The Faculty Lounge

Temple Law Seeks Entry and Junior Lateral Faculty

This just in:

Temple University Beasley School of Law invites applications from entry-level and junior lateral candidates for up to two tenure track positions. Primary curricular interests include civil procedure, contracts, torts, employment discrimination, evidence, criminal law, and professional responsibility. The committee consists of Professors Jeffrey Dunoff (Chair), Funmi Arewa, Jane Baron, Lauren Ouziel, and Jaya Ramji-Nogales. Interested individuals are invited to submit inquiries and applications to the committee chair at jeffrey.dunoff@temple.edu. Temple University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, and we strongly encourage veterans, women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and members of other groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in law teaching to apply.

The Verdict against Oberlin

Earlier this summer, a court in Lorain County, Ohio, entered a $25 million judgment against Oberlin College -- reduced from the jury's award of $44 million -- in a defamation case brought by Gibson's Bakery and convenience store. In very brief summary, the shoplifting arrest of an Oberlin student led to accusations of racism and racial profiling against the store and its ownership, accompanied by student demonstrations and a lengthy boycott. (The student who was arrested, and two others who scuffled with the store owner, later plead guilty and stated that no racial profiling had been involved.)

The owners of the fifth-generation family business, established in Oberlin in the late 1890s, brought a defamation case against the college, alleging that administrators had helped spread the false accusations and encouraged the crippling boycott of the business. The jury believed the plaintiffs.

Abraham Socher, an emeritus Oberlin professor, has written a comprehensive account of the entire case, recently published in Commentary. Here is the gist:

The jury found that Oberlin College and its dean of students had maliciously libeled the Gibson family as racists and deliberately damaged their business by suspending and later cancelling its century-long business relationship with the bakery—all while unofficially encouraging a student boycott. And the jury found that the college had intentionally inflicted emotional distress on the Gibsons themselves.

***

In court, Raimondo [the dean of students] and other key players in the Oberlin administration were shown to have actively supported two days of student protests against Gibson’s after the arrests, cursed and derided the Gibson family and its supporters in emails and texts—“idiots” was among the milder epithets—and ignored those within the college who urged deliberation, compromise, and restraint. Oberlin President Marvin Krislov and others rejected the Gibson family’s repeated pleas to renounce the charge that they were racists, even when presented with strong statistical and anecdotal evidence that this was not the case.

***

The Gibson’s v. Oberlin College story is about campus politics. As such, it is frequently ridiculous. But insofar as it shows in stark, petty detail the ideologically driven failures of deliberation and judgment, the craven political calculations, and the cynical abuses of power in an institution ostensibly devoted to higher learning, it is instructive. Robert Caro famously wrote that “if you really want to show power in its larger aspects, you need to show the effects on the powerless, for good or ill.” Oberlin College has more than $1 billion in assets, about 3,000 students, and several hundred faculty and staff. Gibson’s is a small family grocery that has depended on the college in direct and indirect ways for its business for over a century.

The entire article is very much worth reading. It is long, but instructive.

Santa Clara Law Seeks Faculty

This just in:

Santa Clara University School of Law welcomes applications for two tenure-track positions for entry-level assistant professors to begin in the 2020-2021 academic year. Ideal candidates will be creative and committed scholars, exemplary teachers, engaged colleagues, and eager to serve our students and our institution alike. The School of Law has a longstanding commitment to the diversity of its faculty and its student body. We place special value on a candidate’s experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and on their potential to successfully mentor students from underrepresented groups. Although our curricular needs are flexible, we will accord priority in consideration to candidates interested in teaching civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, evidence, property, and torts. Applicants should submit a C.V., statement of interest, and representative publications via ourportal. Questions may be directed to Professor Michelle Oberman, Appointments Committee Chair, moberman@scu.edu, with the subject heading “Faculty Position.”

Santa Clara University is a private, Jesuit university located in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. Applicants are invited to visit the School of Law's website at law.scu.edu, and the University's website at scu.edu.

Santa Clara University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, committed to excellence through diversity and inclusion, and, in this spirit, particularly welcomes applications from women, persons of color, and members of historically underrepresented groups. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or other protected category in accordance with applicable law.

Jeffrey Epstein's Will Filed for Probate In Virgin Islands

And the New York Post has a copy here. Turns out Mr. Epstein executed a will in jail two days before he committed suicide. 

Did the Chicago Teachers' Union Really Send a Friendly Delegation to Maduro's Venezuela?

Not quite.

An old friend sent me a link with the subject line "Another generation of American Leftists confuse targets of American hostility with good places," which gets it just about right. The story in the Chicago Tribune has the headline "Chicago Teachers Union group’s trip to Venezuela, praise of socialist leader slammed as ‘propaganda tour’," which also gets it just about right.

It turns out that a self-proclaimed "Radical Educator Collective," comprising union members, created a "GoFundMe campaign titled “Send CTU Strikers to Venezuela." There was no official endorsement of their trip, which has now drawn objections from rank-and-file teachers. Here is the gist of the Tribune story:

The recent trip to Venezuela by a group calling itself a Chicago Teachers Union delegation has upset some union members and expats who question the point of the tour and take issue with the group’s praise of the country’s disputed government.

The four travelers, who crowdfunded the July trip under the banner of the CTU, met with Venezuelan government officials and educators, visited a commune and were featured in local media.

