Peer Advisor Job Details
Applications for the 2013-2014 Peer Advisor program are now available (due 5 p.m. on Monday, February 11): new applicants or returning applicants.
Each Peer Advisor is assigned a group of 18-23 first year mentees. Responsibilities of the Peer Advisors include:
- Contact incoming 1L mentees in the summer before they arrive to welcome them to the Law Center and answer questions (and allay concerns) they may have about law school, the Law Center, and Washington DC.
- Help to plan and implement the first year orientation week programs. This will include providing campus tours and opportunities for informal socializing and advising during the orientation week, as well as periodic staffing of the information tables. Students participating in EIW will need to have at least 10-15 hours available for Peer Advisor activities.
- Meet individually and as a group with mentees throughout the year for informal socializing and to offer advice on such issues as outlining, exam prep, summer job searches, course selection, student organizations and the like.
- Refer mentees to appropriate counseling or administrative resources if they are having academic or personal difficulties.
- Communicate regularly with assigned alumni mentors and coordinate at least two mentee activities, with the assistance of Student Life, that incorporate alumni mentors.
Time Commitment
Training: (1) 3-hour training session in April; (2) 4-hour training session in August; and (3) occasional meetings with the Director of Student Life and the Dean of Students or other administrators throughout the year to discuss approaches to common issues first years may be experiencing.
Orientation Week: Approximately 15 total hours, divided between information table staffing, campus tours, participation in section service projects, and informal social events and advice sessions.
Academic Year: Peer Advisors will be expected to spend 3-4 hours per week on average mentoring their students and organizing informal social or other programs. The demands may be heavier in the fall semester, especially in the first month and leading up to exams. Occasional evening activities must be planned to accommodate alumni mentor and part-time section schedules. Attendance of an evening Alumni Section Reception in the fall semester is required.
Stipend
Peer Advisors will receive a budget for social events and informal meetings with their students, and also will receive a stipend for the year. The stipend is to recognize the significant contributions Peer Advisors will make to the Law Center during their year of service, but is not intended to be hourly compensation. We are looking for candidates who are seeking this position because they have a commitment to mentoring students, fostering community, and giving back to the Law Center.
Qualifications
Required
- Upperclass student entering the 2L, 3L, 2E, 3E or 4E year
- 3.0 GPA or higher
- Maturity, good judgment, creativity -- and enthusiasm!
- Thoughtfulness about the challenges and opportunities 1L students face
- A commitment to building community at the Law Center
- General availability during the Fall Orientation week (Peer Advisors will be permitted to balance EIW, Law Fellow training, and Clinic Orientation commitments with Orientation commitments on a case-by-case basis)
- Occasional evening availability during the academic year
Preferred
- Background in peer advising, residence or student life (in college or otherwise), and/or counseling
- High level of engagement in the life of the Law Center
