Dean of Students

Posted: February 2, 2024

Cornell Law School
Ithaca, NY

Summary of Position

The Position

A Cornell Law School’s senior leadership team member, the Dean of Students (DOS), directs efforts to retain and support a diverse student body. The DOS oversees student administrative services such as disability accommodation requests and advising, as well as student activities and programming. The dean oversees all aspects of the Law School’s counseling and case management services for matriculated students, focusing on issues that affect their personal lives, academic studies, health, and well-being. The DOS also plays an essential role in building a sense of community among the JD students, ensuring the equitable distribution of resources to support student activities and success. The DOS supervises a student affairs and services professionals team and fosters communication and collaboration with other Law School and University offices.

Qualifications

Successful candidates will have earned a master’s degree or equivalent and 5-7 years of professional experience in law school or higher education administration, with preference granted to those with an earned JD and related law school work experience. Candidates must have experience in and knowledge of student development theory and student affairs trends, with a preference for those experienced in legal and graduate professional education. Candidates must demonstrate excellent organizational, management, and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work effectively across multiple internal and external constituencies, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and various agencies and institutions. Candidates must provide evidence of exceptional strategic, analytical, conceptual, and communication skills and be collaborative, adaptable, pragmatic, and effective problem solvers. This position requires excellent decision-making skills and the ability to handle sensitive matters and data with tact, direction, and confidentiality. Successful candidates will have proven experience connecting diversity, inclusion, and well-being practices to business goals.

Education Required: Master’s
Education Preferred: JD
Years of Experience Required: 5-7
Years of Experience Preferred: NA

Additional Information

Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School (CLS) is a top-tier law school, currently ranked 13th by U.S. News & World Report. Cornell Law offers a juris doctor (JD) program, a one-year master of laws (LLM) program for international students, a one-year LLM degree in law, technology, and entrepreneurship at the Cornell Tech campus in New York City, an online master in legal studies (MSLS) program, and a doctoral (JSD) program. Cornell Law School’s nationally ranked faculty includes 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty and 15 clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international levels. The law school supports its students’ success through its unique combination of inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community.

https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/

How to Apply

Application and Nomination

Review of applications will begin March 1, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. A resume with an accompanying cover letter must be submitted via the Spelman Johnson website at www.spelmanjohnson.com/open-positions. Nominations for this position may be emailed to Sharon Meagher at smm@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895 or email info@spelmanjohnson.com.

The public salary range is $119,700-146,300. Exceptional candidates may qualify for additional compensation, including a signing bonus and relocation assistance.

Visit the Cornell Law School website at https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/.

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law. 

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

Application Deadline: March 1, 2024 until filled