Georgia State University College of Law has a new senior director of Law Admissions, as of May 2018. Monique McCarthy is in position and has already began to set goals for the Law Admissions department.
“I want us to continue to attract high quality candidates who will contribute to the law school and to the legal profession,” McCarthy said. “Also, people who are good citizens and that are active in the community, and who are passionate about something.
“I want to maintain or improve the profile of the class while paying attention to diversity,” she added.
McCarthy said this year the law school has experienced an increase in applications, allowing admissions to be more selective when choosing the candidates, they admit. This year Law Admissions hopes to accept anywhere from 200 and 205 students for the J.D. class and about 16 students for the LL.M. program. There will also be a few incoming transfer students.
“We want students who will enhance the law school and serve justice in many different ways,” she said. The College of Law is committed to Atlanta and the state of Georgia, but the Law Admissions team and the Deans offices are making a concerted effort to increase the college’s national and international presence.
“We want students from around the country, who are represented in our student body,” said McCarthy, who is originally from Jamaica. She has been working in Law Admissions for about 14 years. After graduating with her J.D. and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland, Ohio, McCarthy was tapped to serve as an alumni recruiter, and this is where she found her passion.
“I went back to my dean of career services and told her ‘this is what I want to do, and how do I do it?’ Now, 15 years later, I do not regret it.”
McCarthy moved to Atlanta from Detroit, Mich., specifically for her new position. Before this job, she was an associate dean of enrollment management and communication at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. “I love the vibe that Atlanta has. It has the pulse of being a large metropolitan area but it also has that small-town feel,” McCarthy said.
The visionary wants people to know that she welcomes new ideas and new approaches. “I love the opportunity to get to know more about my colleagues and my co-workers. I think the people truly make this institution what it is, and so far, I’ve enjoyed getting to know faculty, students, administrators and alumni,” she said.
She believes that “it takes a village to enroll a law school class,” and plans to use alumni, current students, staff and administrators to assist with enrollment. McCarthy said the Law Admissions department is also focused on customer service, and it is a key component for the college.
“You only get one chance to make a good first impression. The very first time someone calls us or emails us, I want us to treat them with the utmost respect. I want them to know that they have our attention.”
“I want them to know that Georgia State values the individual, and you are not just a number here.”
McCarthy’s predecessor is Dr. Cheryl Jester-George, who retired from the college on June 30 after 36 years of service.