Donna Gerson, the author of several books on careers in law and a longtime professional development consultant, has been appointed associate dean for career strategies.

A consultant since 2001, Gerson has lectured on career strategies at law schools around the nation and at conferences and professional development institutes organized by the Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP). She has led webinars for West LegalEd Center on small firm hiring, client development, student debt and networking skills.  She has also provided individual counseling to students and recent law school graduates.

Her book, “Choosing Smart: Job Search Strategies for Lawyers in the Small Firm Market,” published by NALP, is in its third edition.  The second edition of “The Modern Rules of Business Etiquette,” which she co-authored with David Gerson, was published in January 2014 by ABA Publishing.  Her book about networking skills, “Building Career Connections”, was published by NALP in 2007.  She is a former contributing editor for Student Lawyer magazine, a publication of the Law Student Division of the ABA.

She serves on the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women, the first alumnae leadership organization of its kind, where she co-chairs the Student Life Committee.

From 1993 to 2001, Gerson served as the director of the Office of Career Services at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Gerson received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, a JD from Temple University Beasley School of Law and a MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh.

She clerked for a judge in Philadelphia and worked in private practice in Pittsburgh.