PROFESSOR OF LEGAL WRITING - School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law invites applications for one or more full-time faculty positions at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Legal Writing. The position is part of a system of contracts progressing to presumptively renewable long-term contracts, separate from the University’s tenure stream.

Pitt Law’s legal writing program develops the legal analytical skills of students and equips them to write and speak clearly and persuasively, in a manner appropriate for different audiences and purposes in law practice. The first-year Legal Analysis & Writing course spans two semesters, typically including “objective” writing assignments in the fall and persuasive writing assignments and oral argument in the spring. The course typically also encompasses related skill sets, including client interviewing and negotiation, among others. While the course covers the basics of legal research and includes open-resource assignments, students are separately required to take a one-credit course on the fundamentals of legal research, taught by library faculty, in the spring semester of their first year.

Legal Writing faculty members typically teach two small sections of first-year Legal Analysis and Writing in the fall and spring (approximately 15-20 students per section), for a total of four credits for each section. They may also teach upper-level writing courses and may have some administrative duties. Legal Writing faculty have the opportunity to shape the future direction of the Legal Writing program and the law school more broadly as a full participant in faculty governance at Pitt Law.

Minimum Requirements: J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school, excellent writing skills, and an outstanding academic record. Experience teaching legal writing and law practice experience are preferred. Candidates should be able to work effectively with a wide variety of students and have an interest in developing legal writing experiences for law students within a community that supports collaboration and innovative teaching. Candidates are encouraged to present their own ideas about teaching legal writing in an era of profound change and uncertainty in the legal profession and legal education, brought on by generative AI.

Please provide a list of at least three (3) references with full contact information.

The University of Pittsburgh is an equal opportunity employer / disability / veteran.