Akua A.
5.0
(1)
T14 Law Associate Dean | 20+ Years in Legal Career Coaching
Admissions Committee at University of Iowa College of Law
Admissions Committee at Cornell Law School
Available tomorrow at 10:00 PM UTC
Usually responds within 13 hours
Don't hesitate to reach out if my available times don't work for you- I'm happy to work with your schedule!
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Akua's Coaching Offerings
Custom hourly · $225/hr
Get help with Interview Prep, Skill Building, and .
Akua also coaches for Legal Practice and Law School. View all.
Akua’s Career Coaching Qualifications
Experience level: Executive
50+ people coached for Career Coaching
As a first-generation college graduate and international professional, I know what it means to navigate complex systems, take risks, and create a path that didn’t exist before. That experience fuels my passion for helping others find clarity, confidence, and purpose in their careers. For over two decades, I’ve coached professionals, students, and leaders across industries to define success on their own terms, communicate their strengths with authenticity, and take meaningful next steps with courage and strategy. My approach combines empathy and accountability—deep listening, practical tools, and actionable insight that turn reflection into results. Whether you’re exploring a new direction, preparing for advancement, or seeking renewed confidence in your professional journey, I’ll help you reconnect with your strengths, realign with your values, and design a career that feels both purposeful and sustainable. Let’s build the next chapter of your career—intentionally, strategically, and with confidence.
Akua can help with:
Interview Prep
Skill Building
Career Planning
Cover Letters
Professional Networking
Resume Review
Personal Branding
Networking Strategy
Leadership
Salary Negotiation
Job Search Strategies
General Exploration
Akua also coaches for Legal Practice and Law School. View all.
About Akua
Are you preparing for law school, navigating your early legal career, or seeking a meaningful transition within the legal field? With more than 20 years of experience at institutions like Cornell, Yale, Columbia, and the University of Iowa, I offer tailored coaching that helps you move forward with clarity and purpose. I specialize in law school admissions strategy, and myriad facets of legal practice from public interest and JD-advantage career paths to corporate law firm careers. I look forward to working with you on your long-term professional development goals—especially for first-generation students. As a first-gen graduate myself, I understand both the obstacles and the transformative potential of legal education. My coaching is grounded in a deep understanding of legal hiring trends, public interest fellowships, and global opportunities. I bring a global lens to legal career building and work with clients from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Whether you're applying to law school, preparing for OCI, pursuing a clerkship, or exploring your next professional chapter, I offer expert, honest, and inclusive guidance. Let’s unlock your potential—on your terms. Coaching rooted in experience. Support grounded in equity. Strategy informed by a global vision.
Work Experience
Associate Dean, Career Services
Cornell Law School
April 2017 - Present
Admissions Committee
- Influential Communicator - Teach Multi-Cultural Work - Environments summer externship course. Oversee formal on-campus and off-campus job fair interviewing programs, conceive and present career programming, and proactively cultivate employer relationships in diverse practice settings, sectors, and geographic markets. - Track and regularly report employment outcomes, adjusting strategies as needed to achieve strategic goals. - Oversee submission of all employment reporting and surveys to accrediting authorities, industry partners, and media outlets. - Collaborate with administrative colleagues in Admissions, Alumni Affairs and Development, Graduate Legal Studies, Student Services, Financial Aid, and Human Resources to achieve strategic goals. - Conceive and present cutting-edge, career and professional development-related programming. - Member of the Public Service Committee, Diversity Committee. - Co-founder of the Cornell Defender Program, a cross-campus collaboration which partners undergraduate and law students with local public defenders.
Assistant Dean Graduate Career Services
University of Iowa
July 2015 - March 2017
Influential Communicator
Director of Career Services, Public Interest
Yale Law School
August 2010 - July 2015
Hiring Manager
- Influential Communicator. - Developed, managed, and provided services to students in public interest law, including domestic and international non-profit and government work. - Counseled students and graduates on all aspects of preparation for, and the pursuit of, summer and post-graduate professional opportunities focusing on work in public interest law.
Director, International and Summer Programs
Columbia University School of Law
May 2001 - August 2010
Hiring Manager
- Influential Communicator. - Informed, counseled, and advised current students and graduates on international public interest and human rights opportunities including permanent jobs, summer, and semester internships, and pro bono projects.
Assistant Director
University of Iowa
September 1999 - May 2000
Hiring Manager
- Chaired “Celebrating Cultural Diversity Day” committee, annual event drawing more than 5000 participants. - Led cross-cultural training simulations and diversity programs. - Coordinated 200-employer International Job Fair with Career Development Services. - Managed Writer-In-Residence program, where internationally renowned author does community visits throughout the state of Iowa. - Recruited participants for all outreach programs, including cultural consultants for college and high school classrooms. - Co-produced "International Edition" on Iowa Public Radio.
Education
University of Iowa College of Law
Doctor of Law (JD), Law
1994 - 1997
Admissions Committee Experience
Law Opportunity Fellow (full tuition merit-based fellowship) Activities: Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems Journal Legal Clinic – Immigration (asylum, VAWA) and Civil Rights (§1983, criminal justice)
University of Iowa
Bachelor's Degree, Literature, Science and the Arts
1991 - 1993
Admissions Committee Experience
Honors Project: Eradicating Female Genital Mutilation? Honors: Dean’s List, all semesters Minority Tuition Scholarship (merit-based) Activities: Assistant to Interim Associate Provost for International Programs Main Library Assistant – Circulation Department
1 Review
Overall Rating
5.0
Knowledge
5.0
Value
5.0
Responsiveness
5.0
Supportiveness
5.0