Finding a Job at CDC


The graduates stressed the difficulty of “getting in” at CDC. “Anyone at CDC can attest to the difficulty in getting a federal job,” said Lindsay Culp, JD ’10. “I had worked at CDC for several years as an intern, fellow, and contractor before law school, and I knew I needed to have a doctorate degree to be a more competitive candidate.”


Getting a law degree will not guarantee a job, but it can help. Several attorney friends had suggested that Culp go to law school at GSU rather than pursue a PhD. While in law school, she started working at the Public Health Law Program as a fellow and was hired as a federal employee shortly after that. “It is difficult to break into CDC without a demonstrated interest in public health, so students should consider pursuing an MPH degree or at least taking classes in public health,” she advised.


It also helps to network and to keep trying. While in law school and even though she did not have a public health background, Meredith Carr, JD ’10, applied for an ORISE fellowship that she heard about through a friend who was employed at the CDC. “Networking is very important if you want to get on board at CDC – talk to your friends and keep your name in the loop,” she advised. “In time, your persistence will pay off.”


Although he had worked as a consultant for Ernst & Young immediately after law school, Mark Kashdan, JD ’99, decided after a year to practice law. “I thought the CDC’s legal office would be a great place to put my JD and MPH to work and start my legal career,” he said. “I had interviewed for the position right after law


school and finished runner-up, but I stayed in touch and the timing was right the second time around.”


“Many positions at CDC do not require a JD,” said Stacie Kershner, JD ’08. “However, candidates with legal degrees are often sought by hiring managers.” She also encouraged interested students to obtain a Master’s degree in Public Health. “Not having this degree makes it much more difficult to get a job at the CDC and restricts the types of positions available.”


Some of the law graduates worked at CDC before law school and characterized their law degrees as another step in an already established career. “Although my career path at CDC did not change with my JD,” said Sal Lucido, JD ‘04, “I think the law degree provides me with an additional level of credibility in the performance of my job.”


“I already had a job at CDC when I graduated from law school,” said Sherry Everett Jones, JD ’03, “but as a result of my legal training, part of my official duties began to include law-related work.” Jones’s current work relates to surveillance of youth risk behaviors and school health policies, the influence of the built environment on the public’s health, and the intersection of law and public health particularly in the context of schools.


Many of the graduates participated in a fellowship program at some point during their CDC careers. “The CDC has several outstanding fellowship programs that can lead to a career in public health or other federal service,” said Rebecca Polinsky, JD ’07. (See the side bar on Fellowship Opportunities on page 13)


Jenny Sewell, JD ’11, MPA Public Health Analyst, Office of Policy & Planning, Office of the Director, Division of HIV/ AIDS Prevention


“My law classes were very relevant to the work I do. I also use the non-legal skills I learned in getting my master’s, such as strategic planning and organizational theory, and my knowledge of public health learned while at the CDC.”


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Caroline Lagoy Sirhal, JD ’11, MPH Public Health Analyst, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion


“Getting a JD degree has enabled me to consider multiple perspectives - science, policy, public health - all under the framework of the law. Being able to combine those areas has been invaluable and has made me a more effective advisor to the programs with which I work.”


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