They wrote online about wanting to connect with Venezuelan teachers, students and unionists, criticized U.S. economic sanctions against the South American nation and wrote admiringly of its socialism, its communes and high literacy rates.

But critics say the group glossed over Venezuela’s ongoing political and economic crises and were excessively complimentary of President Nicolás Maduro, whose administration has been accused in recent United Nations reports of “grave” human rights violations and violence against dissenters.

And though the four travelers regularly called themselves a “CTU delegation" online, the union representing close to 25,000 people has sought to distance itself from the trip, stating the CTU did not endorse, sponsor or fund the trip.

There is more to the story, however, including a unanimously-passed resolution by the CTU House of Delegates calling for an end to the sanctions on the Maduro government.

Anyone reasonably familiar with the crisis in Venezuela, which has led to hunger, deprivation, repression, and the exodus of millions of people, ought to know better than to express support for Maduro. But if Pres. Trump condemns Maduro, I guess that is enough for some activists to consider him a friend.

Law Professor Twitter Census 2019-2020 Edition - Call for Entries, Corrections, Revisions

If you'd like to be listed in the semi-regular census of law professor Twitter users (or confirm that you are listed already), please read on.

It’s been about one year since the last Law Prof Twitter Census here at the Lounge. My anecdotal impression is that the number of Twitter users continues to increase. (Prior surveys are here (2012), here (2012), here (2015), and here.

As with prior versions, the list is meant to cover individual law professor tweeters only (not accounts of groups, programs, blogs, law schools, print publications, students, practitioners, staff).  Folks should be full-time law school faculty members (not, say, law-trained profs working in business schools).  Non-U.S. law profs very, very welcome. Anonymous and pseudonymous accounts are not eligible for inclusion.

The downloadable, sortable spreadsheet can be edited directly by accessing this link. If you’d like to add your name, or if you would like to add to or modify your existing listing in census, the census calls for:

(a) Your name

(b) Your Twitter handle

(c) Your school affiliation

(d) Up to three subject-matter areas of interest that related to your teaching, scholarship or tweeting.

You can view the current list embedded below, too:

New entries and modifications due Monday, September 9, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. eastern.  All additions and edits to the list subject to the moderator’s approval. Please do not edit anyone’s information other than your own.  If you see errors or corrections that need to be made to a colleague’s entry, feel free to contact that colleague directly and ask the colleague to make the changes.

Willamette University College of Law seeks Dean

Willamette University College of Law invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the College of Law.

Click here to view position profile: http://summitsearchsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Willamette_Dean_College_of_Law_Profile.pdf

The Position:

The dean of the College of Law will be committed to excellence in teaching and pedagogy, research and scholarly productivity, and service. The dean will serve as a broker and architect of partnerships within the university and across the larger community to facilitate excellence and encourage innovation as the institution embraces its university identity. The successful candidate will also demonstrate the capacity to work collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff; to raise funds to support the college and its initiatives; to manage budgets effectively; and to engage effectively with a variety of local, state and national stakeholders.

 

New Book Announcement: David Joulfaian's "The Federal Estate Tax"

David Joulfaian (Financial Economist at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Adjunct Professor of Economics at Georgetown University) has published with MIT Press a new book called The Federal Estate Tax.  It is an in-depth look at the history and operation of the tax, with lots of good wealth data, too.  Here is the publisher's description:

Governments have been levying some form of inheritance tax since the ancient Egyptians did so in the seventh century BC. In the United States, the federal government experimented with various forms of inheritance taxes, settling on an estate tax in 1916 and a gift tax in 1932. Despite this long history, there are few empirical studies of the federal estate tax. This book offers the first comprehensive look at U.S. estate and inheritance taxes, examining their history and evolution, structure and inner workings, and economic consequences. Written by David Joulfaian, a veteran economist at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the book provides accessible accounts of such topics as changes in tax laws, issues of equity, the fiscal contribution of the estate tax, and its behavioral effects.

Joulfaian traces the evolution of U.S. inheritance taxes from 1797 to the present, noting that the estate tax rate and base expanded through 1976, then began to decline. He describes the tax itself, explaining that it currently applies to estates and gifts in excess of $11.18 million, and outlines applicable deductions and credits. He sketches a profile of taxpayers and their beneficiaries; surveys the revenues from estate and gift taxes; and discusses the effect of estate taxation on labor decisions, saving and wealth accumulation, charitable giving, life insurance ownership, and other economic activities. Finally, he addresses criticisms of the estate tax and analyzes its shortcomings. Accompanying tables present a wealth of data gathered by Joulfaian in his research and not available elsewhere.

CFP--"Drawing the Human: Law, Comics, Justice"

From colleagues in Australia, this CFP:

2019 Graphic Justice Discussions – “Drawing the Human: Law, Comics, Justice”

28-29 November 2019, USC, Queensland, Australia

The 2019 conference of the Graphic Justice Research Alliance will be hosted by the USC School of Law and Criminology, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia. The conference explores the theme Drawing the Human: Law, Comics, Justice and will run on the 28^th and 29^th November 2019.

The conference seeks to examine the role of comics, graphic novels and graphic art in constituting as well as critiquing law, rights and justice as they relate to and extend beyond the human. Proposals for papers and panels are welcome from academics, postgraduate students and artists from across a range of disciplines including law, criminology and justice, comics studies, visual and cultural studies and the humanities.

