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david jaffe

Associate Dean of Student Affairs
djaffe@wcl.american.edu | (202) 274-4052

Dean David B. Jaffe is the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. He oversees all aspects of the Office of Student Affairs, which includes support for JD students from Orientation, through academic and personal counseling, organization development, to Commencement. A committed steward of law student wellness, Jaffe serves on the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) as co-chair of the Law School Assistance Committee, and in 2015, he received the CoLAP Meritorious Service Award in recognition of his commitment to improving the lives of law students. He received a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and his J.D. from Â鶹ÊÓƵ Washington College of Law.

Publications:

• David Jaffe, The Key to Law Student Well-Being? We Have to Love Our Law Students, Washington College of Law Research Paper No. 2017-02 (Feb. 2018). Available at:
• David Jaffe, et al., The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change (The Report of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being), Part II, Recommendations for Law Schools, Â鶹ÊÓƵ, WCL Research Paper No. 2017-19 (Aug. 2017). Available at: Ìý
• David Jaffe, Jerome Organ & Katherine Bender, Suffering in Silence: The Survey of Law Student Well-Being and the Reluctance of Law Students to Seek Help for Substance Use and Mental Health Concerns, 66 Journal of Legal Education 1 (Sept. 2016). Available at:
• David Jaffe, Jerome Organ & Katherine Bender, Helping Law Students Get the Help They Need: An Analysis of Data Regarding Law Students’ Reluctance to Seek Help and Policy Recommendations for a Variety of Stakeholders, 84 The Bar Examiner 4 (Dec. 2015). Available at:

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Rachel N. Johnson, Esq.

Associate Director of Student AffairsÌý
johnsonr@wcl.american.eduÌý| (202) 274-4031

Rachel is the Associate Director of Student Affairs. In this role, she supports WCL students by providing supportive decision-making when students encounter barriers to success. She is also an adjunct professor focused on teaching and building curriculum at the intersection of criminal law and youth representation. She also serves as the co-director of the 1L Compass program.

Rachel is a former litigator, serving as a juvenile defense attorney in both the District of Columbia and Maryland prior to joining the staff of the Washington College of Law in 2023. Rachel is an appointee to the JJDPA State Advisory Board for the Maryland Office of the Governor. She received her J.D. from Â鶹ÊÓƵ Washington College of Law in 2015 and a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2010. Rachel is a proud California native and currently happily residing in Baltimore City where she spends much of her time in the city’s many beautiful waterfront parks.

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rachel dietrich , licsw , lcsw

WCL Embedded Staff Clinician, Center for Well-Being and Psychological Services

Rachel is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in DC and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia. She is thrilled to combine her passion for wellness, higher education, and mental health by serving the WCL as our Staff Clinician. She has experience as an individual and group therapist in a variety of outpatient treatment settings including private clinics, community clinics, and college health centers, in addition to serving as a treatment team member for an innovative Family Recovery Court. Rachel’s presence will continue to strengthen ongoing support for the well-being of our students.