The Faculty Lounge

With a Little Help from My Friends

"With a Little Help from My Friends" was the second track on the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. The vocal was by Ringo Star, in the persona of the band's lead singer, The One and Only Billy Shears. It was not released as a single at the time, but Joe Cocker did release it as a single in 1968, reaching number one on the British charts but only 68 on the U.S. Hot 100. Nonetheless, Cocker's performance of it at Woodstock was legendary (see bottom of this post, right after the audio from Sgt. Pepper), and many probably remember his version more than the Beatles'. Interestingly, the Beatles's version was reissued as a single in 1978 (I am not sure how that was authorized), but it went nowhere. "With a Little Help from My Friends" was never performed live by the Beatles, but Ringo has included it in his live sets, often with guest stars as a duet.

Hiring Announcement: Boston University School of Law

From a recent email message:

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, a top-tier law school with an international reputation, is a community of leading legal scholars, teachers, students, and alumni, who are dedicated to providing one of the finest legal educations in the world. Since our doors opened in 1872, we have admitted and enrolled accomplished students to our program regardless of their race, sex, and religion.  The breadth and depth of our curriculum and scholarship as well as our innovative spirit are distinctive in U.S. legal education. 

Boston University School of Law invites applications from both entry-level and experienced candidates for a number of positions with a projected start date of July 1, 2025. The search is broad and not limited to particular subjects, but we have especially strong teaching needs in Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Procedure, Property, Trust and Estates, American Indian Law, AI Regulation, Professional Responsibility, Alternative Dispute Resolution,  and Private International Development Law, International Law, Bankruptcy, Housing Law, Sexuality/Gender/Gender Identity and the Law, and Land Use Law. Experienced candidates should have a distinguished record of scholarly achievement, effective teaching, active service, and a distinguished record of inclusion. Junior lateral and entry-level, tenure-track candidates should have demonstrated potential for high scholarly achievement, teaching excellence, service, and a record of inclusion. We are additionally seeking candidates for the Director of our Student Innovations Law Clinic (Clinical). Please see that individual posting for a full description.

AALS Election Law Section Distinguished Scholarship Award Nominations

This just in:

The AALS Section on Election Law is soliciting submissions for its annual Distinguished Scholarship Award. This year, the Section will grant two awards, one for 2023 and one for 2024. Each award will be given to a single work that exemplifies excellence in the field. Any single work pertaining to election law, broadly defined, is eligible. If you have a submission, please e-mail a copy to me, [email protected], by Friday, September 6, with the subject line “Annual Scholarship Award Submission,” and a note about whether the work was published in 2023, or has been (or will be) published in 2024. Multiple submissions from a single author are permitted. Submissions will be passed along to a selection committee for review. 

Petition Opposing Academic Boycotts [UPDATED]

UPDATE: Over 3000 signatories as of 10:00 AM ET 8/22

Please consider signing this petition opposing the AAUP’s recent endorsement of academic boycotts. As you may know, the AAUP has just reversed its two-decades long opposition to academic boycotts, effectively abandoning a core principle of academic freedom.

The AAUP’s new position is wrong-headed and dangerous. The normalization of academic boycotts poses a profound threat to academic freedom. As the AAUP itself stated in 2005:

“We reject proposals that curtail the freedom of teachers and researchers to engage in work with academic colleagues, and we reaffirm the paramount importance of the freest possible international movement of scholars and ideas.” 

Recent events have not diminished the importance of this principle. However directed, academic boycotts inevitably undermine scholarly exchanges, joint research programs, and instructional collaborations, thereby violating individual scholars’ and students’ academic freedom.

You can read the entire petition here. You can sign it here.

Please note: the petition does not extend to economic boycotts, sanctions, or weapons embargoes. Its sole objective is to endorse the broadest possible freedom of academic study, exchange, and publication.

Also, I am an AAUP member, but the petition is open to all academics, whether members or not.

Hiring Announcement: Mercer University School of Law

From a recent email message:

The Mercer University School of Law invites applications for up to two entry-level or pre-tenured lateral faculty positions and one tenured faculty position, with appointments beginning in Fall 2025. We welcome applicants from all subject areas, with a particular focus on legal writing, commercial law, contracts, real property, civil procedure, business law, and remedies. We also encourage applications from truly entry-level candidates, including those without prior law teaching experience, who demonstrate significant potential for excellence in both teaching and scholarship.

Founded in 1873, Mercer University School of Law has a long tradition of producing practice-ready lawyers who are committed to service. The school has earned a reputation for providing excellent legal education with an intense focus on student and faculty interaction. With an enrollment of approximately 375 students, Mercer Law School is one of 12 schools and colleges of Mercer University, which is consistently listed among the top institutions of higher education in the nation. The School of Law is nationally recognized for its exceptional programs in legal writing, advocacy (moot court and mock trial), public service, and professionalism and ethics.

