Gihan Fernando - Georgetown Law School Assistant Dean of Career Services

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Assistant Dean of Career Services, Gihan Fernando graduated from Johns Hopkins University with honors in 1986. He majored in Political Economy. This served as the ideal springboard for what was to follow. He opted to attend Georgetown University Law Center soon after and became a member of the Georgetown Law Journal and a Law Fellow. With these dual degrees under his belt, it was simply a matter of picking which job offer, of what was surely an impressive stack of possibilities, he would accept.

He practiced for a while with McKenna Cuneo, a Washington D.C. law firm that specializes in international business, government business and complex regulatory issues. After gaining experience and knowledge from his time spent with this firm, he then accepted a position with the Office of Career Counseling and Placement at New York University School of Law. His role there allowed him to work with J.D. and foreign LL.M. students. He continued to gather information and resources from these two incredible positions with McKenna Cueno and New York University. There was more to do before accepting his inevitable offer with Georgetown. In 1995, Cornell Law School came knocking. He served as the director of Career Planning and Counseling before being promoted to the role of assistant dean of Student Services.

During this timeframe, he also became a member of both the District of Columbia and New York State Bars. He is an active member of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), serving on its board and its liaison for the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary. He also serves on the advisor board for the recent American Bar Association/National Association for Law Placement study on judicial clerkships.

Now that Fernando is in his role of Assistant Dean of Career Services for Georgetown Law School, he works to ensure the students have all of the necessary resources for a successful educational career. While it's difficult to adequately define the role of an assistant dean, it is a fair statement to say Fernando covers the bases in their entirety. He interacts with students each day, both in an academic and social manner. Many students struggle with their adjustment to campus life and then, once their educational pursuits are nearing their end, he works to prepare those same students as they begin to move forward towards a career of their own. He is a well respected and powerful influence on those students who rely on him.

Recognizing many of the same emotions he likely experienced as he prepared to leave the college parameters and enter the American job market, Gihan Fernando approaches his responsibilities with an open mind and perhaps in a melancholy manner. Providing leadership is an important aspect for any dean, but Fernando takes it personally and tries to ensure one on one meetings serve their purpose for those students who seek his assistance. He never fails in his efforts.

Acknowledging that he is working with the next generation of policy makers, law makers and world leaders, he know how important it is for these students to have the necessary tools, along with their education, as they set out to change their world. Faith in the future, faith in our own abilities and faith in his abilities as an educational leader is what he brings to the table.

We are proud to include Assistant Dean Gihan Fernando to this week's Career Dean Series. For more information, visit his page on the Georgetown Site, found at Law.Georgetown.Edu.

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