The Washington and Lee University School of Law seeks to cultivate broad-minded,

highly skilled, and honorable practitioners of law.  We do so within a diverse and

collaborative intellectual community exemplifying rigor, trust, and civility.

 

Position Announcement
Washington and Lee University School of Law

Immigrant Rights Clinic

 

Tenure-Track Clinical Professor of Law - open rank

Lexington, Virginia

 

Position Description

The Washington and Lee University School of Law is excited to announce a search for a tenure-track or tenured faculty member to direct a clinic focusing on immigrant rights. A long-time leader in experiential legal education, W&L Law has invested significantly in clinics, externships, and practicum courses, and requires students to complete a number of experiential credits that significantly exceeds the minimum required for accreditation. We seek a legal education professional who will embrace and meaningfully contribute to our close-knit, collegial, and intellectually vibrant community. To that end, clinical faculty at W&L have full voting and governance rights.

W&L established its Immigrant Rights Clinic in 2013 and is excited to continue the clinic’s decade-long commitment to serving Virginia’s immigrant community in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond.  Consistent with the desire to address the pressing needs of immigrant populations in the U.S., the law school seeks a director dedicated to the cause of immigrant rights. We invite interested candidates to imagine this clinic with any substantive focus that will advance that goal. The clinical curriculum at W&L prioritizes a client-centered approach to clinical advocacy and teaching, but the precise focus of the clinic’s immigrant rights advocacy will depend on the experience and vision of the next director.   

We invite applications for a position as Assistant Clinical, Associate Clinical, or Clinical Professor of Law to begin July 1, 2025, or sooner. The ideal candidate will have several years of practice experience in the field of immigrant rights; a demonstrated commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive educational or work environments; experience in clinical pedagogy and excellence in the teaching and supervision of law students; and an interest in contributing to practical and/or scholarly conversations concerning immigrant rights.

Statement of Commitment to Diversity

Washington and Lee University School of Law promotes a dynamic and inclusive environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in clinical teaching and in development and management of an in-house clinical program. In keeping with the University Strategic Plan, we welcome applications from candidates belonging to communities traditionally underrepresented in the legal academy.

Qualifications

A J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school or equivalent is required. Candidates for the position must demonstrate a record of academic excellence and substantial teaching or legal practice experience.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit the following materials through the W&L Interfolio application portal at https://apply.interfolio.com/152482:  (1) a letter describing their interest in the position (including a short summary of the applicant’s vision or proposed model for the clinic, their experience promoting the immigrant rights issues involved in the clinic’s mandate, and their strategies for promoting inclusiveness in their teaching and service), and (2) a current curriculum vitae. Additionally, although traditional scholarship is not required for clinical tenure at W&L, it is encouraged and supported. Accordingly, applicants who have scholarly aspirations are welcome to submit a research agenda.

Please address these materials to Elizabeth Belmont, chair of the Faculty Appointments Committee. Additionally, please feel free to reach out to her with any questions you may have at:

Elizabeth Belmont
Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Community Legal Practice Center
Washington and Lee University School of Law
Sydney Lewis Hall 234
Lexington, VA 24450
(540) 458-8561
belmontb@wlu.edu

All inquiries will be treated as confidential. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  As such, we are interested in candidates who are committed to high standards of scholarship, performance and professionalism and to the development of a campus climate that supports equality and diversity in our faculty, staff and student body. Job description requirements are representative, but not all‐inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.