About the role#
The Assistant Dean for Externships serves as the senior administrative leader responsible for directing the Law School’s student externship and field placement program. This role involves designing and implementing the externship curriculum, overseeing academic credit, and ensuring compliance with accreditation standards. The position reports to the Vice Dean and includes teaching the required academic component of the externship program, with the potential for a secondary faculty title upon approval by the law faculty.
What you'll do#
- Direct the overall strategy, performance, and assessment of the externship program.
- Develop and maintain relationships with judicial, government, and non-profit external partners.
- Manage student applications, approvals, and placements while counseling students on selection.
- Collect and analyze data regarding student placements, learning outcomes, and employment effectiveness.
- Serve as the primary contact between the law school and external employers or placement sites.
- Recruit new placement opportunities and manage partnership agreements.
- Oversee academic credit allocations and ensure compliance with ABA standards.
What you'll need#
- A master’s degree in higher education, legal education, educational administration, or a relevant field.
- A minimum of 5 years of legal experience in practice, the judiciary, legal education, or a relevant industry.
- Demonstrated experience with experiential education, public interest work, transactional practice, or legal externships.
- Excellent student counseling and networking skills.
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and law school administrative systems.
Location & details#
- This position is based on-site in Nashville, Tennessee.
- This is a full-time role.
- Hiring is conducted on a rolling basis.
