Shawn Patrick McKenna

Biography

The Career Development Office at the University of North Carolina School of Law facilitates the career exploration and job search process for its students, recent graduates, and alumni. As the Director of Employer Outreach, Shawn is responsible for establishing, expanding, and maintaining relationships with legal employers and helping facilitate employment opportunities for UNC School of Law students and alumni. Shawn is a graduate of the Industrial and Labor Relations School at Cornell University and The George Washington University Law School. He is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and North Carolina. Upon graduation from law school, Shawn served as the judicial law clerk for the Honorable Melvin R. Wright, Associate Judge for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He then entered private practice with a Washington, DC, real estate firm before working for First American Title Insurance Company where he assisted clients with the creation and conversion of condominium projects, and residential and commercial transactions. After his move to North Carolina, Shawn practiced with Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc. as a consumer protection staff attorney in the Durham office. Shawn relies on his varied legal experiences in guiding the professional development of first-generation college and law students, LGBTQ students and attorneys, and students interested in careers in private practice. His outside interests include travel, the wines of South Africa, and playing tennis and squash. He and his partner make their home in Durham, NC.

Education

• B.S., Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University
• J.D., George Washington University