Associate Director of the Office of Public Interest Counseling

STDT SVC ADVISOR 4 SV (005157)

UCPath Position ID: 40064994

Position Description History/Status

For Reference ONLY - PeopleAdmin JA Number:

1119311

Approved Date:

5/14/2026 6:35:54 PM

Date Last Edited:

5/14/2026 6:35:50 PM

Last Action Effective Date:

7/1/2023

Organization Details

Business Unit (Location):

LACMP

Organization Code:

1140O

Organization:

SCHOOL OF LAW

Division Code:

1141D

Division:

LAW DIV

Department:

025000 - LAW

Position Details

UCPath Position Number:

40064994

Position Description ID

166293

UC Payroll Title:

STDT SVC ADVISOR 4 SV (005157)

Personnel Program

Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Salary Grade:

STEPS

Job Code FLSA:

Exempt

Union Code (Collective Bargaining Unit):

SV: STDT SVS & ADV PROF (SSAP)

Employee Relations Code:

E: All Others - Not Confidential

Employee Class (Appt Type):

2 - Staff: Career

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

1

SUPERVISION

UCPath Reports to Position Number:

40039729

Reports to Payroll Title:

ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATOR VII

UCPath Department Head Position Number:

40040696

Department Head Payroll Title:

DEAN

GENERAL SUPERVISION - Indicates that the incumbent develops procedures for performance of variety of duties; or performs complex duties within established policy guidelines.

POSITION SUMMARY

The UCLA School of Law Public Interest Interest Counseling (OPIC)seeks an experienced public interest lawyer and/or career counselor with a passion for advancing OPIC's mission to support future public interest advocates. The Office of Public Interest Counseling works closely with the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy (an academic specialization program) and the Judge Rand Schrader Pro Bono Program. Together, these programs support public interest initiatives and nurture a strong public interest community at UCLA Law.

Under the general direction of the Executive Director of the David J Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy , the Associate Director will lead OPIC, including by providing academic and career counseling to UCLA Law students and alumni interested in pursuing any public interest opportunities. This includes and is not limited to advising students and alumni on course selections, semester-term externships, summer internships, post-graduate fellowships, funding opportunities, extracurricular activities, career fairs, networking opportunities, and more. The Associate Director will help plan and execute a variety of programs, events, and conferences for students and alumni exploring these opportunities, including the Annual Southern California Public Interest/ Sector Career Day, UCLA Law's post-graduate and summer fellowship programs, as well as regular events with guest speakers and/or discussions of topics of importance to future public interest lawyers. The Associate Director will lead and track progress towards meeting OPIC's counseling goals and develop supportive written materials and guides for students. The Associate Director will collaborate with UCLA Law's Office of Career Services and other UCLA Law programs, centers, departments, and specializations to best support students and alumni. The Associate Director will help strengthen and grow UCLA Law's relationships with public interest employers, public interest alumni, and other stakeholders. The Associate Director will collaborate with UCLA Law's public interest programs to broadly support UCLA Law's public interest students, including participating in fundraising for UCLA Law public interest programs, regularly evaluating existing systems and processes, and developing new initiatives as needed in response to changes in the public interest job landscape.

Counseling

Lead and coordinate OPIC's counseling services for UCLA Law public interest-oriented students under the supervision of  the Epstein Program Executive Director. (E) 2. Counsel students seeking public interest opportunities, including internships, summer and/or post-graduate public interest employment, course selection, and extracurricular activities. (E)  3. Review student application materials, such as resumes, cover letters, and post-graduate fellowship applications, and conduct mock interviews. (E)   4.Assist students in securing additional opportunities for feedback on their applications and interview skills from other partners and alumni.(E) 5. Counsel alumni seeking public interest employment and help review alumni application materials. (E) 

60%

Counseling (continued)

6. Lead and coordinate public interest counseling by public interest team members and others in law school who provide student counseling. (E)  7. Lead efforts to achieve OPIC's core counseling goals and track and report on progress towards those goals. (E) 