Hiring Announcement: University of Calgary

From an email message that I recently received:

The Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary invites applications for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of tax law. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2020.

Details are available at this link: 

https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/4469500-assistant-professor-tax-law-faculty-of-law

 

Hiring Announcement: UNT Dallas College of Law

From an email message that I recently received:

The UNT Dallas College of Law is a new public law school whose inaugural class started in Fall 2014. The College of Law currently has, and plans to continue having, one full-time section of approximately 80-90 students, and one part-time evening division of between 40-60 students. For the near-term, each entering class will include a day section and an evening section of approximately these sizes.

The College of Law’s goals are: (1) widening access to legal education for those who could be superb legal professionals but who cannot realistically access a legal education given factors including location, cost, and the current role of the LSAT in admission to and financing of law school; (2) providing an educational program focused on excellence in developing practice-related competencies, through a curriculum mapped to those competencies and using best instructional practices, including multiple formative and summative assessment throughout, engaged class design, and a spectrum of experiential education; (3) creating opportunity for our students by keeping tuition and debt low and producing graduates with high value and ability in multiple segments of the market for legal services; (4) becoming a national leader in advancing understanding of best legal education practices, of professional formation, and of the relationship between legal education and the evolving practice and business of law; (5) improving access to justice for underserved legal needs; and (6) serving as a valuable partner in civic engagement with the City of Dallas and the North Texas region.

The appointment will be as an entry level tenure-track Assistant Professor to teach twelve credit hours per academic year beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year. The College of Law is interested in persons with all substantive legal interests, but particularly is interested in persons able to teach Civil Procedure, Conflicts of Laws, Evidence, Family Law, Property, Remedies, Trial Advocacy, and Wills, Trusts, and Estates as well as courses designed to assist in bar preparation. 

Here's a link with additional information:   https://unt-dallas.peopleadmin.com/postings/4282. 

Assistant Professor Brian Owsley writes:  "We anticipate hiring 2 tenure track professors.  I am happy to discuss any questions that individuals may have.  I can be reached at brian.owsley@untdallas.edu." 

St. John's Law Seeks Entry and Lateral Faculty

This just in:

ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW seeks entry-level, pre-tenure, and recently tenured lateral candidates to join our dynamic intellectual community in the 2020-2021 academic year. We anticipate making at least two hires and are open to a variety of teaching and scholarly interests. We are particularly interested in candidates who will add to the diversity of our faculty. St. John’s Law School is located in New York City in the borough of Queens, recognized as one of the most diverse urban counties in the United States.

St. John’s Law School is part of St. John’s University, a Catholic, Vincentian, metropolitan, and global institution with campuses in New York, Rome, and Paris that is committed to academic excellence and service to those lacking economic, physical, or social advantages. St. John’s University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex (including sexual harassment and sexual violence), sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, disability, religion, age, status in the uniformed services of the United States (including veteran status), marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence, citizenship status, genetic predisposition, carrier status, or any other classification protected under federal, state, or local law.

Interested applicants are encouraged to use the AALS submission process to apply but may additionally (or alternatively) submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, writing sample, the names of three references, and teaching evaluations (if available) in PDF format to Professor Jeremy Sheff, Chair, Faculty Appointments Committee, at lawfac@stjohns.edu.

Talking About Black Lives Matter and #MeToo

In April, 2019, the Wisconsin Journal of Gender, Law & Society sponsored a symposium on "Race-Ing Justice, En-Gendering Power: Black Lives Matter and the Role of Intersectional Legal Analysis in the Twenty-First Century." Instead of preparing individual papers for publication, the speakers at the symposium collaborated on a joint essay--written in a conversational style--that both captures and extends salient portions of the symposium discussion. The essay--written by Linda Greene (Wisconsin), Lolita Buckner Inniss (SMU), Mehrsa Baradaran (UC Irvine), Noa Ben-Asher (Pace), Bennett Capers (Brooklyn), Osamudia James (Miami), Keisha Lindsay (Wisconsin, Political Science & Gender and Women's Studies) and me is now available on SSRN.

Here is the abstract:

This essay explores the apparent differences and similarities between the Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movements. In April 2019, the Wisconsin Journal of Gender, Law and Society hosted a symposium entitled “Race-Ing Justice, En-Gendering Power: Black Lives Matter and the Role of Intersectional Legal Analysis in the Twenty-First Century.” That program facilitated examination of the historical antecedents, cultural contexts, methods, and goals of these linked equality movements. Conversations continued among the symposium participants long after the end of the official program. In this essay, the symposium’s speakers memorialize their robust conversations and also dive more deeply into the phenomena, implications, and future of Black Lives Matter and #MeToo.

This essay organizes around internal and external spatial metaphors and makes five schematic moves. First, internal considerations ground comparisons of the definitions, goals, and ideas of success employed by or applied to Black Lives Matter and #MeToo. Second, external concerns inspire questions about whether both movements may be better understood through the lens of intersectionality, and relatedly, what challenges these movements pose for an intersectional analysis. Third, a meta-internal framework invites inquiry into how the movements shape the daily work of scholars, teachers, lawyers, and community activists. Fourth, a dialectical external-internal frame drives questions about the movements’ effects on law and popular culture, and the reciprocal effects between those external influences and the movements themselves. Returning to an external, even forward-looking, approach, we ask what the next steps are for both movements. This five-part taxonomy frames the inquiry into where the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements are located individually, but also where they are co-located, and, perhaps most importantly, where they are going.

