The National Association for Law Placement (NALP), an association of over 2,500 legal career professionals who advise law students, lawyers, law offices, and law schools, has elected Cleary Gottlieb’s Washington, D.C. Director of Legal Personnel and Recruiting, Georgia Emery Gray, as its new president-elect.
During the first year of her three-year term on the Board of Directors, Georgia will serve as president-elect working alongside current NALP president Melissa Lennon, who is the Assistant Dean for Career Services at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Georgia will serve as president from 2019 to 2020 and then move into the role of immediate past president in the final year of her term.
In her role as president, Georgia will support NALP’s mission and ensure it remains one of the top career services, recruitment, and professional development organizations serving the legal profession. “I am honored to be elected as NALP’s president and look forward to taking on this new challenge,” said Georgia. “NALP is committed to fair and ethical hiring practices, career guidance and development, and diversity and inclusion in the legal industry. I am proud to serve along with my fellow members as we continue working to improve our industry.”
“For over 20 years, Georgia has been a critical member of our legal recruiting and professional development team at Cleary, helping us build an exceptional community of lawyers,” said Cleary partner Dave Gelfand. “We are proud that she will be taking on this important national leadership role for NALP.”
Georgia has been a member of NALP since 1999 and has held a variety of leadership roles, notably serving as a member of the Board of Directors from 2013 to 2015. She is also a frequent speaker at NALP conferences on recruiting and retention practices, trends in the legal market, and effective summer associate programs. Georgia joined Cleary in 1997. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as a paralegal at Silver, Freedman & Taff, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College.
Cleary has a long-standing relationship with NALP. Senior members of the firm’s professional staff are active members and many serve in the organization’s leadership structure. In addition to Georgia’s role as president, Cleary’s Director of Alumni Relations and Associate Life, Norma Cirincione, previously served as NALP’s vice-president and held several leadership positions, including chair of this year’s NALP Annual Education Conference.