GW Law officials announced a new associate dean of professional development and career strategies in a release Friday.

The release states that Suzanne Hard, who previously served as the director of the Center for Career Development at the University of Connecticut School of Law, will join the law school as the new associate dean of professional development and career strategies. She will grow employment opportunities for graduates and connect community members to the career center in her role managing the Professional Development and Career Strategies department.

“I look forward to collaborating with the many constituencies on campus that play a role in building opportunities and strengthening outcomes for students and alumni,” Hard said in the release.

The hire comes three years after the former associate dean, Susan Fine, left the University in February 2021.

Hard will join GW Law Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew’s cabinet of advisors where she will collaborate with law school faculty and officials to strengthen students’ career outcomes, according to the release. She will also staff and manage the school’s career center – a resource for students to connect with employers and find potential jobs at law firms, government agencies, corporations and nonprofit organizations.

Matthew said Hard’s career development experience from her former position prepares her to strengthen students’ employment outcomes.

“She brings a wealth of experience leading career services professionals, as well as an infectious passion and energy to working with our students,” Bowen said in the release.

Hard earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University, according to the release. She previously served as the director of education and section programming for the Connecticut Bar Association and an associate professor of legal studies at Post University.