Law and Justice Career Fair to welcome more than 80 prospective employers

The annual Law and Justice Career Fair at Central Washington University has grown into a statewide event since it was introduced in 2022, garnering attention from employers far and wide.

This year's fair will be held on Wednesday, April 9, from 12-2 p.m. in the SURC Ballroom, and over 80 agencies will attend the event in the hopes of finding their next star recruits from among CWU’s talented students. The event is free and no pre-registration is required.

Kittitas County Sheriff Inspector Chris Whitsett has witnessed the growth of the career fair firsthand.

“Honestly, it’s not great for us, because all the Central students who we’d love to have working here get the chance to interact with agencies from all over the law and justice field, not just law enforcement,” he joked. “For the last three months or so, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs has been sending out updates about it in their weekly newsletter, so we’re expecting to see a lot of hungry employers at this fair.”

The career fair features opportunities from a broad variety of employers, including law enforcement, law firms, correctional agencies, law schools, social services, and more. According to Whitsett, it’s common knowledge among these employers that CWU students have what it takes to move their organizations forward.

“From our objective testing, we’ve found that people with experience in this degree program will rise to the top of our organization, and we have no doubt that we stand to benefit from giving them a chance,” he said. “We’re proud of our culture here, and I’m sure that the law and justice program at Central is partially to thank for that.”

Washington State Patrol Recruiter Bryan Villanueva has attended every career fair to date, and he regularly stops by classes in the Department of Law and Justice to share his expertise with students. He knows that CWU students have what it takes to excel in the field, and he looks forward to giving them an opportunity to showcase their knowledge.

“If you’re taking classes in the Criminal Justice field, you’re learning a bunch of the case law that we cover in the academy, so you already have a leg up on other recruits,” Villanueva said. “Being able to come talk to those classes has been a great experience, and we hired three CWU alumni to our agency just last year.”

Whitsett encourages students to attend the career fair even if they aren’t quite ready to commit to their first full-time position in the field.

“Bring an open mind to positions and opportunities you may not have thought of before,” he said. “The field of law and justice goes far beyond law enforcement, and there are exciting prospects for just about any kind of professional.”