The full essay is available here.

C'est Si Bon

 

Hiring Announcement: Gonzaga University School of Law (VAP - Center for Civil and Human Rights)

From an email message that I received earlier today:

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW seeks applicants for a Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) for its Center for Civil and Human Rights, a centerpiece of Gonzaga Law School’s identity and purpose. Persons with strong academic records, a dedicated commitment to civil and human rights, and the potential for outstanding teaching and scholarship are encouraged to apply.  The position is a 9-month, terminal visiting position beginning in August 2020, with the potential to renew for one additional year.

Hiring Announcement: Gonzaga University School of Law (Entry Level; Full Time; Tenure Track)

From an email message I received earlier today:

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW seeks applicants for an entry-level full-time tenure-track position beginning in the fall of 2020. Our curricular interests include Environmental and Natural Resources Law, including the upper-level Environmental Law survey course, Water Law and, especially, Environmental Justice; and at least one first-year or other required course, with particular interest in Property Law and Business Law courses.

Hiring Announcement: University of New Hampshire School of Law (Criminal Practice Clinic Director)

From an email message that I received earlier this week:

Criminal Practice Clinic Director

The University of New Hampshire School of Law, a national leader in public-interest law with a commitment to inclusion, diversity, and quality engagement for all, seeks to hire an Assistant or Associate Clinical Professor to serve as Director of the Criminal Practice Clinic to begin July 1, 2020.

The Director of the Criminal Practice Clinic is a full-time member of the law-school faculty who represents, and supervises and trains students to represent, indigent defendants in felony and misdemeanor prosecutions at the state and federal level, as well as in post-conviction proceedings.  The Director is also expected to teach associated courses such as criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, or trial advocacy; serve as one of the law school’s primary connections to the criminal bar; work with practicing attorneys and alumni to determine current needs in criminal-law practice; and participate in faculty governance.  UNH Law actively creates and nurtures a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue goals with mutual respect and a shared spirit of inquiry.  Entry-level and early-career lateral candidates are encouraged to apply.  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications.

For more details about the position, qualifications, and application procedures, please visit https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/33734. In your cover letter, please describe why you are interested in this position, what makes you a strong candidate, and how you meet the New Hampshire Judicial Council’s standards described in the position announcement.  While all candidates are required to submit their applications via this centralized system, please feel free to direct any inquiries to Professor Ryan Vacca, Chair of the Appointments Committee, at ryan.vacca@law.unh.edu.  Review of applications will begin immediately.  This position is open until filled, but it is advisable to apply by September 15, 2019.

The University of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action institution. The University seeks excellence through diversity among its administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The university prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, or marital status. Application by members of all underrepresented groups is encouraged.

Hiring Announcement: University of New Hampshire School of Law (IP Clinic Director)

From an email message that I received earlier this week:

IP Clinic Director

The University of New Hampshire School of Law, a national leader in intellectual property and public-interest law with a commitment to inclusion, diversity, and quality engagement for all, seeks to hire a Clinical Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor to serve as Director of the Intellectual Property Clinic to begin July 1, 2020.  The Director of the Intellectual Property Clinic is a full-time member of the law-school faculty who represents, and supervises and trains students to represent, clients with a variety of IP matters.

The Director is also expected to teach associated IP courses in the residential and hybrid programs; serve as one of the law school’s primary connections to the IP bar; work with practicing attorneys and alumni to determine current needs in IP practice; and participate in faculty governance.  UNH Law actively creates and nurtures a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue goals with mutual respect and a shared spirit of inquiry.  Entry-level and early-career lateral candidates are encouraged to apply.  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications.

For more details about the position, qualifications, and application procedures, please visit https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/33728. In your cover letter, please describe why you are interested in this position, what makes you a strong candidate, and how you meet the USPTO standards described in the position announcement.  While all candidates are required to submit their applications via this centralized system, please feel free to direct any inquiries to Professor Ryan Vacca, Chair of the Appointments Committee, at ryan.vacca@law.unh.edu.  Review of applications will begin immediately.  This position is open until filled, but it is advisable to apply by September 15, 2019.

The University of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action institution. The University seeks excellence through diversity among its administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The university prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, or marital status. Application by members of all underrepresented groups is encouraged.

Hiring Announcement: University of Connecticut School of Law (Director of Academic Support)

From an email message I recently received:

Director of Academic Support

Assistant Clinical Professor of Law (9 months)

JOB SUMMARY

Under the general direction of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Director will support the overall academic mission of the law school by developing and implementing an academic success program that encourages a high level of academic performance for all students.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Design and implement an academic success curriculum.  The curriculum will include an emphasis on developing analytical skills, writing skills, time/management skills, and other skills that will assist law students in achieving a high level of academic performance. 

