Esther Park, Director of Career Development

Esther Parks was no stranger to the University of Washington School of Law when she returned, albeit in a different role. She is a graduate with the class of 2000 School of Law. Still, it would be close to a decade before she returned. Parks accepted the position of Director of the Center for Professional and Leadership Development in 2010. In this position, she works with seniors as they prepare to enter the new phase of their life; one that includes career choices and those other life decisions college seniors face. But recognizing a need for a focus on 1Ls, she developed a professional development coaching program for those who still have a bit of educational career left before they too graduate law school.

Other responsibilities include administration and supervision of CPLD programs and events, along with career fairs, employer outreach and relations and coordination of various other programs. She serves as the Director of Externships and is also the Faculty Supervisor. Not only that, but she also co-manages the judicial clerkship program with Professor Kathryn Watts. Clearly, her plate is full.

As mentioned, Park is also a licensed pharmacist who initially envisioned herself in a lifetime career in the medical sector. And she was remarkable in that role, but it was the law that ultimately won her over. She spent two years at the Brooklyn Family Defense Project, on the east coast in New York. In this role, she worked with parents who were a part of the child welfare system and whose children were also a part of it. After that, she worked for what is now known as the Open Door Legal Services in Seattle in the role of Director for four years. From there, she chose to spend time in the private sector working as both a civil and criminal attorney and ultimately, she found her way back to where it all began, at the University of Washington School of Law. It's a position she's both fiercely proud of and one she gives her all to. It shows in the quality of students who graduate and in the confidence with which they move forward in their careers. She is respected and highly regarded among the student body and fellow faculty members.

For more information on Esther Park or the University of Washington School of Law, please visit Law.Washington.edu/careerservices.