THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCHOOL OF LAW invites applicants for a visiting position to serve as the Teaching Fellow in the new Housing and Eviction Defense Clinic, an intensive law school clinical program focusing on housing cases and eviction defense, beginning in the fall of 2022.  This is a full-time, non-tenure track position, funded by an eighteen-month federal grant.  There is no assurance of continued employment beyond the end of the grant period.  This position will offer an attorney with an interest in clinical teaching and housing law the opportunity to teach, supervise students and work with experienced faculty members in a law school clinical program.  

The School of Law is especially interested in candidates who will add to the diversity of our faculty and community.  We welcome applications from people of color, women, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with disabilities, and other individuals underrepresented in the legal academy, as well as candidates with experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints that will enrich the diversity of our community. 

The Housing and Eviction Defense Clinic will be one of 19 clinics and field placement programs operated by the Law School, including a robust in-house clinical program that comprises clinics focusing on asylum, criminal defense, tax, intellectual property and animal law, and clinics run in partnership with non-profits affiliated with the law school that focus on child advocacy, environmental law, elder law, veterans’ benefits and disability rights. UConn Law was an early leader nationally in clinical legal education, and its clinics and field placement programs continue to garner recognition statewide for training lawyers and providing outstanding service to members of the community.  

Additional information about the clinics at UConn Law School can be found on the Law School’s website, at https://www.law.uconn.edu/academics/clinics-experiential-learning/clinics-field-placements.  A recently-published short book, “Born Fighting: Clinical Education at the University of Connecticut School of Law,” traces the clinic’s fifty-year history: https://today.uconn.edu/school-stories/new-book-describes-history-uconn-law-clinic/.

This is an exciting opportunity in a new clinic that will have an immediate impact on tenants and establish a pipeline to train future eviction defense attorneys.  Position duties include conducting client intake interviews and making referrals, providing short advice to unrepresented tenants, planning and co-teaching clinic classes and supervising clinic students’ casework.  The fellow will work closely with the Clinic’s faculty director and will have opportunities to collaborate with faculty and students in the Law School. 

Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A J.D. degree;
• Membership in the Connecticut bar or the ability to become a member within three months of hire (Connecticut’s bar admission rules allow faculty members to be admitted without taking the Connecticut bar examination in some circumstances);
• Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills;
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest or pro bono legal work;
• Demonstrated ability to work both collaboratively and independently.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Clinical or other relevant teaching experience;
• Experience in housing and/or eviction defense law;
• An outstanding law school and/or law practice record.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

The position is at the Law School campus in Hartford.  This is a non-tenure track position, on a 18-month basis.  Annual salary is $65,000.  Benefits include health insurance and research support.

TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted by email to the search chair at  jessica.rubin@uconn.edu.  Please include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, list of three references, and a writing sample. Review of applications will begin immediately. 

At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

Any questions about application materials, the new Housing and Eviction Defense Clinic or UConn Law’s clinical programs may be directed to the search chair at jessica.rubin@uconn.edu.

This position will be filled subject to budgetary approval.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics, which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural and diverse University community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.