Click on the profile of any staff member below for more information, including bios and instructions on how to make an advising appointment.
Assistant Dean Danielle Schweiloch joins Columbia Law School’s Office of Private Sector Careers after enjoying a successful and varied career in the public and private sectors, as well as the academy. Dean Schweiloch practiced in the trial departments of Dorsey and Whitney and McDermott Will & Emery LLP, where she was active on the Recruiting and Pro Bono Committees. Dean Schweiloch also clerked as a Staff Attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and for New York Supreme Court Justice Saliann Scarpulla. She also has a depth of experience counseling law students, having served as Assistant Dean of Career Services at Temple University Beasley School of Law, Director of Private Sector Careers at the University of Pennsylvania, and an Associate Director in the Career Planning Center at Fordham Law School. Dean Schweiloch is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Rutgers College.
Contact:
212-853-3487
[email protected]
Nancy began her career as the Recruitment Manager at Boston College Law School Career Services Office, where she managed all of the student recruitment programs while earning her Master's degree at night. She later worked in law firms for close to 20 years, spending the majority of that time as the Recruitment Manager at Hogan Lovells US LLP in New York, managing the law student, entry-level and lateral associate hiring processes, and managing the summer associate program. Immediately prior to joining the Office of Private Sector Careers, Nancy worked as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search Consultants, placing attorneys in law firm and in-house positions.
She is an active member of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), being elected to the 2016 annual education conference planning team and serving as the law firm Northeast Representative on the Regional Resource Council from 2012-2014. She also served as Vice Chair and Chair of the New York City Recruitment Association (NYCRA) from 2010-2012.
Nancy holds an M.A. in Higher Education from Boston College and a B.A. in Psychology from Binghamton University.
Contact:
212-854-3275
[email protected]
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Frantz is a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia Law School. He also completed masters studies in global trade at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government and the University of Oxford. After law school, Frantz practiced in commercial real estate finance and securitized lending with firms including Winston & Strawn LLP, Sills Cummis & Gross P.C., Cassin & Cassin LLP, and Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. Immediately prior to joining the Office of Private Sector Careers, he worked as a Career Specialist at Fordham University School of Law and as an Associate Director of the Career Development Center at Brooklyn Law School, counseling both JD and LLM students and alumni. He is an active member of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) and the New York City Bar Association.
Born in Queens, New York, Frantz grew up and continues to live in central New Jersey.
Contact:
212-854-0064
[email protected]
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Michael Kerman is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Brown University. Following law school, Michael worked at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP as well as a mid-sized plaintiff’s firm, Kreindler & Kreindler LLP. Michael received training in psychotherapy from the National Institute for the Psychotherapies and has served as a career counselor at two other law schools: The University of Illinois College of Law and, most recently, St. John’s University School of Law.
Contact:
212-854-1097
[email protected]
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Stephen Buchman is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Columbia College, and practiced real estate law in New York for many years before joining the Office of Private Sector Careers in 1994. He served as a partner on the hiring committees of both of the law firms where he practiced and managed their summer programs. Stephen continues as While Of Counsel at Chadbourne & Park, his role included serving as Ombudsman and Attorney Advisor. Since 1994, Stephen has been a member of the New York City Bar Association's Special Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers. Stephen has office hours at the Law School on Tuesdays.
Contact:
212-854-7315
[email protected]
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Marsha has spent many years working with law schools and law firms, teaching legal online research and creating national programs for the legal profession. In addition, she was a principal in her own consulting company, focused on advising administrators and teachers, writing communication courses for corporations, creating and leading workshops for schools and national companies, and writing grants.
For several years, Marsha has counseled law students and lawyers. Marsha was the Director of Continuing Legal Education at New York County Lawyers’ Association, where she introduced the Bridge-the-Gap program for recent law school graduates.
