Assistant Dean for Admissions

Summary of Position

This Assistant Dean of Admissions leads the Admissions team in the Law School at Vanderbilt University and is the senior administrator responsible for overseeing the entire law school admissions process, including recruitment, application review, selection of students, and managing the admissions team, with a primary focus on ensuring the incoming class aligns with the school's academic standards and strategic goals. This position reports directly to the Dean of the Law School.

Among the nation’s leading law schools, Vanderbilt stands out for its distinguished faculty; highly talented students; collegial and collaborative school culture; graduates’ top-tier employment outcomes; and global alumni network. The Admissions Office team of six professionals and three support staff is responsible for student recruitment, admissions, and scholarships for Vanderbilt’s highly ranked J.D. program; its LL.M. program for foreign-trained attorneys; and J.D. transfers, and also responsible for admissions to the online Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program. As part of the J.D. application process, our unique Admission Interview Program includes more than 800 VLS alumni conducting in-person interviews across the nation and around the world, and through the generosity of VLS alumni, our pathbreaking Access2VLS grants help to pay tuition costs not covered by a student’s combined Law School scholarship, external scholarships or tuition benefits, and family contribution. The Admissions Office serves prospective students, the Law School, and the legal profession through its commitment to high standards of professional conduct and ethical behavior; accuracy and candor in providing information to prospective students; adherence to principles of equity and inclusion; respect for confidentiality; and excellent customer service.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

• Lead the admissions team, including admissions officers and staff, delegating tasks and ensuring efficient operations.
• Oversee admissions and financial aid budgets.
• Partner with University central offices on admissions and financial aid to review and award scholarships to admitted students based on merit and need.
• Develop and implement comprehensive admissions strategies to attract high-quality applicants, considering factors like market trends, diversity goals, and program needs. 
• Oversee admissions marketing and communications in collaboration with the law communications & marketing department. 
• Analyze admissions data to identify trends, assess recruitment effectiveness, and make informed decisions about admissions strategies.
• Represent the law school at admissions events, conferences, and professional organizations, promoting the institution's reputation and attracting qualified applicants.
• Oversee the application review process, including assigning reviewers, setting evaluation criteria, and making final admission decisions based on a holistic review of academic records, LSAT scores, personal statements, letters of recommendation, and all other materials contained in each application.
• Oversee special event programming for applicants and prospective students which will include virtual events in addition to the traditional in-person events.
• Oversee admissions applicant pool building and lead recruitment efforts and management of outreach initiatives to prospective students. 
• Ensure adherence to all relevant American Bar Association (ABA) and other accreditation standards related to admissions practices
• Collaborate with other law school departments, including faculty, legal studies, career services, and student life, to support student recruitment and transition to law school in particular for the LL.M. program and Master of Legal Studies (MLS) Program. 
• Review and act on requests from applicants, students, and alumni to amend their answers to the Character & Fitness questions in their applications for admission.

Supervisory Relationships:
This position has supervisory responsibility for the admissions officers and staff; and reports administratively and functionally to the Dean.

Qualifications:

• A graduate or professional degree is required. A J.D. is preferred.
• Law school admissions experience is required. 
• A minimum of 8 years of progressive and successful experience in admissions, the legal field or relevant industry is required. 
• Experience at a top 20 law school and experience with data collection and analysis is preferred.
• Significant experience in law school admissions, ideally including roles like Admissions Director is preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills are necessary.
• Strong understanding of legal education trends and the admissions landscape are necessary.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact with prospective students, families, faculty and stakeholders are essential.
• Data analysis and reporting capabilities to evaluate admissions strategies are necessary.
• Experience or familiarity with the Slate admissions CRM is a plus.