1. In collaboration with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Executive Director for Student Affairs and Assistant Dean for Students, and the Executive Director for Academic Affairs and Registrar, will identify students (1L and 2L) for possible inclusion in the law school’s academic support program (including the academic support course offered each semester) and will develop strategies to effectively communicate with students about the benefits of participating in the program.
2. Create and implement an academic success curriculum that might include lectures, workshops, individual counseling and short courses. The program will run through-out the academic year (fall and spring semesters) including sessions during orientation.
3. Teach one section of the academic support course (3 credits) to law students so-designated (see #1 above) as well as other interested students during both fall and spring semesters.
4. May teach an occasional section of Legal Practice, as needed and mutually discussed.
5. Provide one-on-one assistance with writing and study skills to law students.
6. Responsible for assessing the academic support program and making periodic reports to the administration and faculty on the program’s progress and outcomes.
7. Responsible for leading the design and implementation of a bar preparation program. This will include identifying 3L and 4L students “at risk” for failing the bar and implementing a program for bar preparation.
8. In conjunction with the Executive Director of Academic Affairs and Registrar, the Executive Director of Student Affairs and Assistant Dean for Students, the Director of Career Development and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will assist in analyzing bar results and developing lectures, writing tutorials, and other programs to address weaknesses in student bar performance.
9. Teach one section, each semester as needed, of a bar prep-type course for 2L and 3L students.
10. Represent the Law School effectively at the University and outside the University regarding academic support issues.
11. Perform other related duties, as required.

Minimum Qualifications

1. J.D. or equivalent degree from an ABA-accredited law school and a licensed attorney in good standing.
2. 2-4 years of relevant experience, in a law school setting directly with academic support or in private practice or with public sector work.
3. Ability to identify, develop and assess the essential skills law school students need to achieve academic success, with a focus on legal analysis and writing.
4. Sensitivity to students with disabilities and multicultural backgrounds.
5. Ability to work collegially with faculty and administrators to coordinate delivery of services and programs to students who are academically at risk.
6. Evidence of strong legal analysis, writing, research and oral presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience in developing and directing academic support programs.
2. Previous legal practice experience.
3. Prior teaching experience, preferably with graduate level students.
4. Experience counseling students in a higher education setting.

Appointment Terms

This is a full-time 9-month appointment, non-tenure track, long term contract eligible position.  The initial appointment will be for one year, with the potential for renewals.  Salary will be commensurate with background, qualifications, and experience. 

Candidates should expect to work at the Law School located in Hartford, Connecticut.

Ohio State Law Seeks Chair in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

This just in:

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law seeks an established teacher and scholar to serve as the Gregory H. Williams Chair in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Candidates should be tenured professors with a demonstrated record of excellence in scholarship and teaching. The research of the Williams Chair should focus on civil rights and civil liberties, which may include race law, critical race theory, gender and the law, sexual orientation and gender identity law, constitutional rights, or other related areas, including First Amendment freedoms, human rights, disability law, poverty, or economic or criminal inequality. The position will begin in the 2020-21 academic year. A J.D. or the equivalent is required. The successful candidate must satisfy Moritz’s requirements for tenure and promotion to full professor.

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law is committed to building and maintaining a diverse and inclusive community to reflect human diversity and improve opportunities for all. Diversity, inclusion, and equity are essential to the excellence of our community, culture, and curriculum, and the pursuit of this excellence is critical to our educational mission. We value diversity in all of its dimensions, including gender, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, physical and learning abilities, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and viewpoint. We seek to reflect multiple perspectives, backgrounds, and interests in all facets of our community. The Ohio State University is committed to equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate on any basis prohibited by law in its activities, programs, admission, and employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to a protected status.

Candidates should send a cover letter and C.V. to Daniel Tokaji, Associate Dean for Faculty, tokaji.1@osu.edu, stating that they are applying for this position. Applicants are encouraged to submit the Equal Employment Identification Form.

Should Philosophers Sign Petitions or Open Letters?

Prof. Agnes Callard, of the University of Chicago philosophy department, believes that philosophy professors should not sign petitions, as she explains in a new oped in the New York Times. In brief, her position is that arguments should stand or fall based on their logic and persuasiveness, rather than the number or identities of the people who hold a particular view. As Callard puts it,

Whether you call it a “petition,” an “open letter” or a “public statement,” this type of document is distinguished by the fact that after stating and arguing for a position, it lists the names of people who endorse the position. The petition aims to effect persuasion with respect to what appears in the first part not only by way of any argument contained therein but also by way of the number and respectability of the people who figure in the second part. Such a document tries to persuade you to believe (that it is right to do) something because many people, some of whom are authorities, believe it (is the right thing to do). It is not always wrong to believe things because many people believe them, but it is always intellectually uninquisitive to do so.

Thus,

As a philosopher, I want my influence to be philosophical, which is to say, I want to bring people to believe only what they, by their own lights, can see to be justified; I don’t want them to believe something because (I am one of the) many people who think it.

Callard's arguments strikes me as quite wrong, at least regarding most scholarly fields. Missing from her analysis is the importance of consensus, which can be quite valuable in reaching good decisions.

Consider, for example, climate change, a looming global disaster that still has a handful of deniers. An open letter from numerous prominent climate scientists, calling for government action, would definitely be more helpful than even the most closely argued and researched statement from individuals. In fact, one of the most important facts about climate change is that upwards of 90% of climate scientists believe it is being caused by human activity.

Martha Vineyard: Confederate Monument

Stephen J. Carter has an article on Confederate Monument . . . on Martha Vineyard.

 

Hiring Announcement: University of Connecticut School of Law (First-Year Legal Practice Program)

From an email message that I received earlier today:

The University of Connecticut School of Law, in Hartford, Connecticut, seeks candidates for the position of Assistant Clinical Professor of Law to teach in its first-year Legal Practice Program (“LP Program”) to commence in summer of 2020.  The Law School hosts four student journals, over forty student organizations, extensive clinical and service engagement with the surrounding communities, and one of the largest law libraries in the world. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the wider University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities.