Contact:
212-854-2666
[email protected]
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Fran Kellner has an A.B. from Bowdoin College, an M.Phil. in History from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. She clerked for the Hon. Robert W. Sweet in the Southern District of New York and then worked for many years as a litigator at Debevoise & Plimpton, where she specialized in international arbitration and general commercial litigation. In addition to her work here, she teaches Introduction to Legal Analysis and Writing at Yale Law School. She loves working with, mentoring, and teaching law students and lawyers at the beginning of their legal careers.
Contact:
[email protected]
Julie is a graduate of Brown University and Stanford Law School. Upon graduation, Julie began her legal career as a corporate associate at Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston. She then worked as the Legislative Affairs Manager of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. In that role, she provided technical assistance to elected officials and assisted in the enactment of key child protection laws.
Contact:
212-854-2483
[email protected]
Nicole is the former Manager of Diversity & Inclusion at Proskauer Rose LLP, where she supported the firm in creating and sustaining a global, inclusive culture. Prior to joining Proskauer, Nicole served as the City of Philadelphia Law Department Director of Professional Development, Diversity & Inclusion. She also served as the Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Nicole started her career as a public interest attorney. She was a staff attorney with the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, a statewide non-profit agency which provides legal services to low income individuals with mental health conditions.
She earned a B.A. from Fordham University and a J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law. Nicole is admitted to practice in Connecticut and is an active member of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association.
Contact:
212-853-3622
[email protected]
Claudia Macias-Retson obtained both her undergraduate degree and law degree from UC Berkeley. After law school, Claudia practiced law for several years at a nonprofit in Oakland, CA doing direct client services. For the past several years, Claudia has been working in higher education, first as a Student Services Adviser at UC Berkeley School of Law and then at Northwestern Law’s Entrepreneurship Law Center. Claudia then transitioned to career services and worked at the University of Chicago’s Career Advancement Office providing advising to pre-law students and students interested in public interest careers. Prior to joining OPSC, Claudia worked as Assistant Director of Career Services at The University of Chicago Law School, where she provided counseling to students interested in pursuing careers in the private sector. Claudia is an active member of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP).
Contact:
212-853-4230
[email protected]
Sara has been working with the Office of Private Sector Careers since 1999, and currently advises alumni and Executive LLM students regarding legal and alternative career options. Previously, she managed the Office of Career Service's recruiting and advising programs for international and domestic legal graduate students. Additionally, she advised Columbia Law School graduates and those seeking alternative, nonlegal careers. Prior to joining the Office of Career Private Sector Careers, Sara was a litigation attorney; she also worked in the Legal Personnel Office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. She managed the firm's lateral recruiting program for domestic and international offices, as well as the firm's International Attorney Program, and also organized associate evaluations, new partner orientations, and the firm's Executive Committee efforts.
Contact:
[email protected]
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Sonovia joins the Office of Private Sector Careers staff with over ten years of experience within the realm of higher education and hospitality management. Sonovia is responsible for implementing all professional development programming and recruitment events, including four practice interview programs and numerous firm events throughout the year. She also serves as the Private Sector Careers Student Group Liaison as well as the Partners in Residence coordinator. Prior to joining the Office of Private Sector Careers, Sonovia was the Alumni Relations Event Manager for NYU School of Law.
Contact:
212-854-1666
[email protected]
Jennifer manages all legal recruitment programs for J.D. and LL.M. students, including the Early Interview Program, Fall and Spring On-Campus Interview Programs, and the Overseas-Trained Student Interview Program. She is responsible for outgoing office communications, analyzes employment data for the determination of market trends, and is the main point of contact for all inquiries in relation to OPSC's formal interview programs. Prior to joining the team, Jen worked as the JD Employment and Recruiting Coordinator at NYU School of Law's Office of Career Services. She is an active member of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), being elected to serve as the Northeast Representative on the Regional Leadership Council from 2021-2023. Jennifer is a graduate of the University at Buffalo and received her M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from New York University.
Contact:
212-853-3719
[email protected]