The Office of Career and Professional Development comprises a team of advisors, all of whom have law degrees and practical experience in different areas of law, and an excellent support staff dedicated to helping each student achieve their career goal.
The OCPD will hold an orientation for incoming students on September 4 and 5, followed by smaller meetings with advisors September 17 – 19.
"As the recruiting timeline for law students has accelerated considerably over the past few years, our office has pivoted to stay on top of this shifting landscape. We stay very plugged in to the national and local hiring trends to ensure that our students are positioned for success," said Amy Perez, assistant dean for career development. "We want them to have the information they need to effectively and timely execute their job searches."
Several new professionals have joined the office of 12 advisors and support staff on building A's first floor (room 112).
David Fernandez, an associate director, advises J.D. students and students enrolled in the Tax and Estate Planning LLM Programs.
Ana Latour Grande, J.D. '91, also joins the office as an associate director and J.D. student advisor, and will execute a myriad of programming and events, including the private sector career fair and exceptionally popular Evening with Esquires Networking Dinner, co-hosted with the Student Bar Association and funded by LAFAC.
The student-sponsored networking event brings 50 attorneys in a spate of practice areas for a cocktail hour, where they mingle with students. Then, they have dinner, with seating based on career interest. "There are 150 student tickets for Evening with Esquires," said Perez. "I am not comparing them to Taylor Swift concert tickets, but last year they were snapped up in under eight minutes."
With the retirement of Maria “Luly” Chisholm, the law school’s beloved employer relations coordinator who carried a treasure trove of institutional historical knowledge, Venezuelan-trained attorney Maria Carvallo has joined the office. Carvallo, who is charged with coordinating 1,000s of applications for student interviews and is the direct point of contact with the employers, “has absolutely hit the ground running," said Perez. "The transition on this critical role has been seamless.
"With Ana and David joining our team of advisors, we are extremely well positioned to serve our students. We truly love what we do and look forward to another year of helping students achieve their career goals," said Perez.
Read more about the Office of Career and Professional Development.
