Assistant Director, Rural Programs

Position Title: Assistant Director, Rural Programs

Department: School of Law

Advertised Pay: $67,997 with the potential for a higher entry rate commensurate with experience.

Campus Location: Washburn University

The screening committee will review all eligible applications submitted by October 8, 2024

Position Summary: Washburn University is a student-centered public institution with a diverse population. Washburn is a 2024 best college to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For® program. Located in the heart of Topeka, we are proud to be a cornerstone of the community. Our mission is to provide opportunities for our students to realize their full potential; we can’t do it without our dedicated faculty and staff. Join us at Washburn, and you will be part of a long tradition of excellence.

Washburn employs more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka. We strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, a supportive culture and a healthy work/life balance. Washburn seeks to create an environment that reflects our core values for creating positive IMPACT: inclusion, modernization, partnership, achievement, community and transformation.

This is a grant-funded position to support the Rural Programs Director in expanding Washburn Law’s rural externship program statewide and developing the rural lawyering network and outreach programs. This position is funded in full by a grant award.

Essential Functions:
• Develop, implement, coordinate, and expand various law school programs that either directly involve or connect with the rural lawyering programs and initiatives of Washburn Law both in support of and at the direction of the Rural Programs Director. Examples of these programs include the 3+3 program with other colleges, rural externships and development of a rural lawyer network, broad rural outreach initiatives, and pipeline programs.
• Develop and foster communication and plan and execute events with Washburn University and other colleges to include student or class presentations and networking with potential law student groups.
• Represent Washburn Law at community events. Maintain spreadsheets and programs of partners and potential partners to develop and deliver rural programming statewide and beyond as it is developed, implemented, and later maintained. Coordinate the matching of undergraduate and law students with faculty, alumni, or rural law partners and contacts for multiple programs.
• Assist the Rural Programs Director with Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs and development of conferences and other outreach to rural lawyers as well as with the Kansas Courts, both with administration in Topeka and judges statewide.
• Serve as a utility and support person for the development of the rural programs under the Patterson Family Foundation grant and any other new programs as they may develop. Assist with the identification of future programs and potential grant applications. Perform initial research of potential activities or projects and find resources to develop, deliver, operate, track, and measure outcomes or the same.
• Identify and establish a database of alumni and attorneys interested in or willing to be involved with rural programming topics, programs, and presentations.
• Be knowledgeable about all rural and rural-related programs and speak and represent the same both internally and externally as directed to do so. Work with the Marketing department at Washburn Law to develop materials and projects to promote Washburn Law rural and related programs.
• Assist Washburn Law and the Office of Admissions in its recruitment efforts of rural students, including but not limited to travel to in-state and out-of-state recruitment events (law school fairs, events at universities, receptions, etc.); contact with prospective and admitted rural students via phone, email, and/or videoconferencing; assist with research and data compilation projects and such other rural student outreach as may be deemed necessary to the rural programs.
• Perform additional job-related duties as assigned or as appropriate as the rural program is developed moving forward and adapt to those changing responsibilities as Washburn Law moves from research to development to implementation and ultimately operation of various rural programs.

Required Qualifications:
A Juris Doctor degree; or
A Master’s degree; or
Experience in rural work that would allow the person in this position to speak knowledgeably about legal education, legal positions, and legal issues in rural areas.
• Effective interpersonal skills.
• Effective communication skills, including public speaking both from notes and from knowledge of programming.
• Self-starter with demonstrated organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Ability to work with all constituencies with limited direction to creatively solve problems, evaluate resources, and accomplish goals.
• Driver's license with a driving record acceptable by the University's standards.

Physical Requirements:
• Willingness to travel, as needed, usually statewide or regionally, with some overnight travel. May require driving others to events or programs.
• Reasonable flexibility with work hours to run or attend programs.
• Must be able to transport, set up, and break down table displays for events, including moving tables and chairs and transporting boxes and books weighing up to 40 pounds from the vehicle to the presentation site.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Background in or experience with rural communities and issues, especially as they relate to the rural attorney shortage in Kansas.
• Experience working in higher education.
• Ability to develop and deliver approved CLE presentations.
• Passage of a bar exam with a current license to practice law and no disciplinary history.
• Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-approved law school, preferably Washburn Law.

Full-time, Exempt, Mon-Fri 8am-5pm   
Background check and driving history required