Director of the Legal Writing Center and Associate Professor of Law or Professor of Law (non-tenure-track)

SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL in Los Angeles invites applications for a full-time Associate Professor of Law or Professor of Law to begin in Summer 2027. The successful candidate will teach in our Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills (LAWS) program (50%) and will serve as Director of the Legal Writing Center (50%). Both positions report to the Associate Dean of LAWS.

This position is a flexible appointment, meaning that a candidate may indicate their interest in either a tenure-track or non-tenure-track (NTT) position. An individual who seeks to be considered for the tenure track must be a lateral candidate who is currently on the tenure track at another ABA-approved law school or have a record of scholarly publication. 

An initial NTT contract is typically for two years and may lead to a five-year, presumptively renewable appointment after three full years and a review process. NTT faculty vote on virtually all issues in faculty meetings, including faculty appointments. They also serve on faculty committees, hold significant administrative positions, and are eligible for summer research stipends and sabbaticals (based on scholarly production). 

Southwestern also offers a mostly asynchronous Online J.D. program with full-time and part-time options. We expect many faculty hired in the coming years to teach in that program at some point.

Director, Legal Writing Center (~50%)

The Director oversees the Writing Center’s operations and programs supporting student writing for coursework, co-curricular activities, and professional development. 

Core responsibilities include:

• Staffing and supervision: hire, train, and supervise part-time Writing Center staff (typically student writing fellows and a Writing Center specialist).  

• Student support delivery: maintain a consultation schedule covering critical reading skills, legal and general writing style, the writing process, revision, grammar/usage, punctuation, citations, and using AI tools; provide individual consultations for students at all levels. 

• Upper-division writing support: work with upper-division students from topic generation through citations. 

• Resources and training materials: develop and deliver writing resources (online materials, handouts, guides, and workshop materials). 

• Online J.D. support: develop asynchronous materials for Online J.D. students (and others) accessible through Canvas. 

• Workshops and outreach: review and update the Writing Workshop curriculum annually; build the annual workshop schedule; teach workshops; and guest lecture in classes on writing style/structure/revision/citations. 

• Programming innovation: create or offer programming to engage writing development through varied approaches (e.g., storytelling initiative). 

• Coordination and communication: coordinate Writing Center activities with faculty and administrators and promote Writing Center programming and materials. 

• Budget, operations, and assessment: prepare and manage the budget, provide an annual written report, and stay current on trends and best practices (including tracking students served and programming). 

Teaching (~50%)

All 1L students complete a six-unit, year-long course titled Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills, which introduces them to core lawyering skills and prepares them for the real-world demands of practice. LAWS includes substantial instruction in legal analysis, research, objective and persuasive writing, and professional identity formation.

LAWS culminates in a hands-on advocacy experience in one of three tracks: appellate advocacy, negotiation, or trial practice. We seek candidates who are passionate about teaching, can demonstrate success in the classroom, enjoy working with students outside the classroom, and will contribute to the campus community through committee and related service.

The successful candidate may also be asked to teach advanced writing or drafting courses or other courses within their expertise, as well as a pre-matriculation Introduction to Legal Writing course for additional compensation.

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. from an ABA-approved law school. 

• At least three years of experience teaching legal writing or directing or working in a legal writing center. We will consider significant part-time work or running an undergraduate or other graduate or professional Writing Center as substitute experience.

• Excellent teaching and communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with students, faculty, and administrators. 

• Must be in or willing to relocate by August 2027 to the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in rhetoric, English, or a related field, or an M.F.A. or master’s degree in a writing-related field.

• Experience designing scalable writing-support programming (including workshops and asynchronous resources for online learners). 

• Demonstrated success supervising personnel and managing program operations, budgets, and outcomes reporting. 

The anticipated starting salary for someone with three years of full-time teaching experience at an ABA-approved law school is $150,000.

About Southwestern

Founded in 1911, Southwestern is an ABA-accredited, independent law school located in the center of Los Angeles. Our mission includes educating lawyers ready to serve clients, the profession, and our society with excellence, empowering students to reach their potential, cultivating inclusion and belonging, and shaping the law and public policy through teaching, scholarship, and service. 

Application Process

To apply, please submit a letter of interest, your CV, and three professional references via email to academicadmin@swlaw.edu and put “Faculty Application – Legal Writing Center Director Application” in the email subject line. Review of applications will begin immediately. Initial interviews will be held via Zoom, and callback interviews will be held in person.

Southwestern Law School prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race (including hairstyle and hair texture), ethnicity, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age (40 and over), disability (mental and physical), medical condition, citizenship status, military service, veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by law in matters of admissions, employment, housing, or services, or in the educational programs or activities Southwestern operates. Please direct all inquiries regarding Southwestern’s nondiscrimination policies to:

General Counsel

3050 Wilshire Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90010 

(213) 738–6626