Volunteer Opportunities
What's On This Page?
One of the most valuable ways for alumni to reconnect with the School of Law is by volunteering. You can support the law school and our outstanding students in their course and career choices, expand your alumni network and recruit top students. Wherever you live or whatever your time constraints, we have a volunteer opportunity to match your interest.
Admissions
Volunteers are always needed in admissions. Whether it is mentoring an incoming student, making a phone call or writing a letter to a prospective student or attending admissions events and talking to prospective students, alumni involvement is crucial. Help the admissions staff recruit top-notch students for the law school.
Contact Carolyn Barnes, Alumni Affairs, at 785-670-2013 or carolyn.barnes [at] washburn.edu if you are interested.
Career Assistance Program
Career Services is always looking for alumni to share their knowledge and experience with current students. Areas where you can help are talking to students about your practice area or opportunities in your area, conduct mock interviews, review resumes/cover letters/writing samples, speak at a seminar about your career area, or let career services know about job opportunities. Firms can host networking functions and government agencies and corporations can participate in externship programs.
Contact Margann Bennett, Director of Professional Development, at 785-670-1703 or margann.bennett [at] washburn.edu if you are interested or need more information.
Be a Mentor
The program is designed to give first-year students a connection to the community and a resource for discussing issues related to their career. The program also provides an excellent opportunity for area alumni to re-connect with the School of Law and interact with students at a level they prefer. Mentors are asked to make at least one substantive contact with an assigned student. Of course, it is perfectly appropriate and we encourage you to invite your assigned student to lunch, for an office visit, to accompany you to court and/or to participate in other pertinent learning experiences.
For the program to be a success, we need area alumni and friends of the school to volunteer to mentor a first-year student. To participate in the Mentor Program, please complete and return the Mentor Registration Form.
Contact Margann Bennett, Director of Professional Development at 785-670-1703, margann.bennett [at] washburn.edu or Carolyn Barnes, Alumni Affairs, at 785-670-2013, carolyn.barnes [at] washburn.edu.
Join your Reunion Committee
Get your classmates excited about attending their reunion and reconnect with the School of Law and old friends at the same time. If you have a reunion coming up, you can have an immediate impact on the events and activities. There are many opportunities to help make a memorable and fun reunion for you and your fellow classmates. Be a class chair, help organize various activities and events or help contact class mate and encourage their attendance.
Contact Carolyn Barnes, Alumni Affairs, at 785-670-2013 or carolyn.barnes [at] washburn.edu to find out how you can make a difference.
Be a Guest Speaker
There are numerous opportunities for you to share you area of expertise with students. Guest speakers provide students with firsthand knowledge about their profession and expertise, getting acclimated to law school, how to prepare for their legal careers and how to manage their time and competing obligations once they've entered the work force.
- Brown Bag Lunches
Speak to small groups of students over the lunch hour about your area of expertise. The three Centers of Excellence offer many opportunities for these sessions. - Student Organization Events
Alumni are invited to speak to many different student groups. If you have a particular group where your interests are the same and you can provide insight for the group, this could be for you. - Career Panels
Speak on job search strategies, career paths, alternative legal careers, public interest jobs etc. Real world insight from alumni makes a tremendous impact on students.
Contact Carolyn Barnes, Alumni Affairs, at 785-670-2013 or carolyn.barnes [at] washburn.edu if you are interested in any guest speaker opportunities.
Participate in one of the Centers of Excellence
The centers host a variety of events which include brown bag lunches, guest speakers, lectures, one on one mentoring, internships, and externships. If you are interested in volunteering with one of the Centers please contact:
- Business and Transactional Law Center
Professor David Pierce, Director
785-670-1676 or david.pierce [at] washburn.edu - Children and Family Law Center
Professor Linda Elrod, Director
785-670-1838 or linda.elrod [at] washburn.edu - Center for Excellence in Advocacy
Professor Michael Kaye, Director
785-670-1370 or michael.kaye [at] washburn.edu - Washburn Law Clinic
Professor John Francis, Director
785-670-1685 or john.francis [at] washburn.edu
Learn more about the Centers for Excellence.
Host a Reception or Event
The Alumni Association holds events throughout the year all over the United States. We are always looking for firms, companies or individuals to host events. This is a great way to get involved with alumni in your area and also give some fantastic PR to your firm or company. This is a great opportunity to reconnect with other alumni and have fun at the same time. If hosting an event is not for you, help in finding venues and locations and organizing an event being held in your area is just as important.
Contact Carolyn Barnes, Alumni Affairs, at 785-670-2013 or carolyn.barnes [at] washburn.edu if you are interested or need further information.
