Rachel cara

program coordinator

rcara@wcl.american.edu

Rachel Cara is OCPD’s Program Coordinator. Prior to joining the office in 2022, Rachel spent 6 years developing and facilitating programming at several museums, including the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle, the American Museum of Natural History, the Tenement Museum, and the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. Over the course of her career, she has proudly supported different communities in reaching their personal, professional, and educational goals through innovative and creative programs. Rachel graduated from CUNY Hunter College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and History.

Sam Chaplin

Recruitment programs Manager

schaplin@wcl.american.edu

Sam Chaplin is the Recruitment Programs Manager for the Office of Career & Professional Development. He assists with all recruitment programs, including the On Campus Interview (OCI) program, the Summer Firm Series, and the DC/Baltimore Public Service Recruitment Fair (PSRF). Sam also helps develop connections with employers that lead to increased job opportunities for students and alumni. Prior to joining OCPD, Sam worked in undergraduate and graduate admissions for Towson University and the University of Maryland, College Park. Sam received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Roanoke College. 

Rachel Janger

Career counselor

rjanger@wcl.american.edu

Rachel Janger joined the Office of Career & Professional Development as a Career Counselor in 2022. Prior to joining the OCPD team, Rachel practiced at O’Melveny & Myers’ DC office as a Senior Counsel in the Labor and Employment practice group. Rachel also worked as a Counsel at Crowell & Moring and clerked for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Rachel brings to her role as Career Counselor a passion for mentoring and guiding students toward achieving their career goals.

Rachel received her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

Sector-specific Counseling Specializations: Large Law Firms; Clerkships

Areas of Special Interest: Labor & Employment, Bankruptcy, Pro Bono Representation, Social Justice, LGBTQIA+, Diversity & Inclusion

Daniela Kraiem

Assistant Dean for Career and Professional Development

(202) 274-4249
kraiem@wcl.american.edu

Dean Kraiem joined the Washington College of Law in 2006.  She is the Assistant Dean for the Office of Career and Professional Development, collaborating with the staff and faculty of the Washington College of Law to connect students and alumni with professional development and employment opportunities across all legal sectors.  In addition, she holds a faculty appointment as a Practitioner-in-Residence. 

Prior to joining the Washington College of Law, Professor Kraiem represented unions and employees in labor and employment matters as an Associate with McCarthy, Johnson, and Miller in San Francisco.  As a staff attorney at the non-profit Child Care Law Center, she specialized in employment and workforce development.  She holds a BA in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a JD from the University of California, Davis, School of Law. 

Sector-specific Counseling Specializations: Non-profit; Small Firms

Areas of Special Interest: Women’s Rights, LGBTQ Rights, Labor & Employment, ERISA, Public Interest, Poverty Law, Human Rights, Law & Development, Public Policy

Shanza qureshi

Career Advisor, LL.M. & International students

(202) 274-4093
squreshi@wcl.american.edu

Shanza Qureshi serves as the Career Advisor for LL.M. and International Students at Washington College of Law. She previously worked on American University’s main campus as the Associate Director of International Student and Scholar Services. In that role, Shanza managed regulatory compliance and intercultural programs for students, faculty, and the greater university community.

She is a staunch advocate for global education and for the constructive role international students play academically and professionally in broadening perspectives in the United States. Shanza has managed academic exchange programs, in collaboration with U.S. Department of State, and facilitated community partnerships that placed students in career-focused internships. She also has undertaken research on diverse issues international students confront while advancing their educational and career opportunities.

Shanza holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Arts in International and Comparative Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Sector-specific Counseling Specializations: Department of State; International Organizations; Non-Profit Organizations; Local, State & Federal Government

Areas of Special Interest: Academic Exchange Policy; Legislative Advocacy; International Opportunities

 

Raquel Skinner

assistant director for employer relations

(202) 274-4166
rskinner@wcl.american.edu

Raquel Skinner is the Assistant Director for Employer Relations for the Office of Career & Professional Development. In addition to career counseling, Raquel engages in strategic outreach to private- and public-sector legal employers to cultivate relationships and identify and develop new job opportunities for WCL students and alumni.

Raquel has accumulated significant experience within the private and public sectors. Prior to joining WCL, Raquel was an Adjunct Professor and Staff Attorney in the Harrison Institute for Affordable Housing Transactions at the Georgetown University Law Center and an Associate General Counsel at Fannie Mae. Raquel began her legal career serving on real estate and general corporate litigation and transaction matters at several major firms.

Raquel received her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Spelman College and her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  

Sector-specific Counseling Specializations: Large Law Firms; Small, Mid-size & Boutique Law Firms; In-house Positions; JD Advantage Positions

Areas of Special Interest: Diversity, Inclusion & Affinity Career Development; Corporate & Real Estate Law

Jai Smith-Avery

Senior Data Manager & Professional Development Advisor

(202) 274-4453
jsavery@wcl.american.edu

Jai Smith-Avery is OCPD’s Senior Data Manager & Professional Development Advisor. Jai spent nearly 10 years in the non-profit sector as a researcher and analyst, focusing primarily on the participation and achievements of faculty and students from underrepresented groups (e.g., women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). He also brings to the OCPD team his experience as a social media coordinator, podcast producer, internship program director, and teacher/school administrator. Jai graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

Sector-specific Counseling Specializations: Post-graduate Employment, JD Advantage Positions

Areas of Special Interest: Professional Skill Development, Job Search Strategy, Student Agency, Goal-setting

Emily sommers

Career Counselor

sommers@wcl.american.edu

Emily Sommers (she/her) serves as a Career Counselor within the Office of Career & Professional Development. Prior to joining the Washington College of Law, Emily was part of the public interest career advising team at Duke University School of Law. 

Emily’s legal career has focused primarily on public-interest litigation. After earning her law degree, Emily worked for several years at Earthjustice where she litigated environmental and public health cases, primarily before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Subsequently, Emily worked at the Federal Trade Commission where she brought consumer protection cases to shut down online and robocall scams. Emily is a graduate of Duke University School of Law and obtained her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied mathematics and computer science. 

Sector-specific Counseling Specializations: Non-profits; Government; Plaintiff’s Firms

Areas of Special Interest: Government & Public Interest Litigation; Environmental Law; Transgender & Nonbinary Inclusion in the Law; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Kerry Stotler

Career counselor

kstotler@wcl.american.edu

Kerry Stotler joined the Office of Career & Professional Development as a Career Counselor in 2021. Kerry is a Washington College of Law Alumnus, receiving her Juris Doctor in 2009. Prior to joining the OCPD team, Kerry worked as the Program Manager for Fellowships at Equal Justice Works where she managed the nation’s largest post-graduate legal fellowship program. In her role at Equal Justice Works, she advised law students on their fellowship applications and Fellows on career and professional development. Throughout her legal career, Kerry worked as an associate for a number of DC law firms, specializing in Communications Law. This combination of experiences gives Kerry a strong background in both the public and private sectors.

In addition to her Juris Doctor from WCL, Kerry received her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Dickinson College and her Master of Science in Arts Administration from Shenandoah University.

Sector-specific Counseling Specializations: Public Interest, Non-profit, Mid-size & Boutique Law Firms

Areas of Special Interest: Social Justice, Women’s Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Mental Health Law, Voting Rights