Assistant Professor of Teaching

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law invites applications for an assistant professor of teaching to teach in the Legal Methos program.  Legal Methods is a rigorous, required first-year legal research, writing, and analysis course.  The Law School anticipates that the professor would teach Legal Methods I (fall) and Legal Methods II (spring) with approximately thirty-six students each semester. The professor will work collaboratively with our the Legal Methods Coordinator (a rotating position) and other Legal Methods faculty to implement and coordinate the program, including identifying and designing aspects of the program that will be consistent across all sections, but the legal writing professors have substantial autonomy in formulating course content. The position is non-tenure-track.

Candidates should have an outstanding academic record, demonstrated excellence in legal research and writing, and excellent communication skills. Candidates must have a J.D., bar admission, and at least two years’ practice experience. Candidates should have a strong desire to teach legal research and writing to first-year law students as well as a desire and ability to work collegially in a collaborative environment. Teaching experience is desired but not required.

The University of Memphis School of Law is housed in a stately, late 19th century building, a converted federal courthouse in the heart of downtown Memphis on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. Memphis Law has an active and diverse student body, colleagues committed to excellence in both scholarship and teaching, and a community that has the offerings of a major city, such as museums, restaurants, and professional sports, but the feel of a tight-knit community – not to mention an affordable cost of living.

Please submit applications via https://workforum.memphis.edu/postings/35235.  Applicants may also contact Peter Letsou, Chair of the Faculty Recruitment Committee, at pvletsou@memphis.edu for additional information.

The Law School encourages expressions of interest from candidates whose backgrounds will contribute to the diversity of the faculty.  The University of Memphis is an EEO/AA employer. The University of Memphis does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legal protected category.

The screening of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Disclosure Form (Legal Methods)

1. The positions advertised:

__ a. is a tenure-track appointment.

X b. may lead to successive long-term contracts of five or more years.

X c. may lead only to successive short-term contracts of one to four years.

The Law School's current Governing Rules provide for presumptively renewable short-term contracts, as long-term contracts were not available until recent changes to the University’s rules regarding appointment types.  The University recently adopted the professor of teaching appointment type and provides that “[i]nitial non-tenure track teaching faculty appointments are typically for a term of one year or less. After the first year, all non-tenure-track teaching faculty appointments will be made for a term of at least one year and not more than five years.”  When the Law School faculty converted from an adjunct model to a full-time faculty model (17-18), the faculty would have preferred to offer positions that complied with 405(c), but we were limited by the rules in place at the time.  Now that the University has adopted this change, I anticipate that the Law School faculty will amend the Law School’s Governing Rules to reflect the change and adopt a process leading to successive long-term contracts of five years with security of position reasonably similar to tenure, as contemplated by ABA Standard 405(c). 

__ d. has an upper-limit on the number of years a teacher may be appointed.

__ e. is part of a fellowship program for one or two years.

__ f. is a part-time appointment, or a year-to-year adjunct appointment.

Additional information about job security or terms of employment, any applicable term limits, and whether the position complies with ABA Standard 405(c): _____________________________.

2. The professor hired:

X a. will be permitted to vote in faculty meetings.

__ b. will not be permitted to vote in faculty meetings.

Additional information about the extent of the professor’s voting rights: The professor hired will vote on all matters except hiring, promotion, and tenure of tenured/tenure-track faculty.  The professor will be eligible to vote in the advisory rank of tenure-track faculty candidates.

 

3. The school anticipates paying an annual academic year base salary in the range checked below. (A base salary does not include stipends for coaching moot court teams, teaching other courses, or teaching in summer school; a base salary does not include conference travel or other professional development funds.)

___ over $120,000

___ $110,000 - $119,999

___ $100,000 - $109,999

___ $90,000 - $99,999

___ $80,000 - $89,999

 X   $70,000 - $79,999

___ $60,000 - $69,999

___ $50,000 - $59,999

___ less than $50,000

___ this is a part-time appointment paying less than $30,000

___ this is an adjunct appointment paying less than $10,000

Additional information about base salary or other compensation:  The position is a 9-month appointment.  Tennessee does not have an income tax.  Additionally, Memphis has a very affordable cost of living. 

4. The number of students enrolled in each semester of the courses taught by the legal research & writing professor will be:

X a. 30 or fewer

X b. 31 - 35

X c. 36 - 40

__ d. 41 - 45

__ e. 46 - 50

__ f. 51 - 55

__ g. 56 - 60

__ h. more than 60

Additional information about teaching load, including required or permitted teaching outside of the legal research and writing program:

Professors teaching in the Legal Methods program typically teach two sections of Legal Methods I (3 credits) in the fall and Legal Methods II (2 credits) in the spring. Section size depends on the entering class size and faculty coverage. Over the last five years, total teaching load has ranged from 28 to 38 students, with an average of ~33. Teaching outside of the legal research and writing program is permitted, depending on institutional need and course coverage.