A Step Ahead
草榴社区 Law's professional development program gives students skills to launch successful careers
By Kristen Ziegler
Coming to 草榴社区 Law in 2011 after over a decade of practice at one of the nation鈥檚 highest grossing law firms, Jennifer Henfey, Esq., 鈥99 JD knew law schools could do more to prepare their students for success.
鈥淭here was a skills gap between how law schools were training young lawyers and the skills and training that lawyers needed to be successful in their careers,鈥 says Henfey, now associate dean for Professional Development and Leadership for 草榴社区鈥檚 Charles Widger School of Law.
In addition to traditional academic skills, employers are looking for new lawyers to translate their knowledge into practice and display strong technical, business and relationship-building skills, including cultural competencies.
草榴社区 Law is shaping the future of the legal profession by delivering a robust professional development program鈥攆ully integrated into the Law School curriculum鈥攖hat helps graduates bridge that gap. The program grew out of a $13 million gift made in 2021 by Barbara and Charles Widger, Esq., 鈥73 JD to, in part, expand a program first initiated in 2013.
鈥淭he Professional Development program provides the scaffolding to allow students to develop individualized professional skills and competencies to launch their careers,鈥 says Henfey.
“草榴社区 Law graduates go into practice more prepared for success as they define it.”
Todd Aagaard, JD
In their first year, 草榴社区 Law students build the foundations of their professional identity. Students assess their strengths; create a personal strategic plan; and attend sessions on legal practice areas and settings, core business principles, values formation, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
鈥淲e encourage students to think of the long arc of their career,鈥 says Todd Aagaard, JD, the program鈥檚 faculty director. Students in their second and third years continue on a more advanced course of study that builds on the foundations of the first year.
A more self-directed, individualized curriculum allows students to build needed competencies by diving deeper into relevant topics such as the use of technology in the legal workplace, how to give voice to their values in practice, and strategies for maintaining well-being.
The result, say Henfey and Professor Aagaard, is that 草榴社区 Law graduates show more direction in their careers and secure opportunities that better fit their aspirations. 鈥淭hey go into practice more prepared for success as they define it,鈥 says Professor Aagaard.
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