The School of Law is committed to building and supporting a vibrant, multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and in keeping with our strong commitment to build a diverse community, we encourage applications from such traditionally under-represented populations as members of minority groups, people with disabilities, veterans and women.

The LP Program is an integrated three-term, seven-credit program that provides experiential training in legal writing, legal research, negotiation, interviewing, counseling and oral advocacy.  This position affords an opportunity to teach Legal Practice during the fall and spring semesters and interterms, develop curriculum and assignments to advance students’ lawyering skills, teach in a classroom setting and teach through experiential, simulated lawyering exercises.  LP professors work collaboratively, but each LP professor has discretion over the organization and management of his or her section of the LP course.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

A J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school; strong academic credentials; demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, in both written and verbal forms; and 3 years of experience practicing law.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience teaching legal research and writing; experience teaching law in a clinical environment or in a classroom; significant legal experience, including legal writing, client interviewing, client counseling and oral advocacy; enthusiasm for learning pedagogy and applying it to the LP Program; demonstrated willingness to keep abreast of legal developments and to continuously improve course content; and demonstrated interest in and involvement with the legal writing community and/or professional organizations related to teaching legal writing, lawyering skills or law.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time 9-month appointment, non-tenure track, long term contract eligible position.  The initial appointment will be for one year, with the potential for renewals. Salary will be commensurate with background, qualifications, and experience.  Candidates should expect to work at the Law School located in Hartford, Connecticut.

TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted through Academic Jobs Online. Please include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, list of three references, a writing sample, teaching statement, diversity statement, and recent teaching evaluations, if any. Review of applications will begin immediately.  Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

Any questions about application materials may be directed to the search committee chair at jessica.rubin@uconn.edu.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics, which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

____________________________________________________________________

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. The diversity of students, faculty, and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural, and diverse community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.

Hiring Announcement: University of Connecticut School of Law (Director of Tax Law Clinic)

From an email message that I received earlier today:

The University of Connecticut School of Law seeks candidates for the position of Assistant Clinical Professor of Law to serve as the Director of the Tax Clinic beginning July 1, 2020.  This is a full-time, non-tenure-track position subject to the Law School’s Policy on Long-Term Contracts for Non-Tenure Track Clinical Faculty, which complies with ABA Standard 405(c).

The Tax Clinic is one of 18 clinics and field placement programs operated by the Law School.  Students in the clinic, under faculty supervision, provide free legal assistance to low-income taxpayers in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and/or the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.  The Director is responsible for training students in the relevant law and lawyering skills and supervising them in their clinical fieldwork.  The Director also manages and oversees all aspects of clinic operations, including but not limited to: client selection, intake, and representation; case-flow; quality control; supervision of clinic staff; and relationships with external University, state, and private stakeholders.  The clinic is partially funded by a federal grant through the IRS Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) program, and the Director’s duties include working with the University’s grant office to periodically renew the grant and provide required reports and documentation to ensure compliance.  The Director also provides academic and career counseling to students; participates in public service activities; and may teach additional courses if mutually agreed upon with the Associate Dean for Clinical and Experiential Education.

The Law School is committed to building and supporting a vibrant, multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and in keeping with our strong commitment to build a diverse community, we encourage applications from such traditionally under-represented populations as members of minority groups, people with disabilities, veterans and women.

Minimum Qualifications:

• a J.D. degree;
• membership in the Connecticut bar or the ability to become a member within one year of hire;
• admission (or eligibility for admission) to the U.S. District and U.S. Tax Courts;
• significant experience practicing tax law;
• demonstrated excellent writing ability.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• clinical or other relevant teaching experience;
• experience in supervising law students or lawyers new to practice
• practice management or law firm management experience;
• experience with grant writing and management;
• an outstanding law practice record.

The position is at the Law School campus in Hartford. This is a full-time, 11-month, non-tenure-track position, long-term contract eligible position. Salary will be commensurate with background, qualifications, and experience.

TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted through Academic Jobs Online. Please include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, list of three references, a writing sample, teaching statement, diversity statement, and recent teaching evaluations, if any. Review of applications will begin immediately.  Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

Any questions about application materials may be directed to the search committee chair at paul.chill@uconn.edu.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics, which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

____________________________________________________________________

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. The diversity of students, faculty, and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural, and diverse community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.

Hiring Announcement: University of Iowa College of Law

From an email message that I received earlier today:

Posting 1: The University of Iowa College of Law anticipates hiring two or more entry-level and/or lateral (tenure-track) faculty members over the coming year.  Consistent with the ambitions and obligations of a top-tier public research institution, we are interested in all persons with outstanding records in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and public service. 

To apply, candidates should apply either through the AALS Faculty Recruitment Services or submit a letter of interest, CV, a list of three references, and a law school transcript through Jobs@UIOWA, https://jobs.uiowa.edu, refer to Requisition #73750.

Posting 2: The University of Iowa invites applications for a full-time instructional-track position in the Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research (“LAWR”) program at the level of Lecturer, Associate Professor of Instruction, or Professor of Instruction. 

Candidates for this position must have a JD, excellent academic credentials, a minimum of one year of law practice experience, evidence of potential in teaching, evidence of potential to contribute appropriate service to the College of Law and the potential to teach students from a diverse range of backgrounds.  For the full job posting see requisition #73749 at https://jobs.uiowa.edu.

