Requisition ID: req37369

Working Title:
Open Rank - Oil and Gas/Energy Law

Position Summary:
The University of New Mexico School of Law invites applications for faculty positions starting in fall 2027. The School of Law anticipates hiring a tenured or tenure-track faculty member to teach oil and gas law, energy law, and other related courses. Both experienced and entry-level candidates are encouraged to apply. The Association of American Law Schools provides resources about the legal academic hiring process that may be useful, particularly to entry-level applicants: https://teach.aals.org/.

The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching, on a recurring basis, an oil and gas course and an advanced oil and gas course, as well as other courses within the Natural Resources/Environmental Law program, including, potentially other energy law-related courses. The faculty member may also contribute to the broader curriculum of the School of Law, depending on interest, expertise, and curricular need.

The faculty member will be a member of the Natural Resources/Environmental Law program, which is a nationally recognized program offering a certificate in Natural Resources/Environmental Law. The faculty member may have the opportunity to teach in the Natural Resources/Environmental Law Clinic, as part of the School of Law's mandatory clinical experience. The School of Law houses the Utton Transboundary Resources Center, and students often have the chance to work with the Utton Center. In addition to the NREL Clinic, the NREL program includes the Natural Resources Journal, an interdisciplinary student-run journal devoted for more than 50 years to the study of natural and environmental resources.

About the School of Law:

The UNM School of Law and its institutes and centers comprise a large, highly diverse academic unit of the University of New Mexico. With a student body of about 300 students, the School of Law offers a Juris Doctor degree, a Master of Legal Studies degree, and many cross-disciplinary dual degrees. The School of Law's program of legal education is nationally recognized for a required clinical legal education component (students undertake live client representation under law faculty supervision), innovative classes that combine law practice skills training with doctrinal instruction, and a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. All faculty-doctrinal, clinical, writing, and law library-are on a unified tenure track, with equal sabbatical and faculty governance rights, compensation, and research support.

The School of Law offers certificate programs in Indian Law and Natural Resources/Environmental Law and its scholarly publications include the New Mexico Law Review, the Natural Resources Journal, and the Tribal Law Journal. As the only law school in New Mexico, it has a large public service mission and enjoys close ties with New Mexico's bench and bar. It operates policy centers to address issues related to children's law and natural resources law. In partnership with the American Indian Law Center, Inc. (https://www.ailc-inc.org/), the School of Law hosts a nationally recognized annual Pre-Law Summer Institute for Native American students entering law schools throughout the country.

We value candidates from varied backgrounds and perspectives, including women, individuals with disabilities, people who attended law school later in their careers, people from rural origins, first-generation college graduates, veterans, and groups historically marginalized in American life. We also value a demonstrated commitment to cultivating an understanding of the rich and varied cultures of New Mexico and to the success of the University's mission to serve local and global communities.

For more information about the law school, please visit https://lawschool.unm.edu/about/index.html.

About UNM and Albuquerque:

Founded in 1889, The University of New Mexico, New Mexico's flagship university, occupies 600 acres along old Route 66 in the heart of the Albuquerque metropolitan area of nearly 1,000,000 people. From the magnificent mesas to the west, past the banks of the historic Rio Grande to the Sandia Mountains to the east, Albuquerque is a blend of culture, people, and panoramas.

For more information about the University of New Mexico, please visit: https://www.unm.edu/welcome/index.html

For the University's adopted Land, Labor, and Immigrant Acknowledgements, please visit https://dei-dev.unm.edu/about-dice-at-unm/land-labor-acknowledgement.html.

For more information about Albuquerque, please visit: https://www.cabq.gov/

For more information about New Mexico, please visit: https://www.newmexico.org/
Campus:
Main - Albuquerque, NM

Benefits Eligble:
The University of New Mexico provides a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. In addition, UNM offers educational benefits through the tuition remission and dependent education programs. See the Benefits home page for more information.

Department:
School of Law (588A)

Employment Type:
Faculty

Faculty Type:
Open Rank
Hiring Department:
School of Law

Academic Location:
School of Law (588A)
Benefits Eligible:
The University of New Mexico provides a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. In addition, UNM offers educational benefits through the tuition remission and dependent education programs. See the Benefits home page for more information.
For Best Consideration Date:
For best consideration, please apply by 9/18/2026. This position will remain open until filled.Minimum Qualification:

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school or an equivalent foreign legal degree.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellence or the promise of excellence in teaching oil and gas law and energy law more broadly.

• Excellence or the promise of excellence in academic scholarship.

• Practice experience of at least two years that includes oil and gas law or a closely related field.

• Pre- or post-J.D. professional experience or training, which can include teaching, other graduate-level study, fellowships, or judicial clerkships.

• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with professional colleagues.

• A demonstrated commitment to cultivate an understanding of the rich and varied cultures of New Mexico and to the success of the University's mission to serve local and global communities.