Public Service Program Director

The Public Service Program Director leads Southwestern’s Public Service Program (PSP), including pro bono initiatives, student engagement, and public-interest career development. The Director builds and sustains collaborations with legal services organizations and government agencies; designs and implements high-impact programs and recruiting events in collaboration with the Career Services team and Externship Office; assist students and recent graduates with fellowship applications; and counsels individual students. The Public Service Program Director is an exempt position and reports to the Associate Dean of Career Services. 

Key responsibilities:

Program Leadership & Strategy

  • Design, develop, and oversee pro bono legal service volunteer opportunities and training programs for students; launch initiatives to increase student participation and support.
  • In collaboration with senior leadership, establish annual goals and metrics (e.g., participation rates, training completions, pro bono hours); produce an annual PSP report for the Associate Dean, President & Dean, and Board of Trustees.
  • Create and update PSP guides, handouts, web pages, and related resources.
  • Plan and oversee an annual awards luncheon.
  • Maintain positive relationships with employers, alumni, students, staff, and faculty.
  • Serve on committees related to public service programming and awards. 

Pro Bono Operations, Compliance & Student Engagement

  • Collaborate with student organizations to design pro bono projects and student-led initiatives; help student groups manage projects.
  • Manage pro bono hour tracking and compile statistics for internal and external reporting.
  • Vet projects and host sites; ensure appropriate student supervision, scope-of-work, and confidentiality; manage memoranda of understanding; align with FERPA and various institutional risk policies.
  • Ensure programs and materials meet accessibility standards and support diverse student participation (e.g., online students across jurisdictions and part-time day students).
  • Advise on New York’s 50-hour pro bono bar-admission requirement and similar jurisdictional rules for interested students.

Career Development, Advising & Financial Literacy

  • Advise students and alumni on public service career goals, professional development, and legal job-search strategies; assess interests and recommend targeted avenues of exploration.
  • Counsel students on application procedures for summer, academic-year, and post-graduate roles, fellowships, and government honors programs; review materials for post-graduate public interest fellowships; track outcomes.
  • Develop and publicize programming (career programs, information sessions, speaker panels) focused on public service and pro bono.
  • Integrate financial literacy into programs and resources.
  • Stay current on federal student aid and repayment programs; coordinate with various offices, including Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Services, Externship, and Academic Success & Bar Preparation, to provide practical guidance on the financial implications of public service careers. 

Employer & External Relations / Recruiting

  • Expand employer relations and increase public-sector and public-interest opportunities; attend public service career conferences and fairs and promote these opportunities to students.
  • Forge positive relationships with alumni with public service backgrounds or careers.
  • Represent Southwestern on the Southern California Public Interest/Public Sector Career Day Consortium and facilitate student participation in its job fair.
  • Serve as the point person for post-graduate fellowship funders, host organizations, and student applicants.
  • In collaboration with the Institutional Advancement Office, identify and support grant opportunities and philanthropic collaborations that expand pro bono placements and funding for fellowships, scholarships, and other opportunities.
  • Represent Southwestern at national, regional, and local meetings of EJW, NALP, AALS, and interface with peer program directors.
  • Oversee public service job fairs and recruiting events in partnership with the Career Services Team and Externship Office. 

Administrative Responsibilities

  • Use data to make decisions and improve programming and processes.
  • Research and prepare public service and public interest award nominations for students and recent alumni.
  • Develop and manage the annual PSP budget.
  • Oversee some vendors and contracts.
  • Participate in regular campus-wide and departmental meetings.
  • Stay current with relevant accreditation standards.
  • Perform other work-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Job Requirements:

  • J.D. degree required; California bar admission preferred.
  • At least 5 years of experience in legal practice (and preferably in a public service setting such as a public interest organization or government agency) or career advising or counseling experience with law students.
  • Experience supervising or mentoring law students or lawyers. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

  • General knowledge about and strong interest to continue learning about the public service legal employment market and the legal community, includingpost-graduate public interest fellowships and other career opportunities within the local, national, and global legal community.
  • Enthusiasm for working with law students, lawyers, and the legal community.
  • Strong interest in counseling and guiding law students with respect to their professional development.
  • Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills; knowledge of legal resume and cover letter format.
  • Strong interpersonal, communication, active listening, public speaking, and presentation skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
  • Strong time management and organizational skills.
  • High levels of discretion and integrity.
  • Ability to work independently while welcoming feedback and guidance.
  • Ability to use Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), Canva, Canvas, Symplicity, Zoom, and Monday.com (project management tool).
  • Ability to work some evenings and weekends.
  • Ability to engage in some off-campus and out-of-state travel.

Salary: $100,000/year

To Apply: Emal cover letter and resume to jobs6@swlaw.edu