Meet the CSO Staff
The Career Services Office (“CSO”) partners with students and alumni on all aspects of their career development through individual career counseling, specialized programming, and extensive resources. The CSO sponsors a variety of recruitment programs, networking events, and other initiatives to connect students with private, public, and judicial sector employers. We educate students and alumni on personal and skills-based self-assessment, developing effective job search campaigns and strategies, workplace professionalism, and the diverse range of career opportunities available to those with legal education and training.
Our career advisors come from a variety of legal backgrounds, with professional experience ranging from private practice to public interest and government, to academia and nonprofit organizations. We encourage students to maintain regular contact and take advantage of access to their individual career advisor for job search strategy sessions, resume and cover letter review, interview preparation, or simply for encouragement and advice.
Meet the Career Services Team
- Oscar Teran, Associate Dean
Most recently, Oscar served as Western State's Director of Career Development. Oscar's higher education experience also includes serving as the Founding Director of the DREAM Center at UC-Irvine, Assistant Director of Career Services at Chapman Law, and Director of the Alumni Mentor Program at his alma mater, UC-Hastings.Before entering higher education, Oscar served as a staff attorney at Bay Area Legal Aid in San Jose, California Rural Legal Assistance in Delano, Positive Resource Center in San Francisco, and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid in El Paso.
He is admitted to practice law in California and Texas, has been active in National Association for Law Placement, and has taught leadership courses through Chapman University's Attallah College of Educational Studies. - Elizabeth Bernstein, Director
A member of the Career Services Office since 2004, Ms. Bernstein counsels students and alumni on legal career path options, resume and cover letter drafting, interviewing skills, and formulating career goals. She coordinates and presents workshops on career planning and law student professionalism. Additionally, she oversees the Alumni Resource Network directory, a platform to help students and fellow alumni as they navigate career path questions.
Ms. Bernstein is an active member of the Los Angeles Area Legal Recruitment Association (LAALRA), where she was a recent board member and now serves on the Membership Care Committee. She is a graduate of the Ohio State University and is a Certified Practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. ® - Jody Stein, Esq., Senior Assistant Director
Ms. Stein advises students and alumni on all aspects of their job search preparation, including providing support as they clarify their career goals and strategize their employment searches. She comes to Southwestern Law School with a background in employment law, having started her career litigating discrimination claims on behalf of employees at a small Los Angeles firm. Ms. Stein continued her work in the field of employment law with a human resources consulting firm for which she has written regular employment law updates, conducted trainings on building respectful workplaces, and investigated discrimination claims in the workplace. She received her J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Ms. Stein is a member of the California State Bar. - Yvette Gonzalez, Esq., Assistant Director
Ms. Gonzalez counsels students and alumni on career planning and job search strategies, networking, and resume and cover letter drafting. She started her legal career at a large, international law firm where she focused on employment law and insurance litigation. She then transitioned to the private sector where she was a Director of Recruiting for a national legal staffing agency for over 10 years. Ms. Gonzalez received her J.D. from Loyola Law School and her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Stanford University. Ms. Gonzalez is a member of the California State Bar. - Sami Jarbawi, Esq., Lawyers for America Program Director
In his capacity as the Lawyers for America Program Director, Mr. Jarbawi spearheads the establishment of a fellowship program aimed at creating a robust pipeline for Southwestern Law School graduates to secure public interest positions in Los Angeles. In addition, Mr. Jarbawi provides comprehensive counseling to students and alumni on legal career path options, including resume and cover letter drafting, networking, interviewing skills, and the formulation of career goals.Before joining the Career Services Office in 2024, Mr. Jarbawi practiced real estate law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Los Angeles, and subsequently served as Director of Business Development at Ontra, a global legal tech company. Mr. Jarbawi has also been involved in academia, having taught courses at Brown University in Rhode Island and Birzeit University in Palestine.
Mr. Jarbawi holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Judaic Studies from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley School of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of California and is fluent in Arabic.
- Giselle Martinez, Recruiting Coordinator
As the administrator of Southwestern’s On-Campus Interview (OCI) programs and manager of the Symplicity job board, Ms. Martinez is the primary point of contact for employers wanting to recruit Southwestern students and graduates. Additionally, she coordinates employer outreach campaigns and supervises the CSO student workers. Before joining the department, she worked with Southwestern’s Externship Office, Administrative Services Office, and Registrar. Ms. Martinez has a background in Placement Services and Financial Aid Advising. She received her B.A. in Sociology and Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara.