Pepperdine University School of Law Director of Career Development Matt DeGrushe: Interview and Insight

Summary

Matt DeGrushe is the Director of Career Development at Pepperdine University School of Law, a leading law school in Malibu, California. He is responsible for guiding and supporting Pepperdine Law's students and recent graduates in their legal career paths. Matt also assists them in their law job search and in navigating their professional development.


Pepperdine Law offers a robust array of career services that helps students to identify and pursue their career goals. Matt has served as the director of Career Development since 2010. He has doubled the number of law jobs offered to the students, and continues to work on increasing the array of opportunities for the students.

Matt designed a five-tiered program model, which is geared towards helping the students to identify their career aspirations and pave their paths to success. The program offers a variety of professional development services such as job search assistance, an online career center, professional development workshops, and individual coaching sessions.

The main goal of the program is to equip the students with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue the career path of their choice. As part of their program, students are provided with mentorship opportunities and advice on how to best present themselves to current and prospective employers.

Matt believes that each student should be empowered to make decisions that are aligned with their long-term goals. He has also created a mentorship program to provide the students with access to a network of attorneys, faculty members, and alumni who can help guide the students throughout their career journey.

Matt DeGrushe is the Director of Career Development at Pepperdine University School of Law and is responsible for guiding and supporting the school's students and recent graduates in their legal career paths. He has designed a five-tiered program model which aims to equip them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to pursue the career path of their choice. This program includes job search assistance, an online career center, professional development workshops, and one-on-one coaching sessions. Matt has also launched a mentorship program to provide the students with access to a network of attorneys, faculty members, and alumni who can offer advice and support. Through this program, Matt hopes to help the students identify their goals and pave the way for their future success.
 

Career Opportunities at Pepperdine University School of Law

Under the direction of Matt DeGrushe, Director of Career Development at Pepperdine University School of Law, students and alumni have been provided with the necessary tools and resources to secure employment in the legal field. Since the year 1998, when DeGrushe took the reigns, career services have seen significant growth and expansion.
 

Meeting Career Goals with the Help of Matt DeGrushe

As the Director of Career Development at Pepperdine University School of Law, Matt DeGrushe has been a tremendous asset in helping students and alumni secure jobs that match their unique career goals. He has a wealth of knowledge about the legal field and the ever-evolving job market. He has an impressive history of inspiring students to reach for opportunities that challenge them and push their abilities.
 

The Commitment of Matt DeGrushe to Pepperdine University School of Law

In addition to his knowledge and expertise on the current job market, Matt DeGrushe is passionate about providing the students and alumni of Pepperdine University School of Law with the guidance and resources they need to secure employment in the legal field. His commitment to the students and alumni of the school has been unwavering since 1998 when he first took the position of Director of Career Development.
 

Career Services Expansion Under Matt DeGrushe's Direction

Under the leadership of Matt DeGrushe, the Career Development office at Pepperdine University School of Law has experienced tremendous growth and expansion. DeGrushe's dedication to providing students and alumni with the resources and tools they require to succeed has resulted in an increase in the number of job opportunities available to the community.
 

Career Focused Activities Matt DeGrushe Spearheads

In addition to the expansion of career services, Matt DeGrushe has spearheaded a variety of career-focused activities and initiatives to provide students and alumni with the necessary skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the legal field. He has also encouraged students to pursue internships and networking opportunities, offering valuable insights and advice along the way. Those of you reading these interviews on a weekly basis probably assume that whoever is profiled will have followed a certain stereotypical career path that will likely include earning a J.D. degree, then working for a big law firm before finally having a personal epiphany and returning to university life, this time as a Career Services Director.

Matt DeGrushe, who runs the Career Development Office at Pepperdine University's School of Law, located just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA, does not fit any of these stereotypes. First of all, he does not have a J.D. degree, but instead received a Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, as well as a Masters in Education from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Pepperdine, Matt was an Associate Director at the MBA Career Resource Center at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business where he worked for 4 years assisting in the career development of MBA students. Matt also spent several years working as a Recruiter for McKinsey & Company, an international management consulting firm, helping the firm hire undergraduate, MBA, law and Ph.D. students. It was his exposure to working with students and career services offices as a recruiter that sparked his interest in working in higher education.

"My background might seem non-traditional when compared to the typical Law School Career Services Director," Matt says, "but the bottom line is that one of the important roles of our office is to effectively coach students through the job search process. To that end, our counseling staff consists of two former attorneys and two professionals with extensive experience in student services and counseling. In addition, my experience with MBA students has come in handy here at Pepperdine because we have a great many students who are getting combined business and law degrees and I'm able to effectively advise them with some degree of foreknowledge on their career options."

Matt goes on to explain how he was brought in to overhaul the Career Development operation. "One of the challenges we face is the common misperception that the Career Development Office is only interested in serving the students ranked in the Top 10% of the class. A myth fueled by the emphasis students place on opportunities at large law firms and on-campus interviews. The focus of the office needed to shift towards presenting programs, services and resources that would serve the career development needs of every student, regardless of academic standing."

"My first and seemingly only job was to fix this perception with the new entering class, as well as our returning second and third years, and do it fast." Each year, over 50% of Pepperdine graduates start their legal careers at small to mid-sized law firms with less than 50 attorneys. However, the Career Development Office did not have any programming designed to help students connect with these employers. Matt adds, "There was a lot of discussion, before my arrival, about hosting an event to help facilitate this interaction. We quickly joined forces with the Student Bar Association to collaborate on potential ideas for a small firm event to be held in the spring. Our goal was to design an event that would be appealing to both attorneys and students."

The fruits of their labor were realized last spring when the Career Development Office and the Student Bar Association hosted the first-ever Small Firm Networking Event. This free event consisted of MCLE sessions, specially designed to appeal to attorneys at smaller firms, a mid-morning reception and a networking brunch. At the brunch, event participants were assigned to tables based on the practice area experience (for attorneys) and interest (for students). Over 60 attorneys attended the event, as well as 90 students in what proved to be a tremendous learning and valuable networking experience for all participants. Attorneys attending the event received 2 MCLE credits under the Law Practice Management requirement.

"Networking is something that most law students fear, so we needed to come up with a way to help our students make the most of the opportunity. Prior to the event, students were required to attend a brief information session where we presented the format for the event and provided suggestions and tips to get them comfortable with the networking component of the event." Participating students also received information in advance on each of the attorneys attending the event. Attorneys attending the event received information on services the Career Development Office provides to small firms, as well as a resume book of students attending the event. We asked if this kind of low-key affair works.

"Sure does," Matt replied. "Shortly after the event, we received several job postings from attorneys who attended the event. Also, I know of several students who were hired for both summer and full-time employment as a result of this program."

"Another segment of the student body that seems to be growing is the segment of students who don't want to practice law upon graduation. These students are looking for information on alternative career options. Last fall, we hosted a panel featuring the President of Pepperdine University, Andrew Benton, who is a J.D. and several alumni currently working in alternative careers. We had a standing-room-only crowd. I was surprised but gratified by the turn-out. The goal of Pepperdine's law school is to turn out graduates well-trained in how to think like an attorney, but there is certainly no rule that all of our graduates have to join a law firm and work there for the rest of their lives. Our university president serves as a good example."

Out of curiosity, we asked Matt if he noted any differences between MBA and law students and he laughed.

"Huge differences," he said. "Many of our law students come here right out of college and do not have significant work experience. Most of the MBA students I worked with at USC had at least three or four years of work experience before starting graduate school. They'd already been through a job-search experience and many were seriously committed to their post-MBA job search. In terms of environment, law school is definitely a more competitive environment compared to the teamwork-friendly MBA culture. However, the career development issues around resumes, cover letters, interviews and networking are strikingly similar."

As a final question, we asked how he liked his new job.

"If you've never seen the Pepperdine campus," he said, "you should. It's positioned high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. While the view and location are unmatched, I feel the same can be said for the faculty and staff who are incredibly student-focused and professional. It's heaven.