Assistant/Associate/Professor of Lawyering Skills & Assistant Director of Academic Success Program (OPEN RANK)

USC Gould School of Law seeks applications for a full-time Professor of Lawyering Skills, who will serve as the Assistant Director of the Academic Success Program (ASP). The position will begin in the spring or summer of 2023. This position is an open rank, meaning that we may hire a full, associate, or assistant professor depending on experience. Professor of Lawyering Skills is a year-round Research, Teaching, Practitioner, or Clinical (RTPC) faculty position. RTPC positions are non-tenure track positions.

The Academic Success Program

The mission of the law school’s ASP is to ensure that all JD students have the support they need to succeed academically and be prepared for the legal profession. The program has a Director and Assistant Director. The Director reviews the program regularly and modifies it, in collaboration with the Dean and the faculty, to ensure that it continues to offer services and support that meet the needs of our students and address the current requirements and demands of the continually evolving legal profession. The Assistant Director assists the director in teaching courses, counseling students, and developing and running program events.

Coursework

In the spring of the first year, ASP offers a one-credit course, Topics in Legal Analysis, for invited JD students who want to improve their analytical and exam-taking skills. Topics comprises three sections, one for each 1L supersection, and typically enrolls up to 30 students total (around 10 per supersection). Students who take the course practice outlining legal concepts in 1L courses and writing essay-exam questions that call for an analysis of legal issues raised by a hypothetical fact pattern. The program also offers a two-credit course, Legal Analysis of Evidence, to a segment of JD students during the fall of their second year. Legal Analysis of Evidence typically enrolls between 20 and 30 students and analyzes the rules of Evidence using weekly problems, multiple-choice questions, and essay exams designed to improve analytic skills and problem-solving.

Counseling

Upper-division students in ASP receive one-on-one academic counseling to help them achieve academic success, success on the bar exam, and success in the practice of law.

Other Programming

ASP also offers a full range of programming for 1Ls, including workshops about academic skills and a simulated practice exam. ASP also organizes and leads Gould Preview, a pre-orientation program designed to provide additional transitional support to a segment of incoming 1Ls (seehttps://gould.usc.edu/about/news/?id=5002). Gould Preview takes place two weeks before fall classes begin and requires planning and preparation during the summer.

The Assistant Director Role

The Assistant Director assists and collaborates with the Director in providing ASP offerings to students. The responsibilities of the position include the following.

Program Development

The Assistant Director is expected to keep abreast of developments in ASP pedagogy and bring fresh ideas to the program with the goal of assisting the Director in optimizing the program and its offerings and making any needed modifications.

Teaching

The Assistant Director is responsible for teaching one ASP course (either one of the existing ASP courses (Topics in Legal Analysis or Legal Analysis of Evidence) or another three-unit ASP course), as well as a second three-unit course.

Counseling

The Assistant Director meets regularly with students and counsels them regarding academic, analytical, and study skills, as well as course selection and preparation for the Bar Exam.

Programming

The Assistant Director is responsible for assisting the Director in developing and running ASP programming, including 1L workshops and practice-exam sessions. The Assistant Director also helps the Director organize and run the Gould Preview program and support other 1L orientation activities.

Collaborating with Others Who Support Students

The Director and Assistant Director collaborate with the Dean of Students and the first-year faculty to identify students in need of academic support and other resources. The Assistant Director and Director also communicate regularly with the Registrar’s office concerning academic scheduling issues that arise in student counseling sessions.

Participating as a Faculty Member

The Assistant Director participates in committee work and other service activities expected of Gould faculty.

Requirements:

A J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school and prior law teaching experience are required. Substantial experience in academic support or teaching legal writing and familiarity with academic support pedagogy are strongly preferred.  

The Assistant Director must have a keen interest in academic support and bring energy and innovation to the program. The Assistant Director must also have excellent oral and written communication skills with strong attention to detail; excellent writing and editing abilities; sound legal skills and knowledge; an affinity for counseling and mentoring students; strong people skills; cultural competency; strong public-speaking skills; and excellent time-management and organizational skills. The position requires the ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse environment, including the ability to work productively with the Director and others at the law school who support students. Relevant teaching experience (e.g., legal writing) and experience as a practicing attorney are strongly preferred.

Compensation and Benefits:

The University of Southern California offers a competitive salary within an academic environment based on the candidate’s experience and accomplishments. The university also offers excellent benefits, described here: https://employees.usc.edu/full-time-faculty-staff/. The annual base salary range for this position is $130,000 - $160,000 for Assistant Professor; $140,000 - $175,000 for Associate Professor and $150,000 - $200,500 for full Professor positions. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations

Applying for this Position:

Please submit a CV/resume, statement of interest, one or more sets of sample teaching evaluations, and names and contact information for three references. Applications should also include a succinct statement on fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion.

Applicants are encouraged to include in their statement of interest their own vision for ASP.

Equity, diversity, inclusion, opportunity, and access are of central importance to the Gould School of Law. Gould holds a unique position in society, and within the university, as every aspect of these principles are influenced by and can be protected through legal rules and institutions. At Gould, we are proudly committed to maintaining a community in which each person respects the rights of others to live, work, and learn in peace and dignity, to be proud of who and what they are, and to have equal opportunity to realize their full potential as individuals and members of society.