Administrative Specialist - Experiential Education

Experiential Education Administrator

The University of Michigan Law School Experiential Education program is seeking an experienced administrator with an extensive background providing litigation support either in a law office or legal clinical setting.

This position is hybrid, requiring three days per week in the office and two days remote, however, please expect to report to the office four to five days per week during the first several weeks of training. This position reports to the Business Administrator Senior and clinical faculty directors.

Responsibilities

The Specialist serves as liaison between supervising attorneys, student attorneys, clients, opposing counsel, and various administrative agencies. The Specialist manages the general office workflow, provides administrative oversight of a functioning law office, and delivers vital teaching support to assigned clinical faculty.

The Specialist provides extensive support to legal students enrolled in the clinical program and therefore must be comfortable helping mentor student attorneys as they learn to navigate a professional legal setting. The Specialist will be a member of a collaborative, dynamic team and will provide cross-functional support to colleagues across various clinics as needed.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Client & External Communication
• Client Management: Handle intake and ongoing communication with prospective and current clients, including managing acceptance, rejection, deferral, and status updates.
• Agency Liaison: Communicate effectively with various courts, administrative bodies, and legal agencies on behalf of the clinic.
• Correspondence: Manage all phone, email, and mail correspondence, responding independently or routing as appropriate.

• Legal & Case Support
• Document Preparation: Prepare, review, and proofread legal documents as requested by supervising attorneys.
• Filing Assistance: Assist supervising and student attorneys with the preparation and submission of legal filings.
• Information Management: Develop, organize, and maintain digital and physical client files; manage and update clinic conflict-check databases.

• Instructional & Student Support
• Student Training: Onboard and train incoming student attorneys on office procedures, file management systems, equipment, and resource materials
• Teaching Assistance: Provide robust classroom support, including preparing instructional materials, maintaining Canvas sites, and updating clinic manuals.
• Student Tracking: Monitor and track student clinical hours and assist faculty with academic administrative needs.

• Operations & Financial Management
• Budgetary Oversight: Manage the clinic's financial operations, including drafting annual budget projections, tracking expenses, handling financial reconciliations, and making approved purchases.
• Office Logistics: Coordinate schedules, organize meetings, manage conference calls, and oversee logistical arrangements (such as room and vehicle reservations).
• Cross-Clinic Coverage: Collaborate actively with the broader administrative team to provide seamless, wraparound coverage for other clinics during colleague absences.

Required Qualifications

Successful candidates must have experience working in a legal setting and possess a general understanding of civil, criminal and/or appellate litigation as the Specialist will support multiple clinics that specialize in a variety of litigation sub-specialties.

• Bachelors degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least three years of experience providing support to attorneys in a law office or legal clinic setting
• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and Adobe Acrobat
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential information and sensitive matters with tact, discretion and sound judgement
• Ability to work independently in a flexible and highly dynamic work environment
• Excellent written and oral interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to balance a diverse portfolio of responsibilities and multiple competing priorities
• Initiative to solve problems independently with minimal direction or oversight

Desired Qualifications

• Previous experience working in higher education
• Experience in M-Pathways systems, Canvas, CLIO, Dropbox and Emburse
• Knowledge of University of Michigan policies and procedures

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.