As Assistant Dean For Career Services, Maureen Kieffer provides general career counseling and guides students interested in public interest, government, and judicial clerkships. Kieffer is an adjunct professor for the externship program and co-teaches the Public Interest Law Seminar.  After graduating with her JD from Loyola University Chicago, where she was a Child Law Fellow and the Managing Editor of the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, Kieffer served as a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable James Alesia of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and then worked as a Staff Attorney with the Children's Law Project at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago.

What role does the Career Services Office play in the life of a Loyola law student?
We hope to be very involved in the student’s assessment of their career goals and in developing and executing a plan to accomplish those goals.  These goals and plans often evolve over the course of their time at Loyola.

Why do organizations and firms seek out Loyola students?
Loyola students are known for being hard-working, practice ready, and collaborative.

What are some trends you are seeing in the job market? How can students best prepare?
Some of the “hot areas” are privacy law, compliance, crypto currency/blockchain, and elder law. It’s best for students to explore and develop a plan based on where their talents and interests lie, but technology will continue to play a larger role in the lives of attorneys and being technology savvy is an asset.

How do alumni support career development of our current students?
Alumni are a crucial component of teaching our students what it means to actually practice law and play a big part in preparing them for the job market.  From meeting students for coffee to chat about their day-to-day work, to preparing them for interviews, to serving as mentors, to hiring our graduates, our alumni are one of our best resources.

What do you like best about Loyola?
The people. We have a collective commitment to making our community and the world a better place.

How does Loyola’s location in Chicago impact career development and opportunities?
Our location is integral to the Loyola law experience.  Chicago is a vibrant legal community and our students have Chicago as their classroom.  Students are just a few el stops from any kind of legal experience they may desire, making it very feasible to get a broad range of experience while in school.

What is your advice to incoming students?
Keep an open mind and enjoy the experience. You are now part of a professional community, where you will have a support system of alumni, staff, and faculty waiting for you. We can’t wait to meet you.

With over 100 placements (and always growing), Loyola’s experiential learning opportunities are top notch.  Learn more