To apply, candidates should apply either through the AALS Faculty Recruitment Services or submit a letter of interest, resume, a list of three references, a sample of written work, and a law school transcript through Jobs@UIowa, https://jobs.uiowa.edu.

***

The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, associational preference, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Hiring Announcement: University of New Hampshire School of Law

From an email message that I received today:

UNH Law is seeking a full-time, year-round Director for its Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program (DWS) to begin in July of 2020. DWS, a nationally recognized bar-alternative program, is the only one of its kind in the country. Now in its fifteenth year, the DWS program provides an intensive client-ready legal education. Successful Webster Scholars pass a variant of the New Hampshire Bar exam during their last two years of law school and are sworn into the New Hampshire bar the day before graduation. They are also eligible to sit for the bar exam in any jurisdiction outside New Hampshire for which they would qualify having graduated from an ABA-accredited law school.

Here's the link:  https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/33427.

Willamette University College of Law seeks Entry Level Faculty

Willamette University College of Law seeks applicants for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position beginning in the fall of 2020; the focus of our search is on entry-level candidates.  Our curricular interests include corporate governance (particularly Business Associations, but also Securities Regulation, M&A, etc.), as well as Family Law; we are also interested in hiring a clinical instructor.  Interest in Health Care Law, Financial Institutions, Payment Systems, or T&E is a "plus" factor.  Applicants must possess strong academic credentials and a proven ability to produce thoughtful scholarship, as well as the skills necessary to communicate their expertise to colleagues and their students.  The Faculty Appointments Committee will begin reviewing applications in the late summer and will continue to do so until the position is filled.

Willamette University is committed to the academic excellence and rich and rewarding communities that a diverse faculty, staff and student body brings.  We welcome candidates whose work furthers equity and diversity and who bring to campus a commitment to sharing varied experiences, perspectives and backgrounds.  Applicants demonstrating these qualifications are particularly encouraged to apply.

Contact:  Please use the AALS submission process to apply; questions can be addressed to Jeff Dobbins, Chair, Faculty Appointments Committee, Willamette University College of Law, 245 Winter St., SE, Salem, Oregon 97301.

How to Make False Confessions a Thing of the Past

My brilliant colleagues Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin have an outstanding oped in the Chicago Tribune, explaining how false confessions happen and how to begin ending them. Here is the gist:

On a gut level, there’s an emotional potency to false confession stories that makes for compelling, if disturbing, viewing. Watching an interrogator manipulate someone into giving a confession that turns out to be false is like watching a person get duped into becoming the instrument of his or her own destruction. After seeing such an interrogation unfold, one begins to understand why our constitutional framers were so disturbed by forced self-incrimination that they felt compelled to adopt a constitutional amendment — the Fifth Amendment — to guard against it.

False confession stories also were, historically, relatively novel. Until modern-day DNA technology began proving hundreds of confessions false around the country, few believed that anyone rational would ever falsely confess. We know better now: Hundreds of proven false confession cases have been documented. Indeed, false confessions are the leading cause of wrongful convictions in American homicide cases

Even the ability to glimpse inside the interrogation room is new. Twenty years ago, interrogations were recorded in only two states; today, that number sits at 26. The recording phenomenon is new enough, indeed, that the law has yet to catch up with coercive interrogation tactics that the world has only recently had a chance to see.

You can read the entire piece here.

Laura and Steve are stalwarts of Northwestern's Bluhm Legal Clinic and its Center on Wrongful Convictions. There are now innocence or exoneration projects at many law schools -- mostly housed in clinics -- that have played a tremendous role in changing the way both law and law enforcement approach extracting confessions, especially from juveniles. If the goal of legal scholarship is to advance our understanding of law, the clinic-led innocence movement is one of the legal academy's greatest successes.

Feminist Legal Theory Collaborative Network CFP: Law & Society 2020

Call for Papers – Friday, September 20 Deadline

The Feminist Legal Theory Collaborative Research Network

Seeks submissions for the

Law and Society Association Annual Meeting

May 28-31, 2020 in Denver, Colorado

Submission link here

All are invited to submit a paper for a panel to be sponsored by the Feminist Legal Theory Collaborative Research Network at the 2020 Law and Society Annual Meeting in Denver. The Feminist Legal Theory CRN brings together law and society scholars across a range of fields who are interested in feminist legal theory. Information about the Law and Society meeting is available here.

We will give preference to individual paper proposals over proposals for panels that are pre-formed.  One of the goals of the Feminist Legal Theory CRN is to encourage scholars to engage with the diverse work of others across the academy. Any proposals for a fully-formed panel should address specifically the efforts that the panel organizers have made to ensure diversity among presenters, including race, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity; diversity in the institutions of presenters’ affiliation and/or primary training; diversity among positions in the academy such as senior vs. junior scholars, tenured vs. non-tenured participants, doctrinal vs. non-doctrinal faculty. 

This year’s meeting invites us to explore “Rule and Resistance.”  We are especially interested in proposals that explore the application of feminist legal theory to this theme, broadly construed. We are also interested in papers that will permit us to collaborate with other CRNs, such as the Critical Research on Race and the Law CRN. We welcome multidisciplinary paper proposals and proposals from scholars from all parts of the world.

