The University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Gittis Center for Clinical Legal Studies invites applicants for the position of Clinical Supervisor and Lecturer in its Civil Practice Clinic. The successful applicant will begin on July 1, 2014. The Civil Practice Clinic (CPC) is Penn’s oldest in-house, live client clinic. It enjoys a long and distinguished history of providing high-quality, legal assistance to indigent clients in a broad range of civil litigation matters, while promoting the professional development of students who serve as the front-line lawyers for their clients.
The Clinical Supervisor and Lecturer will work closely with the Director of Clinical Programs and other CPC faculty in all activities, including course planning, teaching, supervising and mentoring law students, representing clients, and coordinating with other providers of civil legal assistance in the local community.
The Clinical Supervisor will assist CPC students in developing and enhancing core competencies needed for successful lawyering, including client interviewing, case planning, client counseling, fact development, problem solving, legal research and writing, ethical decision-making, negotiation, and trial presentation skills. Students are certified by state and federal courts to engage in all aspects of lawyering under faculty supervision and they provide legal assistance individually and in teams on matters of critical importance to their clients, such as housing, consumer, family law, employment, education, civil rights, and civil forfeiture. Students also participate in weekly “case rounds” discussions of their cases where they engage collaboratively in problem solving on difficult substantive and ethical issues that arise in the course of litigation.
The position is a contract position that is annually renewable up to a maximum of 5 years. It is the Clinic’s goal and expectation that the selected candidate will receive training, mentoring, and experience in all aspects of teaching, supervising, and running a successful litigation clinic that will enable the individual to pursue a career in legal academia, if desired, upon completion of service at Penn Law School.
The successful applicant will be a Pennsylvania licensed attorney (or eligible to practice law in Pennsylvania under bar admission rules) who has five or more years of experience in civil litigation, a strong commitment to promoting access to justice, and a demonstrated interest in nurturing student development. The successful applicant will possess excellent organizational, communication, and advocacy skills and will be someone who works well independently and as a member of a team. A record of strong academic achievement, commitment to improving society, and intellectual engagement with the law are essential. Teaching experience (or a passion for teaching), creativity, strategic thinking, and demonstrated ability to work with diverse and economically disadvantaged clients are highly valued.
Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The University of Pennsylvania is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.Please refer questions to the Director of Clinical Programs, Louis S. Rulli, at lrulli@law.upenn.edu.
Please send VIA E-MAIL a cover letter, resume, and three references to:
Rachel Mayover, Clinic Administrator
Gittis Center for Clinical Legal Studies
University of Pennsylvania Law School
3501 Sansom StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104
E-mail: CPCSupervisor@law.upenn.edu