Associate Dean for Career and Professional Development

Associate Dean for Career and Professional Development

California Western School of Law

San Diego, California

THE SEARCH

California Western School of Law (California Western or CWSL), a private, non-profit, independent law school located in San Diego, California, seeks an experienced, data-driven leader to serve as Associate Dean for Career and Professional Development (Associate Dean). This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of CWSL and the Career and Professional Development Office (CPDO) by strengthening employment outcomes, expanding employer and alumni partnerships, and implementing a strategic, data-informed approach to supporting student success.

Accredited by both the ABA and the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), California Western is San Diego’s oldest law school and has a distinguished tradition of preparing outstanding legal professionals to serve in California and around the world. CWSL has been on a steep ascent over the last few years, dramatically increasing its ABA reported first-time bar passage rate from 48% in 2023 to over 71% in 2025. CWSL’s incoming credentials have similarly surged, resulting most recently in a current median LSAT score of 157 and a 3.54 median undergraduate GPA for the incoming Fall 2026 class.

CWSL operates a full-time day program and a part-time evening program that attracts professionals and nontraditional students. The school enrolls approximately 650 students, and at least a third of CWSL’s students identify as first-generation college students. Many of CWSL’s students are San Diego residents who intend to begin their legal careers in San Diego or elsewhere in California. Between 6 and 9 percent of the incoming class have military ties.

California Western has a strong reputation for combining practical and theoretical training. The school operates an array of programs designed to develop core skills and on-the-ground thinking. In addition to a highly praised clinical externship program, the school is home to the California Western Innocence and Justice Clinic, which focuses on innocence work and exonerations; the Community Law Project, a pop-up clinic providing an array of legal services and advice to indigent individuals; and the New Media Rights Clinic, which provides assistance in a number of legal areas, including First Amendment rights, data and privacy protection, and intellectual property rights. These hands-on programs enable students to apply their learning to the world of legal practice, allowing them to gain experience as they make an impact on the community around them.

Reporting to Dean and President Miriam Baer, the next Associate Dean will provide vision and leadership for Career and Professional Development, ensuring that all California Western students receive the guidance, resources, and opportunities necessary to achieve their professional goals. The Associate Dean will provide structure, accountability, and data-informed decision-making to the office while supporting a talented and committed team. The Associate Dean will also develop systems and strategies to maintain meaningful engagement with alumni and faculty, monitor career progression, and strengthen post-graduate support. Success in this role will require a collaborative leader who can cultivate partnerships across the law school, develop relationships with employers in San Diego and beyond, build a high-performing team, and position the office to meet the evolving needs of students and graduates alike.

The anticipated salary range for this position is $165,000 to $185,000, commensurate with experience and subject to other negotiated benefits. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, departmental budgets, qualifications, expertise, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The stated hiring range represents CWSL’s good-faith and reasonable estimate of the possible compensation range at the time of posting. Given the highly collaborative and student-facing nature of the role, the Associate Dean is expected to maintain a full-time, on-campus presence.

APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website.

Sean Farrell, Partner

Robin Dougherty, Managing Associate

Drew Chang, Senior Search Coordinator

Isaacson, Miller

California Western School of Law is committed to using the law to prevent and solve human and societal problems. In conjunction with our mission to train ethical, competent, and compassionate lawyers, we value the different perspectives of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff, as well as those of the larger communities of which we are a part.

The law school is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities upon request.

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