The School of Law is located in Macon, Georgia, a city of approximately 156,000 residents. Macon is known for its rich musical heritage (e.g., Otis Redding, Little Richard, the Allman Brothers), vibrant arts community, recreational offerings (e.g., the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park), and affordable cost of living. Located 85 miles from Atlanta, Macon offers the livability of a smaller city with convenient access to big-city amenities.

Mercer University recognizes the power of a diverse community and encourages applications from individuals with varied experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. Mercer University is an AA/EEO/ADA employer.

Applicants should hold a J.D. degree from an accredited institution, demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching, and show potential for excellence in research and scholarship. Interested applicants should complete the brief online application at http://hr.mercer.edu/jobs/ and attach a current CV with the names and contact information of three references. For more information, contact Professor Ishaq Kundawala, Chair, Appointments Committee, Mercer University School of Law, at [email protected].

Washington and Lee Law Seeks Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty

This just in:

The Washington and Lee University School of Law warmly invites applications for up to two tenure-track or tenured faculty positions that will begin on July 1, 2025. We are excited to advance our trajectory of outstanding scholarship and teaching with these new hires. A central aspect of the mission of our Law School is to promote a diverse, equitable, and collaborative intellectual community. To do so, we continually strive to foster an inclusive campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of identity. In keeping with the University’s Strategic Plan, we welcome applications from candidates belonging to communities traditionally underrepresented in the legal academy.

Qualifications

A J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school or equivalent is required. We particularly encourage applications from entry-level and junior lateral candidates (either pre-tenure or recently tenured) to join our faculty at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, but we welcome applications from candidates at all levels of experience. Candidates should have a distinguished record of scholarly achievement or demonstrated potential for high scholarly achievement, effective teaching, active service, and a record of inclusion. Our search will focus on applicants whose research and teaching interests include corporate and business law (including commercial law) and/or tax law.

 

St. Thomas University Makes False Claim in ABA Journal Article about Firing of Tenured Professor

A few days ago, I posted about my client Professor Lauren Gilbert's summary termination from St. Thomas University College of Law in Miami and the lawsuit I had filed seeking her reinstatement and the provision of the academic due process rights guaranteed by her contract.  I promised to provide updates about the case.  Today, the ABA Journal has reported  on the case.  The article about the case contains the following passage:  

According to a statement from St. Thomas University sent to the ABA Journal, “The law school is fully adhering to our guidelines by providing Lauren Gilbert with a hearing. . .

When asked to clarify whether there was or will be a hearing, a university spokesman did not explain, and referred back to the statement"

As of this time, neither I nor Professor Gilbert have received any notification that Professor Gilbert will be provided with a hearing.  Moreover, under the law faculty handbook, which are the "guidelines" that apply to her employment, a hearing would only be necessary if the informal procedures required by the handbook failed to resolve the situation.  Both the informal procedures and the formal hearing required by the contract only apply to tenured faculty members, and the handbook is clear that they must remain as salaried employees while these processes are taking place.  Thus, I have made it very clear in my communications with the University's attorneys that Professor Gilbert must first be reinstated to her position before any of the due process to which she is entitled may commence.  I have emailed STU's attorneys seeking a clarification of this seemingly false and misleading statement.   I will post an update when and if I receive a clarification. 

There is another curious statement in the article.  The spokesperson stated that "Our investigation into a very serious matter involving Gilbert's conduct is ongoing."   This raises a question of why STU would be investigating an employee that has already been terminated?  Wouldn't it make more sense to conduct the investigation first?  This seems like an effort to simply tarnish Professor Gilbert's reputation by suggesting without proof that she has engaged in "very serious" behavior warranting investigation.  This is just the latest example of STU's "very serious" ill-treatment of Professor Gilbert.  

UPDATE: The Circuit Court Judge assigned the Complaint for Declaratory Judgment, the Hon David C. Miller, has just issued a very stern order in the case ordering STU to respond and preemptively denying any requests for an extension.  STU's response is due September 3, 2024.   The text of the order follows:

 

ORDER TO RESPOND TO THE COMPLAINT

This case came up for review and the Court, noting the multiple appearances of

counsel for the Defendant St. Thomas University Inc. on 8/16/24, 8/19/24 and

8/20/24 but no response to the Complaint, therefore, it is;

Ordered and Adjudged that the Defendant shall file a response to the Complaint on or

before September 3, 2024.

This deadline may not be extended by agreement and the mere filing of a

Motion to Extend this deadline will NOT toll the time to fully comply with this

Order. The failure to timely comply will result in the entry of a Court Default

upon EXPARTE application for same through CourtMap by opposing counsel

without further Notice, Hearing or opportunity to be heard. This is the only

Notice the parties will receive.

Any Motion for Extension of Time filed but not yet on the Docket (there is not

one filed at this time), is denied.

DONE and ORDERED in Chambers at Miami-Dade County, Florida on this 21st day of August,

2024.

