We are seeking to fill a tenured or tenure-track position for the Director of our Community Development Clinic (CDC). The CDC is an entrepreneurial clinic that provides legal assistance to non-profit and community-based local businesses. Candidates must possess a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school, must be a member in good standing of a state’s bar, must demonstrate a record of outstanding achievement in law practice, law teaching, and/or a related field of study, and must demonstrate potential for excellence as a teacher and scholar.
UMass School of Law – Dartmouth has a robust clinical legal education program. The CDC, which has been operating since 2006, is one of two in-house clinics (the other is our Immigration Law Clinic). Additionally, we have two placement clinics in various legal services offices (one a Tribal Court Clinic), as well as a healthy Field Placement Program that uses experienced practitioners, including a program that operates in The Hague and engages in international human rights work. The law faculty has demonstrated its support for clinical legal education by requiring that our students take at least 6 practice-oriented credits while matriculating. In addition, the faculty is actively engaged in incorporating the principles of Best Practices into our legal education program. Also, furthering the Law School’s mission to prepare our students to practice law in a competent and ethical manner and to serve their communities while doing so, each of our students must provide at least 30 hours of pro bono legal assistance to graduate.
UMass School of Law – Dartmouth is in the process of applying to the American Bar Association for provisional approval and a Site Team from the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar will visit the law school this fall.
The CDC provides our evening and weekend students experiential learning opportunities; this position will require night and weekend office hours and/or classes.
The successful candidate will have a minimum of 3 years of experience practicing law, with substantial experience in the area of non-profit organizations and small, community-based businesses; the ability and willingness to teach business organizations and other doctrinal courses; experience teaching or participating in clinical legal education; successful experience supervising students and/or others learning to practice law in the area of non-profit and/or business law; excellent communication, interpersonal, and collaborative skills; and a demonstrated interest in scholarly activities. Although the successful candidate will teach the CDC course and supervise students, as well as teach a second course, the Faculty Appointments Committee is seeking a candidate who demonstrates a range of interests in the field of clinical legal education that could, over time, extend beyond the CDC.
The Faculty Appointments Committee will be attending the AALS Recruitment Conference to meet with candidates, and requests that interested candidates submit a letter of application and a current resume to:
Professor Irene Scharf, Chair: Faculty Appointments Committee (ischarf@umassd.edu), University of Massachusetts School of Law – Dartmouth, 333 Faunce Corner Road, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02747 and refer to Position Number 27680.
The review of applications will begin immediately and the committee will continue to consider applications until the position is filled. Candidates from the local area may be able to schedule screening interviews with the Faculty Appointments Committee shortly after the conclusion of the AALS Recruitment Conference. If you would prefer us to try to accommodate that preference, please indicate it in your letter of application.
The University of Massachusetts School of Law – Dartmouth is an EEO-AA Employer.