Law Schools

Finding Your Place In The Complex Environment Of A Law School

Where does a Career Services staffer fit in the broader universe of a law school?

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The ecosystem of a law school, while not as biodiverse as say the Everglades of my native South Florida, still contains a multitude of differing species, ranging from students to faculty to staff.  To an outside observer, and in fact, often times to law students themselves, the entirety of the non-student portion of a law school consists of the faculty; however, they are but a subset of the overall number of school employees — at least in terms of raw numbers.  In fact, a good portion of a law school’s staff are rarely seen by the student body. Much like a duck, they furiously work below the surface to ensure that the visible aspects of the law school appear to function effortlessly.

Those of us in Career Services operate both above and below the water — were it not for personal phobias that cover much of the animal population that resides in the Everglades, I would have a better ecological analogy, but alas.

While we lack the gravitas of the faculty for the simple fact that, at most schools, we do not give out grades, CSO does regularly interact with a range of different law school stakeholders including students, alumni, as well employers.  In fact, these interactions occur on a far more regular basis than perhaps any other single group at a law school, especially when it comes to all three of those aforementioned groups bunched together.  So where does a Career Services staffer fit in the broader universe of a law school?  What are some tensions that can arise?  How can they be best resolved?

The easiest group with whom you can integrate and ingratiate are your fellow law school staff members.  These colleagues you see everyday and, by fostering positive professional relationships with them, can make your job in CSO much easier.  Learning about newly arrived 1Ls from the Admissions Office can help you more quickly develop a connection with students as well as identifying those who might need additional assistance.  When it becomes clear to you that a student needs help outside of the job context, a referral to the Dean of Students can be more enthusiastic when you know of the past successes of that office.  One potential issue is that as more and more new CSO hires are attorneys, there is the chance of alienation with the rest of the law school staff, many of whom do not have a J.D.  However, this does not need to be the case.  Work with your staff colleagues and show that you are part of the team, all striving for the same goal.

When working closely with students, recognize that as a CSO staffer, you are likely not going to have the same relationship as students have with the faculty.  That is not necessarily a bad thing.  If the student-faculty relationship is somewhat akin to that between a parent and a child, then position yourself as the cool aunt or uncle.  Not the stern disciplinarian, but rather someone students can talk to about a litany of issues, including, but not limited to employment matters.

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In my admittedly limited time in CSO, perhaps the most important word to summarize the best relationships I have had with students is “respect.”  Since those of us in CSO lack the inherent respect that comes from issuing grades, we have to be a bit inventive.  There is a reason that my work email signature block states after my name “Esq.”  While I’m loath to use that title — and have only ever done so on a regular basis when trying to extract better terms from previous landlords — it does, hopefully, signal to students that my emails need to be read before ending up in the trash folder.  Once you have had an opportunity to demonstrate your insight and employment knowledge to a student, that respect should flow, regardless of how you sign your emails.

Perhaps the greatest tension for those who work in CSO can arise with the faculty.  As those tasked with actually teaching students the law, the faculty are, obviously, the face of the law school.  They also have the highest degree of impact on the student body, since it will be the faculty who determines which students actually become law school graduates.  With this great level of authority and responsibility can come a sense that the faculty issues are paramount.  This can lead to a clash each Fall when class schedules come in conflict with the Fall Recruiting cycle.  Students who miss multiple classes for callbacks across the country can earn the ire of faculty members who, justifiably, feel that a student who has a job will be relatively useless to a firm if they do not understand the law.  In addition, echoing potential issues between those in CSO with a J.D. and the rest of the law school staff, law school faculty are often graduates of the highest ranked law schools in the country, with a briefcase full of academic awards, prestigious clerkships and Biglaw experience.  They might be loathe to listen to others to whom they do not directly report.  But there is no need for animosity because everyone is seeking the same goal, to create the best and most satisfying experience for the student body.  Once that common goal is recognized, potential issues can fall by the wayside.  In addition, there are numerous ways that staff and faculty can interact in ways that bolster the relationship between the two entities.  At Vanderbilt, we have had great success with social and educational events that bring the two groups together.  Be it educational lunches where faculty and/or staff share their particular expertise with the wider group, happy hours, or holiday parties, enjoying each others company is a way to break down any walls and see the person beyond the job title.

Journalist Michael Grunwald wrote that the Everglades, is home to “countless [] species that didn’t seem to belong on the same continent, much less in the same ecosystem,” which at times can be how a law school feels to any of its inhabitants, not just those who work in Career Services.  But by developing relationships with fellow staffers, students, and the faculty, you can successfully navigate the River of Grass.

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Nicholas Alexiou is the Director of LL.M. and Alumni Advising as well as the Associate Director of Career Services at Vanderbilt University Law School. He will, hopefully, respond to your emails at abovethelawcso@gmail.com.

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