Director of Public Interest and Community Engagement – Cornell Law School

Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School is a top-tier law school, currently ranked 14th by U.S. News & World Report. We offer a 3-year JD program for about 200 students per class, a one-year LLM program for about 90 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (JSD) program for about 2-3 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 20 with chaired faculty positions; and 15 clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level. Our faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence, and has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields. Our school is committed to being recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.

What you will do:

The Director of Public Interest and Community Engagement serves as an integral member of Cornell Law School’s Career Development Office, supporting student and alumni career goals with a focus on experiential public interest opportunities. In particular, the Director supports all current students and alumni who seek to incorporate public interest and to address access to justice issues into their legal careers. This includes leading employer services in the public interest sector and providing counseling to students and alumni on all aspects of their public interest and government job searches (e.g. short-term and long-term employment opportunities with government employers and non-profit organizations, and summer opportunities with local, state, and federal judges). Other duties include:

• Collaborating with the Associate Dean of Experiential Education and the Associate Dean for Career Development to identify and develop community and public service opportunities for current students and alumni, supervising projects as needed.
• Enhancing existing resources, programming, and outreach to government agencies and non-profit organizations.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with legal employers, including recruitment of new legal employers.
• Planning and implementing signature events, including the annual Public Interest Academy, Public Services Awards Reception, and the Rhodes Symposium.
• Creating various publications, reports, and resources.
• Preparing and administering the annual budget for public service.
• Partner and support the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development’s funding initiatives.
• Representing the Law School on national organizations and attending national meetings and conferences such as NALP, Equal Justice Works, and the New York State Committee on Access to Justice.

While position responsibilities vary, all people leaders are expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment by being trustworthy; respecting all individuals; being flexible; supporting work/life integration as well as healthy boundaries; inviting new ideas, alternatives, and perspectives; speaking up and taking action if others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and recognizing the contributions of others.

What we need:

• Bachelor’s degree and 5-7 years of experience, or equivalent professional experience in higher education administration or legal practice.
• Thorough understanding of the legal field to facilitate the counseling of students and alumni. Creativity and initiative to develop new programming and enhance existing offerings.
• Organizational and analytical skills to capture and evaluate statistical data.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated maturity and tact under pressure.
• Creativity and initiative in producing placement material.
• Ability to organize and analyze statistical reports.
• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• Proven experience connecting diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing practices to business goals.

If you possess these experiences and skills this may be the role for you! Another qualification that we would view as incredibly helpful in this role would include:

• JD or equivalent law school degree.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is located in Ithaca, New York. The position will allow for hybrid work flexibility. The New York Convenience of Employer guidelines require New York State individual tax reporting and withholdings for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if working temporarily outside New York State.
• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: https://hr.cornell.edu/benefits-pay.
• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: https://hr.cornell.edu/jobs/your-total-rewards.
• Our leave provisions include three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
• Cornell’s impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children’s Tuition Assistance Program.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position

Familiarize yourself with Cornell’s COVID-19 workplace guidance as well as the university’s COVID-19 services and information.

University Job Title:

Student Career Services Associate III

Job Family:

Student Services

Level:

G

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Pay Range:

$79,477.00 – $97,139.00

Remote Option Availability:

Hybrid

Company:

Endowed

Contact Name:

Liz Flint

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience
• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position
• Unique applicable skills
• Academic Discipline

To learn more about Cornell’s non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

Union Positions

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell’s union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

Current Employees:

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Online Submission Guidelines:

Most positions at Cornell will require you to apply online and submit both a resume/CV and cover letter. You can upload documents either by “dragging and dropping” them into the dropbox or by using the “upload” icon on the application page. For more detailed instructions on how to apply to a job at Cornell, visit How We Hire on the HR website.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email [email protected].

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University’s Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at [email protected].

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing [email protected].

Notice to Applicants:

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEO Statement:

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law. 

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

2024-09-12

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