Variable Hours Officer, Specialist Career Adviser - Morningside, New York, United States (2024)

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• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 20
• Salary Range: $60.00/hour- $60.00/hour

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

The Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law and Careers (PI/PS) at Columbia Law School provides career services, programming, and specialized opportunities to students and graduates interested in exploring public interest, government, and human rights careers. PI/PS is one of the largest and most specialized public interest advising centers at any U.S. law school and leads conversations on campus about cutting-edge racial and social justice issues and other intersections of law and justice. PI/PS also oversees the Law School’s pro bono program, Human Rights Internship Program, and the Max Berger ‘71 Public Interest/Public Service Fellows Program. Please visit https://www.law.columbia.edu/about/departments/PIPS and https://www.law.columbia.edu/careers/public-interest to learn more.

The Variable Hours Officer- Specialist Career Adviser at PI/PS assists with management, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive public interest professional development program for Columbia Law School students (JDs and LL.Ms) regarding public interest legal careers. The incumbent educates, counsels and assists Columbia Law students regarding their careers through individual counseling and through a program of guest lecturers, panels, workshops and other activities. The majority of the incumbent’s time focuses on advising and supporting 1L JDs pursuing summer internships and careers in public interest, and all students interested in impact litigation, social movement lawyering and other areas of public interest lawyering.

The position is a flexible part-time (20 hours/week) role that requires one day onsite each week.

Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Dean of the PI/PS Office, the Specialist Career Adviser:

1. Counsels and assists individual students (JDs and LL.Ms) interested in learning about public interest work, including those who want to pursue this work for summer or term-time internships or postgraduate positions – with the majority of time focused on 1L JDs. Counseling includes curricular advising, road mapping students’ engagement with public interest opportunities at CLS, as well as summer internship and career advising and support.

2. Advises and supports all students interested in impact litigation, social movement lawyering and other areas of public interest lawyering, through counseling, employer outreach, application review, fellowship support and programming.

3. Oversees specialized 1L programming to prepare applicants for public interest summer position applications and interviews, including resume/cover letter programs, “The Scoop” and the PI/PS Mock Interview Program. Serves as the PI/PS office liaison with public interest job fairs like PILC and EJW, and leads efforts to prepare students for these job fairs. Tracks 1L summer employment.

4. Works with other PI/PS advisers in the development, presentation and evaluation of a comprehensive cycle of programs on public interest professional development and related issues for students, which include speakers, panels, workshops, webinars and web content. Assists with development of printed and web-based materials and publications, webinars, videos and other resources to educate, train and support students interested in public interest careers. Participates in PI/PS subcommittees and admitted students’ programming.

5. Collaborates with other PI/PS advisers, Law School student and affinity groups, Law School Centers and other stakeholders to present programs, workshops, reading groups or other opportunities or support to students interested in social justice issues.

6. Performs additional responsibilities as assigned and requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. required.
• Experience in public interest/public service advocacy required.
• Five years of professional experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Experience with impact litigation, social movement lawyering or similar public interest lawyering practice preferred. Experience as a counselor for, or manager of, a law-related public interest hiring program, fellowship program, internship program, law school advising program or pro bono program preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working successfully with students or constituents of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, orientations, abilities, cultural backgrounds and diverse perspectives required.
• Interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion and an eagerness to prioritize these values within all aspects of the work.
• Superior research, oral and written communication skills (including public speaking), outstanding interpersonal and organization skills and computer literacy required.
• Ability to design and manage own projects with minimal supervision, to be organized and a self-starter, be part of a diverse and collegial team, to work under pressure and to balance competing responsibilities necessary.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend work may be required.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.