Stetson University College of Law in Florida seeks applicants for a visiting professor position to teach legal research and writing in our nationally ranked first-year legal research and writing curriculum during Fall 2017, Spring 2018, or both. We invite both entry-level applicants as well as applicants who have a distinguished academic background of legal communication teaching and scholarship, broadly defined.

About the Position

Visitors will teach one section of first-year legal research and writing, joining a team of tenured faculty who teach the first-year course. Visitors are eligible for at least one Teaching Assistant for the course. Visitors may also have the opportunity to teach an upper-level writing course and will be encouraged to be involved in Stetson’s Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication.

Visiting professors engaged in scholarship are eligible for a Research Assistant for up to twenty hours per week as well as assistance from our Faculty Support Services department.

About the First-Year Research and Writing Courses

Stetson requires seven credit-hours of first-year research and writing courses, which include a four-hour objective/predictive course and a three-hour advocacy course. These courses are taught in both the day and evening programs, are graded on a 4.0 scale, and typically have a student-professor ratio of thirty-five (or fewer) to one. We are particularly proud of our spring semester persuasive advocacy writing course that gives students the opportunity to learn persuasive communication skills in a particular subject matter context. We offer subject-focused advocacy sections that teach effective advocacy in the context of specific substantive areas of the law; in the past, those areas have included the International Law, Elder Law, Environmental Law, Social Justice Law, Business Litigation, Media Law, Law and Technology, and Criminal Law.

The first-year research and writing curriculum is coordinated to ensure faculty autonomy and academic freedom as well as consistency and predictability in outcomes and assessment standards. Thus, the first-year courses have agreed-upon competencies and basic assignment parameters, but faculty members design their own syllabuses and schedules, choose their own books, and design their own teaching materials and assignments For more information about legal writing at Stetson, see www.law.stetson.edu/lrw.

Qualifications

The minimum qualifications for the position are a J.D. from an accredited law school and strong writing and interpersonal skills. In addition, Stetson prefers applicants with outstanding academic credentials, practice experience, a judicial clerkship, prior teaching experience, law review or moot court service, and a commitment to legal communication as a serious discipline

that merges scholarship with practice. For applicants with experience within the legal academy, Stetson also prefers a demonstrated commitment to and a proven record of excellence in legal communication scholarship and teaching.

For Additional Information

For more information about these positions, please contact either Dr. Kirsten K. Davis, Director of the Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication, at kkdavis@law.stetson.edu or at 727-562-7877 or Professor Jason Palmer, Coordinator of First Year Research and Writing Curriculum at jspalmer@law.stetson.edu or at 727-562-7326. For more detail about employment at the College of Law generally, see http://www.law.stetson.edu/employment/.

To Apply

Applicants should send a current curriculum vitae, a cover letter describing the applicant’s qualifications for the position, and details of at least three references to Professor Candace M. Zierdt and Professor Marco Jimenez, Faculty Appointments Committee at facultyappointments@law.stetson.edu. Those who prefer to apply by postal mail should write to Faculty Appointments, c/o Professor Candace Zierdt , Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st Street South, Gulfport, FL 33707. The College of Law will begin reviewing applications upon receipt and the positions will remain open until filled with a goal of having final decisions made by March 15, 2017. Stetson University, an Equal Opportunity Employer, affirms the values and goals of diversity and strongly encourages the applications of all candidates, including women, persons of color, sexual orientation minorities, and others who will contribute to the diversity of our community.

And the Stuff You Want to Know

The position advertised has an upper-limit on the number of years that a teacher may be appointed. It is a one-semester or one-year visiting position. The professor hired will not be permitted to vote in faculty meetings. The school anticipates paying an annual academic year base salary in the range of $30,000 to 49,999 (for one semester) or $50,000 to $89,999 (for the full year). For visitors with appointments at other academic institutions, compensation is typically salary at home institution in addition to housing and relocation assistance.

The number of students enrolled in each semester of the courses taught by the legal research & writing professor will be up to 40 students.

Hat tips to Candace M Zierdt and Bob Brain.

(mew)