The Faculty Lounge

Decluttering as Work and Life Planning, Late Middle Age Edition

Let me disclose at the outset that I have absolutely, positively no business writing about decluttering, because I have long been one to collect books and print out articles at the slightest chance that a vaguely defined project might someday come to fruition. And now that I’ve been at this professorial thing for over three decades, the “maybe someday” possibilities are many.

You may be thinking: Just scan it and store it. But my mind doesn’t work that way. When a writing project beckons, I need the printed stuff out surrounding me, physically. It may mean squandering some time searching through piles of paper for that one article needed for a quote or citation, but that’s my work style. I strive to write clearly and in a well-organized fashion.  But when I do succeed, the process usually started with the chaos of books and papers strewn about me.

Motivation

My faculty office needs some serious thinning of the paper herd, especially since it became a full-on storage area while teaching online during the pandemic. However, it is a secondary priority, as presently I am focusing on my home.

You see, I am planning to add a cat to my household. As a future first-time cat dad, I have assessed the available space in my modest Boston condo and concluded that, among other things, a room I’ve been using to store a lot of books and papers needs considerable clearing out to accommodate a litter box and some other cat-related essentials. Although many cats are said to enjoy surroundings akin to a used bookstore (i.e., my interior design motif), I’ve simply got way too much stuff.

Of course, it’s not just about work-related material. Like many folks who are reading this, I have myriad interests, ranging from heavier (e.g., reading the “Great Books”), to middlin' (e.g., keeping a stamp collection), to lighter (e.g., the World Football League of 1974-75). These interests have led me to gather not only more books, but also plenty of periodicals, collectibles, and ephemera.

So, there’s much to sort through. "Tidying" guru Marie Kondo and an odd book about “Swedish death cleaning” have failed to motivate me. It has fallen to this yet-to-be-identified cat to prompt hundreds of book donations and the feeding of recycling bins.

Honey Don't / Blue Suede Shoes [UPDATED with John Lennon vocal]

"Honey Don't" was written and recorded by Carl Perkins in 1956. Released as the B-side of "Blue Suede Shoes" (also written by Perkins, perhaps at the suggestion of Johhny Cash when they were headliners on Louisiana Hayride; accounts vary). It became one of the most successful two-sided hits in popular music history (when there were 45s with two sides), perhaps second only to Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog." Both songs have been covered many times, 'Honey Don't" most famously by the Beatles with Ringo's vocal, and "Blue Suede Shoes," of course, was made even more famous by Elvis.

CFP: Financial Restructuring Roundtable, NYC April 4, 2024

Financial Restructuring Roundtable

Call for Papers

The Third Annual Financial Restructuring Roundtable will be held in person on April 4, 2024 in New York City. Spearheaded by Samir Parikh, Robert Rasmussen, and Michael Simkovic, this invitation-only event brings together practitioners, jurists, scholars, and finance industry professionals to discuss important financial restructuring and business law issues. 

The Roundtable invites the submission of papers. Selected participants will receive a $2,000 stipend and have the opportunity to workshop their papers in an intimate, collegial setting. 

We seek papers exploring diverse topics and will be interested in interdisciplinary perspectives. Papers will be selected through a blind review process. Junior scholars (with one to ten years in academia) are invited to submit a 3 – 5 page overview of a proposed paper. Submissions may be an introduction, excerpt from a longer paper, or extended abstract. The submission should be anonymized, and – aside from general citations to the author’s previous articles – all references to the author should be removed.

Please submit proposals by October 30, 2023. Invitations will be issued via email by December 1, 2023.  Working drafts of papers should be available for circulation to participants by March 1, 2024.  

Proposals – as well as questions and concerns – should be directed to Samir Parikh at [email protected]. 

The Financial Restructuring Roundtable is hosted by USC Gould School of Law and Lewis & Clark Law School in partnership with Sidley Austin. 

High Point University Law Seeks Faculty

This just in:

Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law at High Point University is hiring our inaugural cohort of full-time faculty who will teach our first class of students enrolling in August 2024. 

Open-Rank Faculty Member in the School of Law

High Point University School of Law invites applicants to serve on its inaugural full-time faculty and teach its first class of J.D. students, who will begin in August 2024. Candidates will have the exciting opportunity to work in a highly collaborative environment with a holistic approach to legal education that focuses on the doctrinal knowledge, practical skills, and values-based professional identity students need for success in a rapidly evolving legal profession. Candidates should have a passion for teaching, scholarship, and service, and should possess an entrepreneurial spirit and be well-suited to work in a collegial and student-oriented culture.

As a new law school, HPU School of Law is seeking candidates who have broad teaching interests, but primarily seeks those who will teach the following courses in its first-year curriculum: Civil Procedure, Property, Torts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Legal Research & Writing. Candidates should indicate in their cover letter the topical areas in which they would like to teach. In addition to teaching courses in the School of Law, faculty responsibilities will include (1) contributing to the scholarly mission of the School of Law; (2) advising and mentoring students; and (3) participating in law school and University service as assigned.

 

David Western Named Interim Dean of Appalachian School of Law

David Western has been named interim dean of Appalachian School of Law.  Western joined the law school in 2022 and serves as Dean of Students.  He holds a JD from  Lewis & Clark and an LL.M. from George Washington University.

