UCLA LAW's Williams Institute and Experiential Education Program seek applications for the Sears Clinical Law Teaching Fellowship for 2021-2024. Applicants who intend to pursue a career as a clinical professor and/or public interest lawyer engaged in legislative lawyering and policy work are invited to apply if their practice or research interests are focused on the intersections of sexual and reproductive health, LGBTQ rights, and racial and economic justice.

We invite applications from those practicing or working in law, policy, and other disciplinary traditions. Applicants must have a clear legislative lawyering and/or policy focus, be interested in experiential teaching, and should have career or research interests that center questions of sexual and reproductive health, sexuality (broadly defined) and gender identity, and racial and economic justice. We are particularly interested in candidates who have an interest in researching religious liberty arguments to limit both reproductive rights and LGBTQ non-discrimination protections. We seek candidates who will bring our two programs together, infusing each with the ideas and work of the other.

The fellowship offers opportunities for experiential teaching and research designed to prepare the fellow to seek a permanent or tenure-track experiential faculty position at a law school, or an advanced position as a public interest lawyer focused on public policy or legislative lawyering. The fellow will be expected to co-teach or teach in experiential courses at UCLA Law for at least one semester each year of the three-year fellowship. During the summer and semesters when the fellow is not teaching, the fellow would be fully engaged with policy and scholarly research projects. The law school will provide teaching mentorship, as well as research support and faculty guidance on research and writing projects.

The law teaching fellowship programs of The Williams Institute and the Experiential Education Program at UCLA Law are some of the oldest in the nation. Together, they have supported over twenty law teaching fellows to secure tenure track appointments at law schools nationwide. Past fellows have secured faculty positions at top law schools including UCLA, UC Davis, UC Irvine, Wisconsin, and Yale.

Eligibility and Qualifications

UCLA School of Law seeks candidates committed to the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and professional activities, and to a campus climate, that supports equality and diversity. A fellowship candidate should possess (or expect to possess by June 30, 2021): a JD or equivalent legal training; a strong academic record; at least two years of practice experience (more preferred); admission to any U.S. bar, California preferred; excellent analytical and writing skills; an aptitude for student supervision; a collegial style; and demonstrated interest and background in sexual and reproductive health and sexual orientation and gender identity law and policy. In addition, we welcome candidates who possess graduate training in other disciplines, or other personal or professional background that informs their research and teaching interests. The fellowship is for three years, based upon satisfactory completion of each year of the fellowship. Those with previous postdoctoral scholar experience will be limited to no more than five total years of postdoctoral experience including time spent at UCLA.

Terms of the Fellowship

The Sears Clinical Law Teaching Fellow will be appointed for the academic year beginning July 1, 2021 and must be in residence in Los Angeles at UCLA. The fellowship is renewable for a second and third year, contingent on the fellow’s satisfactory progress. The fellowship offers a salary of approximately $70,000 per year and full benefits.

The fellow’s responsibilities include:

• co-teaching or teaching at least one experiential course annually;
  engaging in substantial public policy or academic writing each year;
  assisting with Williams Institute and Experiential Education programs, such as symposia, journal, moot court competitions, panels, and workshops;
  mentoring J.D. and L.L.M. students, both formally and informally;
  participating in the intellectual life of the law school by attending faculty workshops, specialized colloquia, and the like.

Application Process

Confidential review of applications, nominations, and expressions of interest will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by Wednesday, January 20, 2021 but will be considered thereafter until the position is filled.

Please go to https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF06028 to submit an application. A complete application includes the following materials:

• cover letter summarizing your qualifications for the fellowship, including any past and/or potential contributions to equity, diversity and inclusion through research, teaching, and/or public service;
  statement discussing your teaching, practice, and research interests of no more than 3,000 words;
  resume;
  law school and other post-graduate transcripts;
  writing sample, either published or in-progress;
  names and contact information of three references prepared to write a letter of recommendation upon request. At least one should be a professor familiar with your scholarly and/or teaching potential.

Questions via email may be addressed to Assistant Dean Allison Korn at korn@law.ucla.edu.

The Sears Clinical Law Teaching Fellowship was made possible through generous gifts by Jim Hooker, Chuck Williams, Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles, and a number of other donors. The Williams Institute is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy. A think tank at UCLA Law, the Williams Institute produces high-quality research with real-world relevance and disseminates it to judges, legislators, policymakers, media, and the public. UCLA School of Law’s Experiential Education Program offers extensive and rigorous practical training for students interested in litigation, transactional, regulatory, and public interest work. Existing substantively-focused law clinic courses include Community Economic Development, Criminal Defense, Documentary Film, Immigrant Family Legal, International Human Rights, Tribal Legal Development, and Veterans Justice.

The University of California seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives and ways of knowing and learning.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender transition status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services, including protected veterans. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see: UC Nondiscrimination &Affirmative Action Policy at https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/DiscHarassAffirmAction.

JOB LOCATION

Los Angeles, California

LEARN MORE

More information about this recruitment: https://law.ucla.edu/

REQUIREMENTS

Document requirements

• Cover Letter - A letter summarizing your qualifications for the fellowship, including any past and/or potential contributions to equity, diversity and inclusion through research, teaching, and/or public service

• Statement of Interests - A statement discussing your teaching, practice, and research interests of no more than 3,000 words

• Resume or C.V. - Your most recently updated resume or C.V.

• Law School and other Post-Graduate Transcripts

• Writing Sample (either published or in-progress)

• List of References - Names and contact information of three references prepared to write a letter of recommendation upon request. At least one should be a professor familiar with your scholarly and/or teaching potential.

• Statement on Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - An EDI Statement describes a faculty candidate’s past, present, and future (planned) contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion. To learn more about how UCLA thinks about contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, please review our Sample Guidance for Candidates and related EDI Statement FAQ document.
  (Optional)

Reference requirements

• 3 letters of reference required