The University of Wyoming College of Law seeks to hire a tenured, tenure-track, or distinguished visiting faculty member for the Carl Williams/Excellence Professorship in Law and Ethics beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year. The individual selected for this position will serve as Director of the College’s Legal Services Clinic, teach Professional Responsibility, and an additional doctrinal course. The College of Law encourages expressions of interest from applicants who have established, or are establishing, national reputations as teachers and scholars in clinical education and ethics.
Despite its small size, the UW College of Law has a rich history of, and ongoing commitment to, providing students with meaningful opportunities for experiential learning. We have a vibrant experiential learning program which includes four clinics (Legal Services, Domestic Violence, Defender Aid, and Prosecution Assistance), numerous externships, and other programs such as an estate planning/wills practicum, an international human rights practicum and a variety of other skills courses, such as our natural resources practicum. In hiring for the Carl Williams/Excellence Professorship in Law and Ethics, we seek to further enhance the College of Law’s status as a model for providing outstanding experiential learning opportunities for students.
The Legal Services Clinic provides third year law students the opportunity to represent low income clients in civil legal matters. Student interns in the Legal Services Clinic, under the supervision of the director, handle a wide array of cases including divorce, child custody, modification of divorce, domestic violence protection orders, stalking orders, guardian ad litem appointments in juvenile and domestic relations cases, consumer debt, public benefits, return of property, and immigration issues. The clinical programs operate pursuant to Wyoming Supreme Court rules that permit third-year law students to practice law under the supervision of a UW law professor or a Wyoming Bar member.
During the academic year, the Legal Services Clinic is structured as a 3-credit course which students may take for one or two semesters; clinic enrollment is usually 6-8 students per semester. The clinic also operates during the summer and is staffed by 3-4 student interns who are paid to work full-time, as well as a few other students who take the clinic for credit. The faculty director of the clinic is assisted by a student director who handles some of the administrative responsibilities of the clinic.
At UW, faculty members teaching in the clinical programs hired as tenured or tenure-track faculty enjoy the same status as the rest of the law faculty, including parity in salary and benefits, rights to the tenure and promotion process, the same voting rights, eligibility for sabbaticals, eligibility for summer research stipends, eligibility for professional development travel funds, eligibility for funds for research assistants, rights to the same office space and support staff, and the same academic titles as appropriate per appointment and promotion. (Clinic directors receive supplemental compensation for supervising the clinics during the summer). The successful candidate will be subject to the same core responsibilities as the rest of the law faculty and, as such, will be required to demonstrate excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service in accordance with the standards and time lines established by University of Wyoming and College of Law tenure and promotion policies, dependent on whether hired for a tenured, tenure-track, or visiting position.
We seek applications from candidates with (1) a J.D. degree, (2) a strong academic record, (3) membership in a state bar, (4) significant legal practice experience, (5) experience teaching in a law school clinic setting, (6) a record of scholarship or a demonstrated potential to produce high-quality scholarship; and (7) a demonstrated commitment to clinical teaching and supervision. (Admission to the Wyoming State Bar is not required so long as the applicant is a member in good standing of the bar of another state).
Application Procedure: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. However, to be assured full consideration, candidates should submit their materials by October 1, 2012. Applicants should submit (1) a cover letter, (2) a CV, (3) a list of three references with their contact information, and (4) a one-page statement of the applicant’s philosophy on teaching and supervision in an experiential learning setting. These materials should be sent either electronically or in hard copy to:
Professor Diane Elizabeth Courselle
Chair, Faculty Appointments Committee
University of Wyoming College of Law
Dept. 3035
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
dcoursel@uwyo.edu
307-766-3118
The University of Wyoming is committed to diversity and endorses principles of affirmative action. We acknowledge that diversity enriches and sustains our scholarship and promotes equal access to our educational mission. We seek and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The University of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To achieve that goal, upon hire we conduct background investigations on prospective employees prior to commencing employment.