Hiring Announcement: Northern Illinois University College of Law

From a recent email message:

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW invites applications for an opening for an open rank (entry-level or lateral) faculty position beginning August 2024. Duties include engaging in high quality research and teaching, as well as being an active participant in law school and university service. Applicants must hold a J.D. degree from an ABA accredited law school, or a foreign law school equivalent, and must provide evidence of the potential for engaging in high quality research and teaching. 

NIU Law is a public law school. It resides at the heart of a diverse and active university campus of over 17,000 students in DeKalb, Illinois, located on the western edge of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Preferred qualifications include a record of scholarly publication, teaching experience (particularly in a law school), legal-practice experience, a strong law school record, law journal membership, and clerkship experience.

We will consider candidates with a broad range of teaching and research interests, but the successful candidate will be expected to teach our two-semester Contracts course. Applications are encouraged from women, members of minority groups, and others whose background and experience would contribute to the diversity of the law school community.  Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications; position includes a robust benefits package.

For full consideration, prospective applications should visit https://employment.niu.edu/postings/74086 to apply by October 31, 2023. Applicants will be required to submit a cover letter, CV, list of references, scholarly agenda, and diversity statement. Applications received after October 31 will be considered as needed.

Please direct questions to the search committee chair, Professor Marc Falkoff, at [email protected]; or to Tita Kaus, Administrative Assistant to the Dean, at 815-753-1068 or [email protected]. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement  

Northern Illinois University (NIU) is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic global community; as an AA/EEO employer, NIU considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

ALI Elects New Members

The American Law Institute recently elected new members. Among them are these law faculty members:

• Kate Andrias, Columbia Law School
• Margo A. Bagley, Emory University School of Law
• Steven A. Dean, Boston University School of Law
• Maggie Gardner, Cornell Law School
• Maria Glover, Georgetown University Law Center
• Steve C. Gold, Rutgers Law School
• Professor Noah Benjamin Novogrodsky, University of Wyoming College of Law
• J. Prescott, University of Michigan Law School
• Alexander A. Reinert, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
• Keith Robinson, Wake Forest University School of Law
• Victoria Shannon Sahani, Boston University School of Law
• Erin Adele Scharff, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
• Lahny R. Silva, Indiana University, Robert H. McKinney School of Law
• Aaron D. Simowitz, Willamette University College of Law
• Jessica K. Steinberg, George Washington University Law School
• Elizabeth Weeks, University of Georgia School of Law
• Kelli Alces Williams, Florida State University College of Law

Congratulations to all!

Hiring Announcement: University of Tennessee College of Law

From a recent email message:

The College of Law at the University of Tennessee seeks exceptional candidates to fill the position of Director of Executive Education and Non-JD Programs. The Director of Non-JD Programs will provide vision and leadership for the College of Law's existing Master of Legal Studies (MLS) and Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies programs. In addition, the Director will be responsible for leading the creation and maintenance of executive education programs for practicing attorneys and non-lawyers. The Director will work with College of Law administration to support high-quality instruction, academic advising, and career and professional development. Position responsibilities include admissions and student recruitment, curriculum selection and scheduling, program assessment, recruitment of program faculty, budget planning and management, external relations, community outreach, and ongoing program innovation and fundraising. The Director will also have some teaching responsibilities.

For more information, see the position announcement.

Hiring Announcement: University of Connecticut School of Law (Associate Professor or Professor of Law)

From a recent email message:

The University of Connecticut School of Law invites applications from entry-level and lateral candidates for two full-time, tenure-track, or tenured-at-hire faculty positions commencing in the fall of 2024. Although we will consider candidates with a range of curricular and scholarly expertise, subject areas of particular interest include criminal procedure, environmental and energy law, and taxation; we also have needs in civil procedure, constitutional law, cybersecurity, land use, professional responsibility, property, securities regulation, and trusts and estates. A successful candidate will have a record of professional accomplishments commensurate with an appointment at the rank of (1) Associate Professor (for entry-level candidates) or (2) Professor (for lateral candidates) with an opportunity for tenure-at-hire.

The UConn School of Law is especially interested in candidates who will add to the diversity of our faculty and community. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups and other candidates with experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints that will enrich the diversity of our institution.

Hiring Announcement: University of Connecticut School of Law (Director of Legal Practice)

From a recent email message:

The University of Connecticut School of Law seeks candidates for the position of Director of Legal Practice (Clinical Professor of Law or Professor of Law) to direct and teach in its first-year Legal Practice Program (LP Program), commencing in the fall of 2024. The LP Program at UConn Law School is an integrated three-term, seven-credit program that provides experiential training in legal writing, legal research, negotiation, interviewing, counseling, and oral advocacy. The Director will have security of position under the School of Law’s policies for either tenure or long-term contracts.

We seek an experienced, innovative, and collaborative director to guide the LP Program, including developing curriculum, mentoring faculty, teaching, and interfacing with external and internal stakeholders. For the opportunity for tenure at hire, this person will have an outstanding record of professional accomplishments commensurate with an appointment at the rank of Professor. We are especially interested in candidates who will add to the diversity of our faculty and community. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates with experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints that will enrich the diversity of our institution.