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The Associate Director of Legal Studies Admissions is an integral part of the Legal Studies team in the Law School at Vanderbilt University and is primarily responsible for management of the Legal Studies admissions, outreach, and enrollment efforts. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
LL.M. recruitment, admissions, post admissions outreach, international outreach;
M.L.S. admissions and admissions operations;
international exchange agreements and operations;
international exchange programs throughout Legal Studies including the
undergraduate Legal Studies minor;
and international alumni relations.
Reports directly to the Assistant Dean for Legal Studies. This position is located in Nashville, TN and is expected to work in person, on campus four days a week.
About the Work Unit:
Among the nation’s leading law schools, Vanderbilt stands out for its distinguished faculty; highly talented students; collegial and collaborative school culture; graduates’ top-tier employment outcomes; and global alumni network. The Legal Studies team of professionals serves and delivers all educational programming at the Law School outside of the residential J.D. program. The Legal Studies team operates the admission and enrollment of the domestic LL.M. program, operates the undergraduate Legal Studies minor, and operates all aspects of the MLS program from admission to course delivery. The Legal Studies team serves prospective students, the Law School, enrolled students, alumni, and the larger legal profession through its commitment to high standards of professional conduct and ethical behavior, accuracy and candor in providing information to prospective students; adherence to principles of equity and inclusion; respect for confidentiality; and excellent customer service.
Key Functions and Expected Performance:
Student selection, recruitment, and LL.M. Program Management
Direct the full LL.M. application, interview, admission, scholarship, and recruitment processes, in close consultation with the Assistant Dean for Legal Studies.
Develop and implement effective international recruitment, admission, and yield strategies through analysis of foreign application trends in consultation with the Assistant Dean for Legal Studies.
Travel and represent the Law School at domestic and international recruitment events as well as coordinate alumni and faculty representation at these events.
Review and evaluate candidate applications, analyze and interpret foreign transcripts and degree programs, and make application decision recommendations.
Direct and strategize the LL.M. scholarship award process and annual budget.
Maintain statistical reports on admissions data and scholarship awards for distribution to the Assistant Dean for Legal Studies and various Law School constituencies.
Responsible for planning and allocation of the advertising and recruiting budgets, in consultation with the Assistant Dean for Legal Studies.
Develop and update print and online marketing publications and materials in collaboration with the Assistant Dean for Legal Studies and the Law Communications & Marketing department.
Direct all communications with applicants, including the production of decision letters and post-admission mailings and email communications with third-party vendors.
Collaborate with the Legal Studies Admissions Coordinator to manage all admissions processes.
Student selection and M.L.S. Program Management
Review and evaluate candidate applications for the M.L.S. program in a timely manner and make application decisions in consultation with the Assistant Dean for Legal Studies.
Direct scholarship programming and coordinate with the Legal Studies Program Manager to host information and online prospective student events.
Collaborate with the Legal Studies Admissions Coordinator to manage all admissions processes.
Oversight and Direction of all LL.M. and International Programming
Liaise with the University Office of International Student and Scholar Services, University Office of Financial Aid, the University Registrar, and the University English Language Center to administer services to incoming LL.M. students and ensure a smooth transition to the LL.M. program.
International Outreach & Exchange Programs
Develop professional networks and maintain relationships with international law firms, law faculty, the New York Board of Law Examiners and other credentialing and educational organizations (i.e., Fulbright and Education USA) to promote referrals of prospective students and increase yield and to keep abreast of policies and requirements for foreign educated lawyers.
Strategize and assist with the implementation of new exchange initiatives (i.e., hosting visiting judges through visiting scholar programs and developing international student exchange agreements with foreign law schools) to increase international visibility.
Represent the law school at international outreach events and visits to international universities; present and serve on graduate legal education panels.
Coordinate international alumni recruiting outreach and admissions interviews for LL.M. applicants, in close cooperation with the Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations. Act as liaison with international alumni network to enlist support in recruiting and to enhance and develop programs to improve admission yield and student diversity.
Plan, host, and attend international receptions for alumni, admitted candidates, and prospective students.
Supervisory Relationships:
This position does not have supervisory responsibility and reports administratively and functionally to the Assistant Dean for Legal Studies.
Qualifications:
A bachelor’s degree is necessary. A master’s degree is preferred.
A minimum of 7 years of experience in admissions, the legal field or relevant industry is necessary.
Experience in a higher education setting or student services environment is preferred.
Executive level interpersonal and communication skills are necessary.
Ability to perform complex tasks and to prioritize multiple projects is necessary.
Strong organizational, project management skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office and university and law school systems are necessary.
Expert ability and experience managing multiple constituencies and building relationships is necessary.
This position is expected to travel internationally over several weeks during the Fall semester.
This position is located in Nashville, TN and is expected to work in person, on campus four days a week.