . Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Michele Jarman , Academic Recruiter.

The School of Law is located in Charlottesville, VA, a college town setting with natural beauty and significant historical relevance in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Charlottesville is a wonderful place to live with an extraordinary quality of life, often ranked among the best places to live in the United States.

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and Embark Central Virginia.

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