Jobs in Academia

Academia comprises two general areas: (1) jobs in academic administration (e.g., General Counsel, Career Services, Financial Aid); and (2) teaching jobs.

1. Non-Teaching Jobs

There are many interesting and challenging non-teaching positions in academia that are a good match for lawyers, even if these positions do not require legal expertise per se. Be aware that universities are non-profit institutions, and that most of the following positions will require a significant pay cut from a big law firm salary (although some benefits – including the possibility of free or reduced tuition to employees and their family members – may counteract that reduction). The following are some examples of the types of jobs appropriate for lawyers in academia:

  • University administration (e.g., General Counsel, University Counsel, Vice President)

  • Law school administration (e.g., Career Services, Alumni/Development, Student Services, Admissions)

  • Teaching fellowships

Exploring Non-Teaching Jobs

The following is a list of resources that can help you find non-teaching jobs in academia:

2.  Teaching Jobs

Within the realm of law teaching positions, there are two sub-types: tenure track professorships (which are extremely competitive and require stellar credentials) and the rapidly growing non-tenure track instructor positions (e.g., adjunct, clinical, legal writing), which may be part-time and are less competitive.

Tenure-Track Jobs

As mentioned above, competition for tenure track professorships is fierce, and the required qualifications are rigid – excellent academic credentials, a prestigious judicial clerkship, published (or publishable) professional-level writing and great references.

Most entry-level tenure track positions are filled through the AALS Faculty Recruitment Process (referred to as the “meat market”), which culminates with interviews every fall at an annual conference. The whole process can take up to a year, so it is advisable to start preparing your application materials months in advance. It is also important to note that your first tenure track teaching position will most likely not be at a top school or in your preferred geographic location, so prepare yourself to be extremely flexible. 

The following is a general summary of the requirements to be competitive in the search for a tenure track teaching position:

  • J.D. from a prominent school. Recent surveys indicate that a majority of entry-level positions go to graduates of only top-ten schools, namely Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Chicago, with a few others (Virginia, Michigan and Columbia) also represented. Applicants not from these schools may nevertheless find success if their practice is a niche practice or is in a demand area (e.g., tax).

  • High class rank. How high depends on the perceived prominence of the law school, but top 5% is usually expected.

  • Law review and/or published scholarly work. For experienced attorneys, it may suffice to be a recognized expert in one’s field, but published work and/or speaking engagements are preferred, if not expected.

  • Federal Clerkship. Supreme Court clerkships are ideal, followed by appellate clerkships, then clerkships with the more prestigious district courts.

  • An additional advanced degree. More and more schools are looking for J.D.’s who also possess post-graduate level work in a related field. Some law professor bloggers indicate that a Ph.D. is now almost a requirement for positions in certain fields (e.g., corporate).

  • Recommendations. Recommendations are needed from several law professors.

  • AALS. Successful candidacy will also depend on the results of your AALS Interview, on-campus interviews, etc.

Exploring Tenure-Track Job Openings

In addition to your law school's career services website, you may want to check out:

Non-Tenure Track Jobs

If you have an interest in teaching but do not have the traditional qualifications, you may want to investigate the rapidly growing adjunct, clinical and legal writing instructor options. These positions (which are usually not considered a stepping stone to tenure track professorships) require real-world, practical legal experience, as you will be teaching students legal skills. In the case of adjunct professors, you will share your subject matter expertise with students. In the case of clinical instructors, you will be responsible for supervising students representing real clients in real matters (and you may have some cases of your own).

The non-tenure track teaching arena has grown in importance and volume in recent years as law firm billing rates have skyrocketed and corporate clients have refused to pay for new law school graduates’ expensive on-the-job training. Law schools are responding to this phenomenon by taking more seriously their responsibility to teach practical skills, and they are hiring additional adjunct, clinical and writing instructors to fill this gap.

Law schools vary greatly in their approaches to hiring for non-tenure track positions. Particularly with respect to clinical instructors, some schools hire for the long term, vesting the position with security akin to tenure, while many others hire only short-term and/or part-time instructors. Some law schools require clinical and other non-tenure track instructors to research and publish, while others do not.

For more information about non-tenure track positions, consult individual law schools’ websites, as well as the following resources:

Further Reading:

 

Search the CRC