Our goal is to stimulate focused discussion of papers on which scholars are currently working rather than to seek fully-formed panels.  Thus, while you may submit papers that are closer to publication, we are particularly eager to receive proposals for works-in-progress that are at an earlier stage and will benefit from the discussion that the panels will provide. We strongly encourage applications from junior scholars and graduate students – as well as people who are new to feminist legal theory.

The Planning Committee will assign individual papers to panels of four presenters, based on subject matter. Each paper presentation should run roughly 10 to 15 minutes to allow ample time for discussion. We will also assign a chair, and one or two commentators/discussants for each panel, to provide feedback on the papers and promote discussion.

In addition to traditional panels, we are open to proposals in the other formats that the LSA allows, including Author Meets Reader, Salon, or Roundtable sessions. If you have an idea that you think would work well in one of these formats, please also use the submission form above.  Organizers of these types of sessions should address in their proposal the same diversity criteria listed above.

Finally–and new this year–the FLT CRN welcomes submissions for roundtables on how to incorporate feminist principles into both teaching methods (pedagogical strategies as well as classroom practices) and course coverage across subject areas. Sessions could potentially address topics such as: (1) what feminist teaching can look like and (2) how to deal with the unique challenges of teaching in a hostile or indifferent environment to feminism. Preference will be given to proposals that involve materials or demonstrations.

Racist Memes and Caricatures

When does the historical context of an image carry racial or other discriminatory implications, even though it might be neutral in other settings? Recent events in Galveston, Texas, will add some clarity to this discussion, as I will explain below.

Some readers may recall my exchange with Howard Wasserman last April, in which we discussed the anti-Semitic implications of a cartoon in the International New York Times. The image showed a dog with the face of Benjamin Netanyahu, wearing a Star of David, leading a blind, kippah-wearing Donald Trump.

 

 

 

 

Howard initially suggested that the cartoon was acceptable, comparing it to a hypothetical caricature of Vladimir Putin:

Hypo: A cartoonist wants to make the point that Vladimir Putin and Russia are dictating U.S. policy and that President Trump is following without thought or consideration and without knowing where he is going. The cartoonist depicts Putin as a guide dog, leading a sightless Trump; the guide dog has Putin's face and a collar with the Russian flag, while Trump is shown as a sightless man with dark glasses, with the guide dog on a lead taking him he knows not where.

I presume the meaning of that cartoon would be clear and that such a cartoon would be ok. If so, I do not understand why this cartoon becomes filled with anti-Semitic tropes when making what I believe to be the same point about Netanyahu and Israel.

I replied that the anti-Semitism arises from the context, evoking an ancient image of the wily Jew tricking an unsuspecting -- in this case blind -- Gentile into following his directions. The Putin comparison was inapposite because there is no comparable anti-Russian myth or stereotype. Howard ended up mostly agreeing with me, saying: "I am persuaded by the arguments about the yarmulke [but] I remain troubled by the idea that Israel and Israeli leaders are immune from certain criticisms or certain forms of criticism because of historic anti-Semitism and the Jewish nature of Israel."

A recent arrest in Galveston, I believe, demonstrates my point even more clearly. The photo below shows an African American man being led on a rope by mounted police officers: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is just no way to look at this image without evoking memories of the Jim Crow era, or worse. For example:

"When I looked at the picture, I saw utter disrespect for another human being. The first thing that came to my mind was this is 2019 and not 1819," said Houston NAACP president James Douglas.

Douglas said the image is disturbing because it harkens back to the dark days of the antebellum South when black people were forced to walk alongside mounted slave owners. During the Civil Rights Movement, mounted patrol units often evoked fear among peaceful protesters.

A similar picture, but with a different arrestee -- say, a hippie or a frat boy or even Vladimir Putin -- would not have the same racial implications. (The Galveston police have apologized, and rightly so. The arrest for "suspicion of criminal trespassing.)

As I said about the Trump/Netanyahu cartoon, historical context matters.

Florida Law Seeks Entry Level Faculty and Lateral Environmental Faculty

These two postings just in:

POSTING 1
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LEVIN COLLEGE OF LAW seeks to hire multiple professors, across an array of fields, over the next several years as part of the university’s quest to become a top five public research institution. The University of Florida, located in Gainesville, FL, is currently the eighth best public research institution in the nation and the flagship university of the third largest state. In addition to seeking candidates for tenured and non-tenure-track positions, advertised separately, the Levin College of Law seeks highly qualified candidates for tenure-track positions.

The Appointments Committee welcomes applications from tenure-track candidates in all areas of law. Successful candidates will have a publication record, strong scholarly potential, a commitment to excellence in teaching, and enthusiasm for creating an inclusive environment for all students. Candidates must also have a JD, PhD, or equivalent degree in a related field. In reviewing applications, the Appointments Committee will consider long-term teaching needs in large enrollment classes, environmental law, health law, tax, and law and technology.

Application materials should include a cover letter, a resume which includes at least three references, a list of publications, and up to three pieces of scholarly work. Materials may be uploaded at http://jobs.ufl.edu. The Appointments Committee will also review the AALS Faculty Appointments Registrar. For further information, applicants may contact Professors Daniel Sokol and Michael Wolf at P.O. Box 117620, Gainesville, FL 32611 or email appointments@law.ufl.edu.

POSTING 2
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LEVIN COLLEGE OF LAW seeks applications from highly qualified experienced lateral candidates in environmental law as part of the university’s quest to become a top five public research institution.