The University of Connecticut School of Law seeks candidates for a faculty position to serve as the Director of the Criminal Clinic, an intensive law school clinical program focusing on indigent criminal defense, beginning July 1, 2021. This a tenure-track position. The person filling the position may be hired at the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor, commensurate with the candidate’s academic experience. The School of Law is especially interested in candidates who will add to the diversity of our faculty and community. We welcome applications from people of color and other underrepresented minorities, women, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with disabilities, and others with experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints that will enrich the diversity of our institution.
The Criminal Clinic is one of 18 clinics and field placement programs operated by the Law School, including a robust in-house clinical program that comprises clinics focusing on asylum, mediation, tax, intellectual property and animal law, and clinics run in partnership with non-profits affiliated with the law school that focus on child advocacy and transactional assistance to community organizations. It has garnered recognition statewide for training criminal defense lawyers and providing outstanding service to needy members of the community.
Additional information about the Criminal Clinic and other clinics at UConn Law School can be found on the Law School’s website, at https://www.law.uconn.edu/academics/clinics-experiential-learning/clinic.... A recently-published short book, “Born Fighting: Clinical Education at the University of Connecticut School of Law,” traces the clinic’s fifty-year history: https://today.uconn.edu/school-stories/new-book-describes-history-uconn-....
Position duties include planning and teaching clinic classes and supervising clinic casework in the existing Criminal Clinic program, with the opportunity to engage in program design and development of further initiatives and growth in clinical programs and programs relating to criminal justice. The Director also participates in public service activities; serves on faculty committees; counsels students; and is encouraged to teach additional courses outside the clinic consistent with the Director’s availability and interests and curricular need.
The position requires scholarly capacity and commitment as well as excellence in clinical teaching and supervision. Pursuant to the Law School’s tenure policy, it is strongly preferred that clinicians' scholarly capacity and commitment be demonstrated solely through scholarly writing. However, the Law School recognizes other ways to establish such capacity and commitment, taking into account the nature and intensity of the faculty member’s clinical teaching responsibilities.
For candidates who do not wish legal scholarship to play as prominent a role in their work and the criteria by which they are evaluated, this position is also being advertised as a non-tenure track position subject to the Law School’s Policy on Long-Term Contacts for Non- Tenure Track Clinical Faculty, which complies with ABA Standard 405(c) by providing security of position, perquisites, and participation in faculty governance similar to tenure. (Although there are two separate postings, there is only one position. Candidates who wish to be considered under either track should submit application materials to both job postings.) Information about the Assistant/Associate Clinical Professor of Law position can be found below in the "To Apply" section.
APPOINTMENT TERMS
The position is located at the Law School campus in Hartford. Salary will be commensurate with background, qualifications, and experience. Benefits include health insurance, retirement annuities and research support.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• A J.D. degree;
• A minimum of five years of experience as a practicing lawyer or equivalent experience;
• Membership in good standing in the bar of at least one state;
• Membership in the Connecticut bar or the ability to become a member within one year of hire (Connecticut’s bar admission rules allow faculty members to be admitted without taking the Connecticut bar examination in some circumstances);
• Significant experience practicing criminal defense law;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and advocacy skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work both collaboratively and independently;
• A demonstrated commitment to indigent criminal defense, public interest law, or pro bono legal work.
• Demonstrated scholarly capacity and commitment.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Clinical or other relevant teaching experience;
• Experience in supervising law students or lawyers new to practice;
• Significant criminal appellate experience.
TO APPLY
Applications must be submitted through Academic Jobs Online https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/16779. Please include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, list of three references, a writing sample, teaching statement, diversity statement, and recent teaching evaluations, if any. Review of applications will begin immediately.
Any questions about application materials may be directed to the appointments committee chair at [email protected]. For questions about UConn Law clinical programs more generally, and the Criminal Clinic specifically, please contact the Associate Dean for Experiential Education, Paul Chill, at [email protected] or the current Director of the Criminal Clinic, Professor Todd Fernow, at [email protected].
Please note, UConn School of Law has a concurrent positing for an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law. Should you wish to be considered for both positions please view the posting through Academic Jobs Online: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/16592. Review of applications will begin immediately.
One position will be filled subject to budgetary approval.
At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.
Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.
All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics, which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.