Feature
Laurel Hajek, Assistant Dean for Career Services By Teresa Cajot Laurel Hajek is not the kind of person who can leave her work at the office. Perhaps it’s because she has been a law student in search of guidance, a graduate in search of a job, and a professional involved in a career transition and wants to share her knowledge.
Or perhaps she simply enjoys helping students and alumni achieve success, but regardless of the reason, it is obvious that Laurel Hajek has a strong dedication to her job. In fact, her commitment is so strong that she continues to consider the needs of the students and alumni who seek her assistance even after leaving the campus. As the Assistant Dean for the Career Services Office at the John Marshall Law School, Hajek is responsible for a staff of nine who serve students and alumni with job search and career concerns. Hajek’s job further requires her to be involved in the law school’s on-campus recruitment programs, employer outreach endeavors, work study programs, job posting services, and clerkship application processes. Additionally, she arranges more than 60 programs and receptions throughout the year and also presents a number of workshops and speeches with the help of her staff. In an interview with YLDNews last year, Hajek admitted that although she thoroughly enjoys the variety that her job offers, it is not always possible to walk away at the end of the day. ‘’You get to know students really well and sometimes it is tough to go home at night and stop thinking of the students you met with that day.’’ She further remarks that as a result of the current economic problems, it is increasingly difficult for both graduates and experienced attorneys to find employment. ‘’Meeting with attorneys who have lost their jobs is also very difficult. No matter how many times you have met with people struggling to find work, it never gets easier,’’ said Hajek. However, the services provided by her and her staff have proved to be invaluable to many. As a former attorney and a current law school administrator, Hajek is well qualified to guide students in pursuing both traditional legal careers and non-traditional careers within the legal field.
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Hajek holds a JD from Vanderbilt University School of Law and also has a MBA from the University of Cincinnati. Immediately following her graduation from law school, she joined McConnaughhay Roland Maida & Cherr, a Florida litigation firm. However, after three years she left the firm and returned to school to work toward her MBA. During this break, Hajek questioned whether she truly wanted to practice law. In her next career move, she joined the Cincinnati office of Ernst & Young LLP as a senior consultant. She remained with Ernst & Young for three years, during which time she worked her way up to the position of manager. Although she had never contemplated a career in school administration, Hajek applied to a posting for an Assistant Dean of Career Services at the University of Dayton Law School in 1999. In her new position, she performed a broad range of duties including counseling students and alumni in career planning, job search methods, and bar admission. Additionally, she managed the Career Services Office staff, presented workshops and seminars, arranged for on-campus recruiting events, and handled legal employer outreach efforts. During this time, she also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem and volunteered as a board member for a homeless shelter. Hajek remained with the University of Dayton Law School until 2004, when she joined the John Marshall Law School. Hajek has been involved with the National Association of Law Placement and served as the president of the Ohio Law Placement Consortium. Furthermore, she is active in a number of local bar associations such as the Chicago Bar Association, the North Suburban Bar Association, the Bohemian Lawyers Association, and the Advocates Society.
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