PIRC Counselor

FORDHAM University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Fordham University’s Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) seeks a Counselor to advise law students and alumni on internships, fellowships, and post‑graduate opportunities in public service. You will help administer the Stein Scholars Program and coordinate events for public interest careers.

The role requires a graduate degree and 3–5 years in a law school, nonprofit, or government setting, with strong writing, supervision, and collaboration skills and a deep commitment to racial justice.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree required.
• Three–five years’ experience in law school or nonprofit/government setting.
• Strong commitment to public service and access to justice.
• Excellent management, supervisory, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Strong writing skills for publicity and in‑house publications.
• Experience providing public interest career counseling to students and alumni.
• Deep commitment to racial justice.

Responsibilities

• Advise law students and alumni on internships/externships, post‑graduate jobs, fellowships, and pro bono activities.
• Assist with the administration of the Stein Scholars Program in Public Interest Law & Ethics.
• Create and distribute information on public interest practice areas for students and alumni.
• Support supervising and coordinating ~20 student‑run public interest organizations in PIRC.
• Help organize and run in‑person and virtual programs and events to educate and recruit for public interest work; assist with major events like the PIN Reception.
• Assist with administration of the Stein Scholars Program and other PIRC events as needed.
• Create, update, and distribute PIRC handbooks, job guides, and publicity materials.
• Administer the law school’s public interest summer fellowship application, selection, and payment process.

Skills

Public service commitment

Writing skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Supervisory experience

Public interest career counseling

Racial justice commitment

Education

Graduate degree

Juris Doctor Degree

Job description

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering an exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 16,000 students in its nine colleges and schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre in the United Kingdom.

Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit Education.

The Public Interest Resource Center ( PIRC ) is the Law School’s center for student-initiated pro bono legal assistance for the underserved, and public service law-related education, advocacy, and community service work. The PIRC also provides extensive public interest-related career programming and individual counseling for all students and alumni seeking academic year, summer, or post-graduate positions in the public service sector.

This position reports directly to and is supervised by PIRC’s Assistant Dean of Public Interest and Social Justice Initiatives. Working with PIRC’s Assistant Dean, Director of Public Interest Scholars and Fellowships, Director of Public Interest Student Engagement and Counseling, and Office Manager, the PIRC Counselor is responsible for advising law students and alumni and assists with the administration of PIRC programs.

Essential Functions

Assists with advising students and alumni interested in internships/externships during the academic year and the summer, post-graduate jobs including public interest fellowships and government honors programs, and pro bono and community service activities.

Assists with the administration of the Stein Scholars Program in Public Interest Law & Ethics.

Contributes to materials providing information on specific public interest practice areas and makes organization specific information accessible for students and alumni.

Provides support to supervise, support, and monitor the activities, meetings, and events of the approximately 20 student-run public interest student organizations housed in the Public Interest Resource Center ( PIRC ).

Supports the work to organize, publicize, and conduct in-person and virtual programs and events to educate and recruit students to engage in public interest legal work while in law school and post-graduation. Assists with the organizing of larger events, including but not limited to the PIRC Awards Reception and the Public Interest Networking ( PIN ) Reception.

Assists with the administration of the Stein Scholars Program and other PIRC events as needed.

Supports the work to create, update, and distribute PIRC handbooks, public interest job search guides, student organization, program brochures, event posters and other publicity materials.

Assists with the administration of the law school’s public interest summer fellowship application, selection, and payment process.

Essential Functions Note

This list is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The University may assign additional related duties as necessary.

Required Qualifications: Education and Experience

Graduate degree

Three–five years’ experience working in a law school and/or with a non-profit or government organization required.

Required Qualifications: Knowledge and Skills

Strong commitment to public service, access to justice, and working with law students.

Excellent management, supervisory, interpersonal, and organizational skills.

Strong writing skills for advertising/publicity and in-house publications.

Facility with intranet and website design and editing.

Experience providing public interest career counseling to students and alumni

Deep commitment to racial justice.

Preferred Qualifications

Juris Doctor Degree

Experience in an administrative role and previous work experience with volunteers

EEO Statement

Fordham University is committed to excellence and welcomes candidates of all backgrounds.

Fordham University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.