{ prima facie } the Temple Law newspaper

By Jesse Chen

As of March 17, Louis Thompson, the previous Assistant Dean of Career Planning, has transferred jobs at Temple Law and is now the Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs. Thompson has replaced Adelaide Ferguson in his new position, while Senior Director for Career Planning Melissa Lennon was promoted into Thompson’s previous position as an assistant dean.

What prompted this change? Thompson said that he is always looking for ways to develop his skills and face new challenges.

“It makes life interesting and provides you with more opportunities not just for yourself, but for the people in your life,” he said.

Thompson also said that he grew up identifying with two cultures and appreciated the interconnectedness of the world. He believes law students and lawyers can especially appreciate opportunities to expand their horizons and world views. Thompson found it natural, then, to step up to the plate for his new position. Thompson has already planned to expand Temple Law’s exchange programs, especially into Europe and Spanish-speaking countries. He has based this decision on students’ increased demand for these programs.

In looking back at his time in Career Planning, Thompson saw many achievements. He lauded Melissa Lennon for her “organizational genius” and her effective management of daily operations, which allowed him to fully research and develop strategy.

The result was Career Planning’s increased devotion to students’ needs. Annually, this meant meetings with over
500 students each year, the running of over 40 educational programs and several on-campus interview sessions that involved a total of 350 students, the posting of 1,400 jobs, and the mailing of over 3,000 applications to judges.

Although Thompson has left Career Planning, he said that Lennon has capably stepped up in her new assistant dean position and has already begun the search for a new Senior Director of Career Planning.

“[Career Planning] should be back to full staff in no time,” Thompson said.