The Office of Academic Engagement connects students to academic resources and support at Emory Law as well as the larger Emory University campus.
Please call our office or visit the Current Student Guide Page for additional information.
Kelly Woodford, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Kelly Collins Woodford is the assistant dean for student affairs. She graduated summa cum laude from Spring Hill College with a degree in political science and a minor in business. Woodford received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center where she served as senior editor of the Georgetown Journal of Law and Policy in International Business (now the Georgetown Journal of International Law). After graduation she practiced law in the Labor & Employment Law section of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (now Morgan Lewis) in Washington, DC, and later practiced in the Mobile, Alabama offices of Adams & Reese LLP and The Kullman Firm. She left the full-time practice of law in 1999 to join the faculty of the Mitchell College of Business at the University of South Alabama where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in business law, employment law, current legal issues in business, and an honors seminar on the First Amendment and business. Her research interests focused primarily on labor and employment related topics. Most recently, Woodford spent six years as the associate dean of the Mitchell College.
Email: kelly.collins.woodford@emory.edu
Henry Echols
Henry Echols graduated from the University of Arizona magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in General Studies. He also holds a JD from the University of Arizona. He entered into law school primarily interested in the University of Arizona’s Indigenous People’s Law and Policy program, was a member of the Native American Law Students Association, and participated in the school’s Tribal Justice Clinic. Prior to joining Emory Law, Echols was a staff attorney for the Pima County Office of Children’s Counsel where he represented minors in dependency, severance, and guardianship actions. Before becoming a licensed Arizona attorney he clerked for a judge on the Pima County Juvenile Bench, an opportunity which drew his attention in part due to the Indian Child Welfare Act cases that the Court presided over. As a generalist, Echols has a broad range of experience and interests that he is able to draw upon to advise Emory Law students.
K. Jeanette Holmes, Esq.
K. Jeanette Holmes is a 2013 Emory Law alumna. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University. While studying at Emory Law, she was a member of the Barton Child Law & Policy Clinic and worked for a judge on the Superior Court of Fulton County’s Family Law Bench. Before returning as an academic advisor, Holmes spent a decade practicing family law in the Atlanta area with an emphasis on high-asset and complex divorce litigation. In addition, she served as a Volunteer Lawyer and Guardian ad Litem through Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation’s Office of Safe and Stable Families. Holmes was honored by Georgia SuperLawyers® as a Rising Star for five consecutive years (2018 – 2023) and served in leadership roles in the Charles Longstreet Weltner American Inn of Court. Holmes remains an active member of the State Bar of Georgia. She is also a trained mediator and an instructor for the Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques.
Email: Kathryn.Jeanette.Holmes@Emory.edu
Kirsten Schaetzel, English Language SpecialistKirsten Schaetzel is the English Language Specialist at the law school. She does workshops and has individual student appointments on aspects of English language and American culture. After receiving her doctorate from Boston University, she worked for ten years in Asia. After returning to the US, she began working with international law students at Georgetown Law and has continued to enjoy working with law students after moving to Atlanta two years ago. Dr. Schaetzel works with international Emory Law students across all degree programs.
Email: kirsten.schaetzel@emory.edu
Phone: 404.727.7096
Bonita Young, Senior Academic Advisor
Bonita Young graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Anthropology and a minor in African Studies. She holds a JD from the University of Florida and was previously a staff attorney for Three Rivers Legal Services, where she represented indigent clients focusing on civil issues such as housing, consumer, and family law.
Young was elected to serve the 8th Judicial Circuit on the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors, where she created programs aimed at quality of life and diversity initiatives within the Florida Bar. She began her career in higher education as a senior academic attorney for LexisNexis and later joined BarBri as a senior staff attorney preparing students in DC and Maryland for the Bar Exam.
Email:bonita.young2@emory.edu
Phone: 404.727.3111
