Feature
Susan C. Robinson - Stanford Law School Career Dean By Donna McGill Susan C. Robinson, Associate Dean for Career Services at Stanford Law School, made the decision to leave the private sector so that she could focus on really making a difference within the legal profession where it really counts: those who are beginning their educations. Keep reading to learn more about Robinson and the role she was meant to fill.
With a BA from Wellesley College and after graduating with her JD from Columbia University School of Law, Susan Robinson went to work in the private sector. After working in the San Francisco firm of Farella, Braun, Martell LLP and then Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe, Robinson decided to leave it behind in 1997 and pursue an entirely different career path: that of a career dean. She began as Stanford Law School’s associate director before being promoted to associate dean for career services. She is focused, dedicated and efficient. Her staff all look to her for guidance and leadership. She manages and oversees the entire department and is involved in the counseling, programming and recruiting efforts for the campus. She knows, too, the problems law graduates face these days once they’re ready to enter the job market. She admits the economy is less than ideal, but also is quick to say it has led to creative efforts by those looking for legal work. ‘’The economy was a catalyst for change’’, she said at a recent NALP Annual Education Conference, held in San Juan Puerto Rico. ‘’It has encouraged students to be more creative I how they go about a job search and enabled career services offices to support them in that effort’’. To that end, the school’s Career Services Department brings on student assistants for full time summer positions. They encourage those who are considering law school to apply. The
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goal is to provide a glimpse into the inner workings of colleges in general and certainly, law schools. These students aid in administrative tasks, marketing efforts, website upkeep and even graphic design efforts. Further, they introduce these students to law firms by encouraging an open dialogue with various phone calls over the summer months. In return, they provide an impressive hourly rate and reiterate the friendly office that supports harmony and good times. Robinson’s staff is a professional group who think highly of her and truly enjoy the roles they play not only within the Office of Career Services, but Stanford Law School as a whole. With a director for international and advanced degrees, an assistant director who focuses solely on the private sector, a director who works with students as they seek judicial clerkships and a private sector counselor, students enjoy a well rounded and prepared staff who work to ensure their educational careers are solid. For prospective students, the staff makes available a complete career library, access to various programs, an interview program that introduces more than 300 potential employers to law students, a program established solely for first year students and of course, a judicial clerkship program. This hard work pays off with a 96% employment rate of graduates within the first year after graduation. To learn more about this impressive staff, and Robinson herself, can be found at Law.Stanford.edu.
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