0%

Career and Education Programs

1. Coordinate and execute Law School's post-graduate fellowship programs. (E) 2. Coordinate Law School's summer fellowship programs in collaboration with other staff. (E) 3. Help coordinate the Annual Southern California Public Interest/Public Sector Career Day and Annual Fall Government & Public Interest Information Fair. (E) 4. Plan and provide logistical support for, and present at programming and events, including career-related programming, panel discussions, and convenings and conferences. (E) 5. Work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to develop professional materials, including writing and editing job search guides on specific public interest career practice areas and developing other job search materials for students seeking public interest opportunities and careers. (E)

20%

Career and Education Programs (continued)

6. Promote public interest internship, fellowship, and employment opportunities, and educate public interest employers about UCLA School of Law and its public interest initiatives. (E)

0%

Strategic Partnerships

1. Help build and maintain  close relationships and communicate regularly with public interest employers, including organizations and individual lawyers. Identify potential internships, fellowships, and employment opportunities and student-employer networking opportunities; disseminate these opportunities to students and alumni. (E)  2. Collaborate with other School of Law departments, including the Office of Career Services and other UCLA Law programs and centers, to optimize counseling and employer relations efforts and organize broad support for summer and post-grad fellowships. (E)  3. Help raise money for public interest programs, including the post-graduate fellowship program and the summer fellowship program. (E)

20%

Strategic Partnerships (continued)

4. Collaborate with the Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy and the Schrader Pro Bono Program to evaluate existing programs and develop new initiatives as needed.

0%

•

Performs other duties as assigned.

•

Complies with all policies and standards.

•

Complies with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Principles of Community.

•

This position description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree

or equivalent combination of education and experience/training

Required

Juris Doctor (JD) Degree

Preferred

5 or more years

professional experience as an attorney in public interest practice and/or as a public interest career counselor.

Required

Advanced knowledge of current public interest practice, including diverse forms of public interest practice and public interest practice settings, career paths in public interest practice, and funding sources, especially for new attorneys.

Required

A true passion for advancing the work of the UCLA School of Law’s  public interest programs broadly and the Office of Public Interest Counseling specifically.

Required

Experience counseling, supervising, and/or mentoring law students working in a public interest capacity.

Required

Excellent writing skills. Superior editing, proofreading skills and attention to detail. Ability to prepare professional handbooks, handouts, articles and newsletters.

Required

Excellent oral communications skills to communicate effectively and diplomatically and present professional workshops, panels, presentations.

Required

Fluency in office technology (i.e., comfortable using basic office machinery; advanced skills in internet research; strong familiarity with videoconferencing platforms; proficiency in Office 365, Adobe Acrobat, Google Drive). Experience with Symplicity.

Required

Advanced ability to initiate activities independently and organize, prioritize and complete work in a timely manner despite deadlines and competing requests.

Required

Highly responsible, sound professional judgment and strong time management skills required; ability to maintain confidentiality and discern priorities.

Required

Demonstrated ability to organize and implement the logistical requirements of events and programs, including materials, information, and people in a systematic way to optimize efficiency.

Required

Skill in listening perceptively and conveying understanding, establishing rapport, gaining trust, motivating others, and stimulating people to effective action.

Required

Skill in interacting effectively with individuals or groups representing various social, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds.

Required

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.

Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.

Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.

Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a team and manage and maintain positive and proactive relationships with students, alumni, employers, law school faculty and staff, donors and community partners both remotely and in person.

Required

Occasional evening/weekend hours and accessibility.

Required

LOCATION AND PHYSICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, MENTAL (PEM) REQUIREMENTS

Environment and Work Location Information

Environment Type:

Non-Clinical Setting

Location Setting:

Campus

Location:

385 Charles E Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Standing/Walking

X

Sitting

X

X

Bending/Stooping

X

Squatting/Kneeling

X

Climbing

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 0-25 lbs

X

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 26-50 lbs

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull over 50 lbs

X

Physical requirements other

X

Chemicals, dust, gases, or fumes

X

Loud noise levels

X

Marked changes in humidity or temperature

X

Microwave/Radiation

X

Operating motor vehicles and/or equipment

X

Exposures other

X

Sustained attention and concentration

X

X

Complex problem solving/reasoning

X

X

Ability to organize & prioritize

X

X

Communication skills

X

X

Numerical skills

X

X

Mental demands other

X

X

Classification 3:  Position in which exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues is not part of the position description. The normal routine task involves no exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues and the employee can decline to perform tasks which involve a perceived risk without retribution.