The University of Tennessee College of Law is accepting applications for our new Clinical Teaching Fellowship to begin on August 1, 2025 as a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor.  This fellowship is funded for 2 years with the potential option of a third year. The position will prepare talented lawyers and aspiring clinicians with more than 2 years of practice experience to become full-time clinical faculty at U.S. law schools. The Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor will work alongside and learn from current full-time clinical faculty who teach in the College of Law?s Legal Clinic.  The Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor will be immersed in all aspects of clinical teaching, from learning clinical pedagogy to supervising law students on their casework. The UT Law Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor will also develop a research agenda and begin working on a scholarly article in preparation for entering the law school teaching market.

We seek a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor to work with one of the following Clinics:

(1)   The Advocacy Clinic, which provides direct legal services to clients in a range of litigation including civil, juvenile, and criminal cases. A more detailed description can be viewed at https://law.utk.edu/clinics/.

(2)   The Transactional Law Clinic, which provides direct legal services to small businesses, nonprofit organizations, community-based associations, entrepreneurs, and artists. A more detailed description can be viewed at https://law.utk.edu/clinics/.

Key Responsibilities

The UT Law Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor will directly supervise J.D. students enrolled in either the Advocacy Clinic or Transactional Law Clinic.  Initially, the fellow will work with a clinical faculty member to co-supervise second- and third-year law students, ensuring the students provide high-quality client representation and are prepared for graduation and practice. Later in the fellowship, the fellow will supervise students on their own.  The fellow will also work with full-time faculty in teaching the clinic?s seminar by preparing class instruction and leading exercises, discussions, and clinical rounds related to the students? casework. The fellow will also assist with casework during the semester and provide summer case coverage. Finally, the fellow will work with faculty mentors to develop a research plan and to produce an article of publishable quality.

The anticipated salary for this position is $85,000.00.

Background on the UT Legal Clinic, UT Law, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The University of Tennessee College of Law?s Legal Clinic recently celebrated its 75^th Anniversary as the longest continuously operating legal clinic in the country. The UT Legal Clinic consistently ranks in the top ten of all U.S. public law schools. The clinic operates like a public interest law firm with seven distinct clinical course offerings. Students are immersed in all facets of casework and supervised by clinical faculty who guide, mentor, and challenge students. The Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor will be an integral part of our program.

The University of Tennessee College of Law, founded in 1890, is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools. The mission of UT Law is to prepare students for the practice of law by integrating theory and practice across the curriculum, with an emphasis on clinical and skills training, innovative classroom teaching, legal writing, and professional values. The college endeavors to produce high-quality scholarship that examines, explains, critiques, and improves the law and the legal system. UT Law strives to serve the university, the campus, the profession, and the public by developing and sharing its talents and expertise.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), is an R1, land-grant university located in Knoxville, Tennessee. UTK has recently developed a new strategic vision that imagines "a world enriched by our ideas, improved through action, and inspired by the Volunteer Spirit of service and leadership." The Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor would have an opportunity to connect with scholars throughout the University.

The City of Knoxville is also a highly appealing destination, with a beautiful and walkable downtown, varied nightlife, active neighborhoods, and eclectic shopping and restaurants. Knoxville is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Nashville, Atlanta, and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Required Qualifications and Experience

·         J.D. or equivalent degree.

·         At least two (2) years of practice experience in relevant areas of law.

·         Excellent written and oral communication skills.

·         Strong interest in clinical teaching.

·         Membership in a U.S. state bar and willingness to petition for admission to the Tennessee Bar prior to the start date of the fellowship. Tennessee allows lawyers teaching in a law school clinical program to waive into the bar.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

·         Teaching, training, or supervision of law students or early-career lawyers.

·     Experience with relevant civil, criminal, or juvenile matters as preparation for teaching in the Advocacy Clinic or experience with relevant transactional matters as preparation for teaching in the Transactional Law Clinic.

·         A commitment to public interest work.

Applications must be submitted through Interfolio. Applicants should submit:

1.      a resume,

2.      the names and contact information for at least three (3) references, and

3.      a letter of interest describing (a) why you are interested in the fellowship; (b) what you can contribute to the clinic in which you are interested; (c) your experience with the area(s) of law in which the clinic practices and with public interest/social justice work; (d) your future professional goals; and (e) anything else you deem relevant.

Deadline: While applications will be considered on a rolling basis, preference will be given to applications received before May 15, 2025. For questions, please contact Director of Clinical Programs Joy Radice at jradice@utk.edu. 

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university. Requests for accommodations of a disability should be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-3560 or eoa@utk.edu or (865)974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation & Resolution 216 Business Incubator Building 2450 EJ. Chapman Drive Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 or (865)974-0717 or investigations@utk.edu.

About University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Our primary mission is to move forward the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate the citizens of the state of Tennessee, the nation, and the world. As the preeminent research-based, land-grant university in the state, UT embodies the spirit of excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, and engagement attained by the nation’s finest public research institutions.

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