This just in:
Seventy years ago, Dr. Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher became the first African American student admitted to the University of Oklahoma College of Law after a three-year legal battle that culminated in a unanimous United States Supreme Court decision. She forever changed OU. The University of Oklahoma College of Law proudly announces that applications and nominations are now being accepted for the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Chair in Civil Rights, Race and Justice, which honors both the principles of equality and justice for which Dr. Sipuel Fisher stood along with those of her attributes that secured them.
Echoing the means through which Dr. Sipuel Fisher’s legal battle was funded, the Chair results from a year-long campaign inviting contributions of all sizes and sources. First launched in fall 2019, over 80 students, faculty and staff colleagues, alumni and friends joined Dr. Sipuel Fisher’s vision in the effort to raise funds sufficient for endowment, an effort completed in fall 2020 through a major gift by an alumnus and associated family foundation who believe in that which characterizes Dr. Sipuel Fisher’s life and work.
Qualifications
The Chair, which will be appointed in the College of Law at the rank of Associate or Full Professor commensurate with experience, is dedicated to a legal scholar who holds an established interest in and deep knowledge of civil rights law, election laws, race and the law, anti-discrimination law, equal rights and diversity in law, and critical race theory. At least half of the successful applicant’s annual teaching load must fall within these arenas, with teaching and research conducted primarily at the College of Law. Candidates must hold a J.D. or its equivalent from an accredited institution and a demonstrated record of academic or experiential accomplishment, along with the ability to teach, mentor and lead students in ways that blend theory with practice, encouraging the development of experiential opportunities through which civil rights can be safeguarded and enhanced. Moreover, candidates must demonstrate experience and the ability to work both within and beyond the academic realm with disenfranchised communities, parties of varying socio-economic backgrounds, and/or non-English speaking populations, and are expected to engage scholarship at high levels for substantial time. To further honor Dr. Sipuel Fisher, the successful candidate will preferably hold qualities similar to those that guided her struggle and her achievements: courage, integrity, tenacity, intellect, vision, and love. The ideal candidate will demonstrate creativity and innovation in teaching, research, and community engagement. The candidate will showcase various theories centered around race relations in Oklahoma and across the United States.
Application Instructions
The appointment will begin between August 2021 and January 2022, with application review beginning immediately and remaining open until final selection is made and the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience with a letter of interest, a resume, and the name, physical and e-mail address, and telephone number of no more than five references. Submission of materials as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged. Nominations are also solicited. For specific questions about the position and application process, please contact search committee chair Katheleen R. Guzman at [email protected].
All application materials should be submitted online via ByCommittee/Interfolio: http://apply.interfolio.com/83539.
For more information about The University of Oklahoma College of Law, please visit https://www.law.ou.edu/. Learn more about the surrounding college campus and Oklahoma City metropolitan area by visiting http://www.ou.edu/flipbook or http://soonerway.ou.edu.
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