Jessica Herndon, Assistant Director of Career Services
Hailing from Forsyth, Georgia, Jessica Herndon serves Mercer Law School as assistant director of career services. This is Herndon’s second time working in the career services office at the Law School, having served as administrative assistant from 2018 to 2021. She left Mercer Law in 2021 to join Mercer University’s human resources department in pursuit of a deeper understanding of how a university operates. That experience, she said, gave her valuable insight into the behind-the-scenes work of higher education. “I always valued my time at the Law School, stayed connected with my former colleagues, and missed the close-knit environment. After completing my master’s degree, I was excited to return to Mercer Law as assistant director of career services. During my interview, one of our 3Ls asked me, ‘How do we know you won’t leave us again?’ I told him, ‘I know how special this place is, and I don’t see myself ever leaving it again!’”
Herndon is also a co-advisor to the First-Generation Law Student Association (FGLSA) which has the mission to facilitate personal and professional growth through a variety of workshops, panels, networking events, and the collection of helpful resources. By connecting members with alumni who share similar first-generation experiences, the association aspires to create a supportive network that will impact the students’ journey through law school and into their careers.
FGLSA President Ember Mayo, ’26, said, “Jessica is an amazing faculty advisor and resource for FGLSA. She is always going above and beyond by helping our members whether it be through informing us of opportunities to gain hands-on experience or by providing refreshments at our panels. She is constantly working to help our organization grow and is one of the reasons we were able to get such an organization up and operating so quickly. I know that with her help, FGLSA will continue to grow and help many current and future law students.”
Herndon earned her first bachelor’s degree in history at Gordon State College, where her interest in working in higher education developed. She earned her second bachelor’s degree, this time in organizational leadership, from Mercer’s College of Professional Advancement, before completing her Master of Education degree in higher education leadership at Mercer in December 2023.
Herndon said she and her husband Blake have found a great community in Macon. They enjoy playing pickleball and sometimes run into law students on the courts. She also enjoys reading, baking, and walking their dogs Moose and Mattie.
Assistant Dean of Career Services Elizabeth Carr CLAS ’06, LAW, ’10, has had the pleasure of working with Herndon in both her roles at the Law School. “We are absolutely thrilled to have Jessica back in Career Services. As assistant director, she goes far beyond counseling students on their employment prospects—she serves as a mentor, role model, and unwavering advocate for their success. Her dedication to helping our students find meaningful careers and guiding them on their journeys to becoming practice-ready attorneys is truly invaluable. We are lucky to have her on our team once again.”
When does the office of career services start working with students (what year) to help them find internships/jobs?
We start working with students very early in their 1L year with our 1L Professional Development Class. The 1LPD class lasts four weeks in late September/early October and covers everything from application materials to interviewing and networking. Once they finish the class, 1Ls can begin meeting with us for one-on-one counseling to prepare them as they begin searching for summer employment.
What’s the most satisfying part of your job as assistant director?
I like to tell people that I have the best job in the world. It can be challenging at times, but there’s nothing more rewarding than watching these incredible students grow from unsure 1Ls learning how to write a cover letter to being practice-ready attorneys representing real clients every day. Nothing makes me happier than having a student end their appointment with “I feel so much better now!” or having them tell me that they got the job they worked so hard to prepare for.
What’s the best thing about Mercer Law School?
The best thing about Mercer Law is the small-school environment. We actually know our students and they know us. Not to mention the staff and faculty are incredible. We are a close-knit group. The support network between students, faculty, and staff is something I’ve not experienced anywhere else. It’s really special here.
You are co-advisor for Mercer Law First-Generation Law Student Association. Are you a first-generation college student?
Yes, I am. My parents and grandparents never attended college and were not resources for me when I began applying for college. Neither of my parents set foot on my college campus until my graduation. That’s the reason I’m so passionate about first-generation student success because I’ve been there – working multiple jobs to support myself while taking classes full time, while not having a support system of family members who knew what college was like. I actually wasn’t even aware that being “first-generation” was a recognized classification until my first graduate course and it has been my primary focus area ever since.
Why is this organization important?
The Mercer Law First-Generation Law Student Association (FGLSA) is important because it provides not only resources but also support for students who are either the first in their family to attend college (first-generation college) or the first to attend law school (first-generation law school). Law school is a beast all on its own, and many of our first-gen students don’t have a support system of friends and family members who have been through this before and who understand the immense stress they’re under. Coming to law school means not only jumping into a new environment, but also figuring out classes, readings, assignments, and an overall culture that at times is nothing like the undergraduate experience. It can be daunting for anyone.
You have been a panel speaker on the subject and published an article on first-generation student support last summer. Is “the guide” something you devised?
As a newer member of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), I joined their First-Generation Work Group last year. Part of the work is to publish resources in the NALP Bulletin periodically that advise other career services professionals on various topics. I was fortunate enough to be a co-author with CSOs (Career Services Office) more seasoned than me – Samanta Ciriaco at Case Western Reserve and Susan Galazen at Mitchell Hamline. Together we co-authored a quick guide to CSOs on how to support their first-generation students based on our collaborative experiences.
Is your role with FGLSA similar to your experience serving as a Mercer Firsts mentor while working at Mercer University? Were you able to apply your experiences to establish guidelines for First Gen Association?
As a Mercer Firsts mentor, I was paired with one or two undergraduate freshman students as one-on-one support for anything they needed to talk about or questions they had about managing college. It is a wonderful program, and I was fortunate to serve as a mentor for two years. The creation of FGLSA was the brainchild of several of the Law School’s first-generation students and I was in the right place at the right time when they needed an advisor. As students who are directly impacted by the challenges of being first-gen, the founding executive board really took the lead in creating the resources. Dean Zipperer and I are there to support them. (FGLSA co-advisor: Assistant Dean of Students Jeannie Zipperer is also a first-generation college student.)
Give a little pitch as to how important it is for alumni to stay involved with the Law School and to consider offering positions/internships to Mercer students/graduates.
We always tell our students that one of our best resources is our alumni base. It’s a very normal part of the legal profession for students to find an alum who practices what they want to practice and to ask for advice and get first-hand information. Our alumni are great at responding when our students reach out and are excited to have the opportunity to share their experiences. We hear from alumni pretty frequently “When can I talk to students? Can I be on a panel? Tell them to call me if they want to learn more about XYZ practice area!”. They make a world of difference to our students as they prepare to become attorneys themselves, and it’s a unique benefit of being a student here. It’s also so important for our students to see alumni giving back and it sets a great example for them to do the same once they graduate.
