Natasha Patel is assistant dean of the Career Center. She oversees the entire Career Center team, recruitment policies, and student professional development. She also advises students in their 3L year. She has over 13 years of experience advising professionals and law students at Columbia Law School's Office of Career Services and Professional Development, where she also served as Interim Dean and Director of the office. Previously, she was an associate at Morrison & Forester in Palo Alto, California and staff attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York. She holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, a MA in psychology from Columbia University and BA from the University of Georgia. She is admitted to the State Bars of California, New York and Georgia. natasha.patel@emory.edu »
404.727.5502
Emily Bramer heads our small firm and solo practitioner initiatives. She also advises recent graduates and is the director of the Emory Law Fellowship Program. Before joining Emory Law in 2012, Emily was an associate with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, where her practice focused on toxic tort litigation, and Fields Howell Athans & McLaughlin, LLP, where she handled coverage disputes and professional liability claims for insurers. Emily earned her JD, with honors, from Emory University School of Law and her BA in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Kentucky. She is admitted to the State Bar of Georgia.
emily.r.bramer@emory.edu »
404.727.7960
Claudette Harris oversees the 1L Career Strategy & Design course curriculum and also serves as the liaison for all Diversity initiatives. She is a member of NALP's DEI committee. Claudette advises our Transfer, AJD, and LLM students. Prior to joining Emory Law, Claudette worked in various roles in higher education as an educator, program director and director of education. Before venturing into higher education, she served as an Assistant Attorney General for the District of Columbia, a law clerk in the District of Columbia Superior Court and a legislative analyst for an applied social science research firm. Claudette earned her JD from Howard University School of Law and her BS and MS in Criminal Justice from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is admitted to the Washington D.C. Bar.
claudette.harris@emory.edu »
404.727.1983
Liz Kazungu Emerson
Associate Director
Liz Kazungu Emerson advises 1L and 2L law students and presents educational programming. Before joining the Law School, she was Associate Director of Career Services at Goizueta Business School. Prior to joining Emory, Liz worked in academic and career services at The Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Florida, where she advised pre-law students for six years. She brings over 12 years of experience counseling students in higher education. Liz attended Heidelberg University for Communications Media, and Miami of Ohio, for Student Affairs and Higher Education.
Liz.Kazungu@emory.edu »
404.727.1064
Lauren Jirak
Associate Director
Lauren Jirak advises 1L and 2L law students, and also serves as the office’s CPT coordinator and adjunct professor. Prior to joining Emory Law, Lauren practiced tax and corporate transactional law. She began her career with Ernst & Young, LLP, as a member of the transaction advisory services group, and subsequently, practiced for over ten years as a corporate and tax attorney with Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs, LLP. Lauren earned her JD, Order of the Coif from The University of Florida Levin College of Law and her BS in finance, summa cum laude, from Auburn University. She is admitted to the State Bars of Georgia and Florida.
lauren.e.jirak@emory.edu »
404.712.2096
Georgette Marlena Countee Thinn
Associate Director
Georgette Thinn advises 1L, 2Ls, and students seeking postgraduate public interest positions and judicial clerkships. Before she joined the Career Center team, her first role at Emory Law was with the Center for Public Service. She began her legal career as an associate with a small firm, The Law Office of Moore Ibekwe & Associates, where her practice covered a broad range of legal matters including immigration, family law, personal injury, and criminal defense. She also was an attorney for the Department of Labor, where she handled tax liability disputes, bankruptcy, and policy matters. She holds a JD, Certificate in Public Interest Law, and The Order of the Samaritan from the University of Alabama School of Law; a MS in Criminology from Georgia State University; and a BA from Spelman College. She is admitted to practice in the State of Georgia.
gthinn@emory.edu »
404.727.3349
Meredith Barnes advises 1L and 2L students. Prior to joining Emory, Meredith practiced law in the Atlanta area for more than fourteen years. She began her career as a litigator with Troutman Pepper, LLP. She went on to serve as in-house counsel for multiple international companies, where her practice covered a broad range of legal areas including franchise, real estate, employment, and intellectual property. Meredith earned her JD from Wake Forest University School of Law and her BA in English, cum laude, from Wittenberg University. She is admitted to the State Bar of Georgia.
meredith.barnes@emory.edu »
404.727.6922
Shana Laster advises 1L and 2L law students within our Career Center. Prior to joining Emory Law, she served as national recruiting director for a legal operations and staffing company where she placed attorneys on contract legal engagements for clients including law firm and in-house legal departments. Previously, Shana was a staff attorney within King & Spalding’s Trial and Global Disputes Practice Group, providing counsel in pretrial discovery matters in commercial and product liability litigation, as well as governmental investigations. Shana holds a JD from Vanderbilt University and a BA in political science, magna cum laude, from Spelman College where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is admitted to the State Bar of Georgia.
slaster@emory.edu »
404.727.8129
Lori Garrett
Mock Interview Advisor
Lori manages the mock interview program for Emory Law students and advises alumni. She began her career at McGuireWoods and Weissman PC in commercial real estate and served as vice president and managing director at MCCA. Lori earned her JD from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where she was a member of the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. She graduated magna cum laude from Spelman College with degrees in psychology and Spanish, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Lori is admitted to the State Bar of Georgia.
llgarre@emory.edu »
Carolyn Roan
Manager of Career Recruiting Programs
Carolyn manages all legal recruitment programs for Emory Law students including the Early OCI, Fall, and Spring On-Campus Interview Programs as well as regional programs in New York, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston. Carolyn has the primary responsibility for managing Symplicity, Emory Law School’s Career Services Management System database and manages all communication to students and employers related to recruitment programs. Carolyn joins the Career Center staff with more than 19 years of experience within career development/experiential learning having previously worked for Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, Emory University School of Law, and St. Thomas University School of Law. She is a graduate of St. Thomas University and holds a Master’s in Management and a Bachelor’s in Human Services.
carolyn.roan@emory.edu »
Thelma Cole
Program Coordinator
Thelma Cole facilitates the regular operations of the Career Center and the logistics of its recruiting programs. Before joining the law school, she was a program director at St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. She has over 15 years of higher education administration experience in counseling, advising, recruiting, and career services. Thelma earned her BA in organizational leadership, an MS in special education, and an EdD in leadership and management from St. Thomas University.
Thelma.Cole@emory.edu »
404.712.9388
