HARVARD LAW SCHOOL seeks applicants for a Clinical Instructor in the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Job Summary

The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (the "Bureau"), a curricular law clinic of Harvard Law School, is seeking a full-time Clinical Instructor ("CI") to supervise law students in their representation of low-income clients in civil legal matters. The Bureau was founded by Harvard Law School students in 1913 and remains student-run.  The Bureau’s mission is to provide excellent, free representation to low-income and historically excluded clients and communities in the Greater Boston area and to do so in a way that responds to the systemic racial, social, and economic inequalities that are the causes and consequences of poverty. Students also run the organization, setting policy, allocating resources among eligible clients, and managing the office on a day-to-day basis.

Job Specific Responsibilities:

As a Clinical Instructor you will:

• Supervise and assess the legal work of approximately 8 second- and third-year Harvard Law School students.  HLAB students serve as primary counsel and are responsible for managing their own cases; each student maintains a caseload of around 3-5 active cases. 
• Serve as a mentor to students, providing expertise and advice as students work to manage their own casework. 
• Guide students’ case work by meeting regularly with them at least once a week to discuss case strategy, client relationships, review and edit their written work, prepare them for and accompany them to court and administrative hearings, and provide regular oral and written feedback. 
• Identify, develop, and sustain productive community partnerships, including through periodic attendance at evening community meetings. 
• Supervise students from other law schools as part of the Bureau’s summer program.  During periods of transition between the academic year and summer programs, CIs are responsible for direct case handling, including communication with clients, motions and trials.
• Contribute to the Bureau’s team by meeting regularly to share information and strategies and collaborating on office-wide initiatives, including new-student orientation, trainings, and clinical seminars.

Basic Qualifications

JD Degree earned at least three years ago, a minimum of three years’ relevant experience, and  admission to the Massachusetts bar or eligible for temporary admission pursuant to Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04.

Additional Qualifications

We are looking for people who have:

●      Ability to work with diverse groups of people, as well as an understanding of the daily challenges faced by low-income communities of color; previous experience working with historically excluded communities

●      Teaching experience and/or strong interest in clinical legal education; experience in community lawyering; willingness to learn new areas of law and modes of practice; demonstrated ability to work successfully with and mentor students of diverse backgrounds

●      Willingness to work in a regularly evolving environment, with policies and practices that adapt to changes in student leadership and interests; patience and flexibility working within a student-run law clinic and supportive of student leadership

●      Strong writing and interpersonal skills

●      Proficiency in one or more languages commonly spoken in the Bureau’s client communities (e.g., Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin)

●      We are particularly interested in substantial experience in civil legal aid or related legal practice in one or more of the Bureau’s current practice areas: family (including divorce, custody and child support, guardianship, special immigrant juvenile status findings, and Hague Convention defense), and wage-and-hour (non-payment of wages, minimum wage and overtime violations; earned sick time, and retaliation). Other Bureau practice areas include housing (including eviction defense, foreclosure, and fair housing) and unemployment insurance.

Working Conditions

This position is based in Cambridge, MA and will be in-person, public health restrictions permitting. We are looking to fill this position in Spring of 2022 with a mid-May start date. Evening and weekend hours are periodically required to meet student, client or outreach needs.

Additional Information

This is a term appointment expected to extend through June 30, 2025, subject to departmental funding and need.

HLAB is deeply committed towards building a clinical instructor staff that reflects the communities we serve, especially as the majority of our student attorneys and clients come from historically excluded backgrounds. Candidates from historically excluded backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply to this position. To learn more about us, visit our website. 

Job Title, Department: Clinical Instructor

Grade, FLSA Status: 58, exempt

Reports to: Faculty Director