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A
fter a career of more than 30
years in public service working as
an assistant Cook County state’s
attorney, a judge in the Circuit Court of
Cook County and a justice of the Illinois
Appellate Court, Justice Margaret O’Mara
Frossard (ret.) has carved out a new ca-
reer path helping students at The John
Marshall Law School secure jobs in a
challenging market.
When Frossard first joined John
Marshall’s administration in 2011, she
wasted no time in developing a program
that gave students the opportunity to
learn the importance of professionalism
while they were still in school. That same
year, John Marshall became the first law
school approved by the Illinois Supreme
Court Commission on Professionalism
to launch the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mento-
ring program. Since the program began,
Frossard has paired hundreds of mentors
and mentees.
Frossard typically tries to gear the
mentoring sessions towards showing stu-
dents how they can develop the skills of a
true professional before they begin serv-
ing clients. Two important components
of Frossard’s work are the Justice Anne
Burke Professionalism Series and the
In-Classroom Professionalism & Engage-
ment Program.
“In this job market, students need to
hit the ground running and be practice
ready from day one,” Frossard said. “It
has been my goal since starting at John
Marshall to help students develop their
sense of professionalism and engagement
during their education. My office works
to improve the delivery of services to stu-
dents while providing the foundation for
professionalism and preparing students
to become responsible, dignified mem-
bers of the legal community.”
In addition to the programs Frossard
administers and more than 60 career-re-
lated programs offered by the Career
Services Office, students complete four
semesters of legal writing and research
courses in JohnMarshall’s #5 ranked Law-
yering Skills Program—one of the most
rigorous foundational legal programs in
the country. Students then test their skills
in one of John Marshall’s Community Le-
gal Clinics, a requirement for graduation.
“Our students graduate with the skills
and knowledge that are making them
employable,” Frossard said. “They have
talent, excellent writing skills, strong re-
search skills and a deep understanding of
the law that makes them ready for the job
market.”
Students and graduates alike confirm
Frossard’s impact on John Marshall.
“The help I have received from Judge
Frossard has truly been invaluable,” John
Marshall graduate Joe Kearney said. “She
has served as a mentor and a guide to me
during my job search and after. I truly feel
fortunate to know her.”
As the success of the program contin-
ues, five years later, it is clear this success is
not just a trend. Frossard has found some-
thing special with the Lawyer-to-Lawyer
Mentoring program. Using her extensive
network of legal professionals, Frossard
continues to invite judges, practitioners,
alumni and other professionals to serve
as guest presenters for John Marshall stu-
dents. As a follow-up, Frossard recruits
alumni to work toward job placement for
recent graduates.
“Justice Frossard’s alumni jobs net-
work is a perfect example of her commit-
ment to connecting people and ideas, in-
stilling the importance of professionalism
within students and alumni and tirelessly
advocating on behalf of John Marshall
job-seekers in this tough legal market,”
Kearney said.
Contact Justice Margaret O’Mara Frossard
(ret.), Associate Dean for Professionalism
and Career Strategy, to learn more about
John Marshall’s practice-ready graduates.
“Our students graduate with the skills and
knowledge that are making them employ-
able,” Frossard said. “They have talent,
excellent writing skills, strong research
skills and a deep understanding of the law
that makes them ready for the job market.”
Margaret O’Mara Frossard Uses Mentoring Program
to Find Law Graduates Jobs in a Tough Market
Retired Justice’s passion for career and professional development is making a mark on law students
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APRIL/MAY 2016