Feature
Abbie Willard, Associate Dean of Career Services By Teresa Cajot Abbie Willard has been serving students and alumni in their career development needs for nearly thirty years now. As the Associate Dean of Career Services and Policy Initiatives at the University of Chicago Law School in Illinois, Willard continues to share her wealth of knowledge and experience with a new class of law students this school year.
Willard joined the staff of eight others within the University of Chicago Law School’s Office of Career Services in 2003. In addition to providing individual career counseling services, the office also organizes a number of recruitment programs and offers a variety of career-building resources.
In 2000, Willard was presented with the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) Mark of Distinction Award for lifelong dedication to career services. She has held the position of NALP President and has also served as the Chair of the NALP Research and Education Foundation.
Prior to joining the Office of Career Services, Willard served as the American Bar Foundation’s Director of External Affairs. The foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting justice through the research of law, its processes, and its imprint on society.
Additionally, as a member of the executive coordination committee for ‘’After the JD- The First 10 Years,’’ she was involved in an in-depth study of attorney careers in the first decade following graduation. The initial surveyed was conducted in 2002, followed by surveys in 2007 and 2010.
Willard also spent more than 21 years with the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. Her position, Assistant Dean, carried a number of duties including providing student and alumni career services. Additionally, she was responsible for overseeing publications and marketing strategies and was involved in the development of web policy and content. During her tenure with the law center, Willard was honored with the Georgetown University McCarthy Award for Excellence in Administration and Service.
Her publications include, but are not limited to, the following: The Lateral Lawyer, Perceptions of Partnership, and Keeping the Keepers: Strategies for Associate Retention (NALP Foundation for Research and Education) with Paula Patton.
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Willard earned her Ph.D from the University of Illinois.
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