Associate Director of Academic Advising

American University•Washington, DC

16h•$75,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Academic Advising will promote the academic excellence of American University Washington College of Law students, from matriculation through graduation. The Associate Director will lead the law school’s advising efforts and will be responsible for conceptualizing and organizing all academic advising activities at the law school and individually providing academic advising to JD students. The incumbent will have a central role in the law school in ensuring that all students have the opportunity for appropriate, useful, targeted, and strategic academic advising and that they are knowledgeable about the law school’s myriad academic and student services. The Associate Director will work within the Office of Academic Excellence to help students achieve academic success both in law school and on the bar exam. Student fellows will report to the Associate Director. Although not a formal reporting relationship, the Associate Director will work closely with the faculty and staff who serve as advising volunteers to coordinate, coach, and train them in advising principles and best practices and will coordinate with law school subject matter experts on subject-matter specific advising. The Associate Director will also work collaboratively and closely with faculty and offices at the law school, including significant interaction with the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Career and Professional Development, and the Office of Financial Aid.

Requirements

Juris Doctor or equivalent.
4 - 6 years of relevant experience.
J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
Admission to the bar.
Minimum 5 years of experience advising or mentoring law students and/or law graduates preferably in the area of academic advising.
Deep knowledge of law school curricula, law school pedagogical approaches, and developments in the legal market.
Excellent interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated focus on empathy, sensitivity, and discretion.
Strong legal writing, research, and analysis skills.
Ability to build rapport with and gain trust of students, faculty and staff.
Strong oral presentation skills.
Demonstrated ability to exercise sound, ethical, and professional judgment.
Knowledge of FERPA and implementing regulations.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and social media platforms.
Must be self-motivated and able to initiate and set goals and prioritize tasks.
Demonstrated supervisory experience and attention to detail.
At least 1 year of legal practice or post-graduate clerkship.

Nice To Haves

Juris Doctor.
Travel to national or regional conferences or meetings as appropriate.

Responsibilities

Serve as the law school expert on academic advising for JD students.
Conceptualize, develop, structure, organize, and monitor the academic advising activities of the law school, including ensuring that students are informed about the law school’s academic and student services.
Develop best practices training materials for advisors, based on a deep knowledge of the legal market, school initiatives, and course offerings.
Develop student feedback mechanisms to monitor the efficacy of advising efforts and address, as necessary.
Develop comprehensive understanding of all administrative and substantive student resources and be able to convey them to all constituencies.
Draft and update graduation requirement guides for student use.
Work with faculty, staff, and student groups to coordinate substantive academic counseling efforts, including scheduling and development of materials.
With input from law school subject-matter experts, develop subject-matter specific academic advising guides based on curricular offerings, including information for students to understand the faculty, co-curricular, and administrative support options for different areas of study.
Maintain law school’s Academic Advising presence on the external website and internal platforms of the Office of Academic Excellence, including online scheduling, refreshing materials, and promoting academic advising information via social media.
Design, plan, schedule, and lead mandatory first year supplemental advising sessions (Compass).
Lead all aspects of the Compass program, collaborating with other student-facing offices.
In the lead-up to registration each semester, organize all advising activities of the Office of Academic Excellence and, in conjunction with other Office of Academic Excellence staff, personally advise students who seek advice on course selection and graduation requirements.
Review academic forms and meet with students as necessary.
Work with students and faculty on academic issues related to specific students.
Provide limited strategic counseling for students to improve their academic skills and achievement both in law school and on the bar exam.
Maintain an awareness of best practices for bar exam preparation and providing students feedback and advice about academic skills including the process of legal analysis, legal writing, and time management.
Develop a comprehensive understanding of the experience of JD students at WCL and implement services that support students’ academic experience and satisfaction with law school.
Serve on committees as assigned.
Supervise student workers.