Dean Harkins is the Assistant Dean of Academic Success and Bar Prep. She oversees the Academic Success Program, the Writing Center, and the Bar Preparation department. She has helped design an innovative and experiential Academic Success and Bar Preparation Program at TJSL that provides all students with the necessary skills and support to succeed in law school and beyond.
Before practicing law, Dean Harkins spent more than a decade in public education in San Diego, working as a National Board Certified high school English teacher and as an instructional designer for the San Diego County Office of Education. As an instructional designer, she designed interactive online professional development training.
After law school, Dean Harkins practiced law with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and with Jones Day. Her practice centered on employment and labor law, government contracts, and trade secret matters. She advised clients regarding the California Labor Code and federal employment law, and she represented clients in areas of management employment defense, including discrimination cases, administrative matters, and general management-side civil employment litigation. She also gave regular lectures on employment law topics, including prevention of wage-hour claims, employment legislation updates, and social media policies.
Courses include:
Lawyering Skills I, Lawyering Skills II, Legal Principles
