Career Services

Our Staff

The staff of the Office of Career & Professional Development is dedicated to providing students and alumni with a complete one-stop resource for their career-related questions and issues. Our staff is well trained to respond to the complex and difficult career questions that regularly face students and alumni.
Jim Montes
Assistant Dean for Career & Professional Development
(631) 761-7031

In his role as Assistant Dean, Montes will manage the office while staying abreast of the legal market and the law school marketplace, and will help to identify ways to increase employment opportunities for both students and alumni.

Most recently, Montes served as First Vice President and Senior Counsel for Carver Federal Savings Bank and as President of Carver Community Development Corporation, the Bank’s economic and community development subsidiary. Prior to joining Touro Law in 2014, Montes was a partner at the global law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP, based in New York City. His practice concentrated in public and project finance, primarily in public and private securities offerings and securities registration. He also served as bond and underwriter’s counsel in connection with tax-exempt and taxable bond financings. A sample of some of the projects Montes worked on while practicing law were the bond financings for the New England Patriots (Gillette Stadium), New York Giants/Jets stadium (MetLife Stadium), and the New York Yankees Stadium. During his tenure at Nixon Peabody, Mr. Montes also lead the firm’s New York State practice serving local municipalities as bond counsel. His legal experience is enhanced by more than 20 years as a senior executive in the banking industry.

Natasha Dasani
Director of Career & Professional Development
(631) 761-7032
Natasha Dasani joined our staff in 2015. She received her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in Psychology and Sociology from Georgetown University and her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law. While in law school, Ms. Dasani was a Notes and Articles editor on the Fordham Law Review and interned with the Legal Aid Society’s Manhattan Housing Court Project. She was also an active member of the Board of Student Advisors and the Latin American Law Students Association.
After law school, Ms. Dasani became an Account Executive with LexisNexis in the Law Schools division and worked with a number of law schools in New York, including Touro Law Center, for over six years. While with LexisNexis, she regularly worked with students and alumni to develop job search and interview preparation strategies and presented at workshops and conducted a CLE on topics such as career resources on LexisNexis and cost-effective legal research. Ms. Dasani was recognized by the Nassau County Bar Association for her pro bono work with the Volunteer Lawyers Project in 2014.

Jamie Ruiz
Assistant Director of Career & Professional Development
(631) 761-7038

Jamie Ruiz joined our staff in 2023. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice cum laude and Master of Business Administration from the University at Albany, and her Juris Doctor from Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. While in law school, Ms. Ruiz was the Articles Editor on the Touro Law Review and the Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. She was also the Co-Director of the Legal Education Access Program, Student Representative for the Students Helping Students Program, and the Secretary of the Animal Law Society. She interned at the Suffolk County Executive’s Office and the Regional Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand.

After law school, Ms. Ruiz worked as an Excelsior Service Fellow for New York State Governor’s Office under Lieutenant Governor Kathy C. Hochul and the Authorities Budget Office. Following her tenure in government, Ms. Ruiz worked both in the public and private sectors in corporate and municipal litigation, public finance, and non-profit tax compliance. Ms. Ruiz is also the President of the Matthew J. Ruiz Memorial Foundation, a non-profit she founded in memory of her brother.

Margarett Williams
Director of Employer Relations
(631) 761-7035
Margarett Williams, who joined our staff in 2007, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Adelphi University, where she graduated summa cum laude, and her Juris Doctor from Touro Law Center. While a student, she served as President of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society and was recognized for excellence in trial practice and her contributions to the quality of student life.

Prior to attending law school, Ms. Williams spent almost 17 years in corporate Human Resources and Training in a $1.5 billion corporation. During that time, she obtained certification in Human Resource Management from Cornell University. She practiced employment law after graduation, but quickly began pursuing her interest in family law. Shortly thereafter, she practiced matrimonial and family law at Winkler, Kurtz, Winkler & Kuhn, an AV-rated law firm in Port Jefferson Station, New York. Ms. Williams has given )presentations about resumes and provided counsel on job searches at the Association for the Bar of the City of New York. She has also been recognized for her pro bono work by the New York State Bar and Suffolk County Bar Pro Bono Foundation.
Jessica Guerrero
Administrative Assistant
(631) 761-7036
Jessica Guerrero is the Administrative Assistant for the Office of Career and Professional Development. She manages all on-campus interview programs and job listings.