John Marshall Law School Assistant Dean Jodie Needham Receives National Award

CHICAGO, March 9, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jodie Panariello Needham, assistant dean for academic services at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, has been named this year's winner of the annual Vanguard Prize from the National Network of Law School Officers (NNLSO).

The Vanguard Prize recognizes an individual for outstanding professional achievement in support of student services. The prize carries an award of $500 earmarked for professional development. NNLSO seeks nominations from all 135 participating schools and solicits letters of recommendation from the deans of law schools employing nominees. The NNLSO Board chooses the winner.
 
Needham will receive the award at the NNLSO annual conference in Phoenix, in March 2016.  
 
Needham has worked in Academic Services at John Marshall for more than 25 years. During that time, she has held the position of assistant registrar, registrar and director; she was promoted to assistant dean in 2009. She served on the board of NNLSO from 1999–2005.
 
The John Marshall Law School, founded in 1899, is an independent law school located in the heart of Chicago's legal, financial and commercial districts. The 2016 U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Graduate Schools ranks John Marshall's Lawyering Skills Program fifth, its Trial Advocacy Program 16th and its Intellectual Property Law Program 17th in the nation. Since its inception, John Marshall has been a pioneer in legal education and has been guided by a tradition of diversity, innovation, access and opportunity.
 
The National Network of Law School Officers (NNLSO) is a nonprofit, professional organization designed for the educational and professional development of all law school officers. Primarily, NNLSO addresses the concerns and issues of registrars and admissions officers. Although NNLSO is the only professional organization for law school registrars, it encourages and welcomes all department officials with the goal to facilitate and promote intra-departmental relations within a law school community.