(emphasis in original)

I don't want to read too much into one court order, but I have practiced in the Florida courts for the last decade and don't ever recall seeing an order like this with so much bolded, underlined and capitalized language.  

Call for Presentations: Supporting Student Scholarship (Pedagogy Program)

This just in:

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Scholarship is pleased to announce a joint program with the Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research and the Section on Law Libraries and Legal Information to be held during the 2025 AALS Annual Meeting. This pedagogy program is titled Supporting the Student Scholar. 

Supporting the Student Scholar (Pedagogy Program) – Session Description

Student scholars have the potential to play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of legal scholarship. This panel will focus on strategies and initiatives aimed at empowering faculty to support students in their scholarly endeavors, whether within the law school seminar, on a student-run law review, or elsewhere. Panelists will discuss their methods and invite discussion among all attendees to share practical suggestions and techniques to implement.

Call for Presentations – Submission Details

One to three additional panelists will be chosen from this Call for shorter, lightning-style (approximately 10 minutes) presentations sharing lessons, ideas, issues, or insights around the theme. Presenters selected from this Call will join Emily Prifogle (Michigan Law), James Fallows Tierney (Chicago Kent), Lisa Pruitt (UC-Davis), and Jessica Shoemaker (moderator, Nebraska College of Law). 

Please submit a short (maximum 500-word abstract) to Jessica Shoemaker ([email protected]) with “AALS Submission: Student Scholarship” in the subject line. Submissions must be received by September 9, 2024. 

We welcome submissions that address any of the topics described in the Program Description that involve law schools or lawyers. We invite proposals from law faculty including junior and/or clinical faculty, as well as participants who provide diversity and who reflect a variety of law schools. Per AALS rules, only full-time faculty members and fellows of AALS member law schools are eligible to submit an abstract to Sections’ calls for presentations. All panelists, including speakers selected from this Call for Presentations, are responsible for paying their own annual meeting registration fee and travel expenses.

Selected presenters will be announced by no later than September 13, 2024. 

Inquiries or Questions

Any inquiries about the Call for Presentations should be submitted to Professors Jessica Shoemaker ([email protected]), Moderator, or Danielle Jefferis ([email protected]), Section on Scholarship Chair. 

Hiring Announcement: Washington and Lee University School of Law

From a recent email message:

The Washington and Lee University School of Law warmly invites applications for up to two tenure-track or tenured faculty positions that will begin on July 1, 2025. We are excited to advance our trajectory of outstanding scholarship and teaching with these new hires. A central aspect of the mission of our Law School is to promote a diverse, equitable, and collaborative intellectual community. To do so, we continually strive to foster an inclusive campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of identity. In keeping with the University’s Strategic Plan, we welcome applications from candidates belonging to communities traditionally underrepresented in the legal academy.

Qualifications

A J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school or equivalent is required. We particularly encourage applications from entry-level and junior lateral candidates (either pre-tenure or recently tenured) to join our faculty at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, but we welcome applications from candidates at all levels of experience. Candidates should have a distinguished record of scholarly achievement or demonstrated potential for high scholarly achievement, effective teaching, active service, and a record of inclusion. Our search will focus on applicants whose research and teaching interests include corporate and business law (including commercial law) and/or tax law.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit the following materials through Interfolio at apply.interfolio.com/152352: (1) a cover letter describing their interest in the position; and (2) a current curriculum vitae, including references. Please address these materials to Professor Chris Seaman, Chair, Faculty Doctrinal Appointments Committee. Additionally, we encourage prospective applicants to contact Prof. Seaman ([email protected]) with any questions.  All inquiries will be treated as confidential.  Review of applications will begin immediately and continue on a rolling basis. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  As such, we are interested in candidates who are committed to high standards of scholarship, performance and professionalism and to the development of a campus climate that supports equality and diversity in our faculty, staff and student body. Job description requirements are representative, but not all‐inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Hiring Announcement: Emory University School of Law

From a recent email message:

Robert T. Thompson Professorship in Business Law

Emory University School of Law seeks applications from outstanding tenured scholars for the Robert T. Thompson Professorship in Law. This professorship recognizes outstanding achievement in scholarship and teaching in disciplines related to business law, including mergers & acquisitions, securities regulation, corporate finance, and other related business law fields.  Candidates should have exceptional records in research, teaching, and service and have attained a J.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree. Candidates should currently hold a tenured academic appointment and should be eligible for appointment as a full professor at Emory. 

Candidates must complete the online application which requires creating an account, uploading a resume or CV, and providing basic demographic information. In addition, applicants should submit a cover letter, a current CV, a published or unpublished academic article, a brief research agenda, and an indication of teaching interests (if not listed on the CV) to the chair of the Appointments Committee: Professor Joanna Shepherd, at [email protected]. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. 

Endowed Distinguished Professorship in Civil Litigation

Emory University School of Law seeks applications from outstanding tenured scholars for a Distinguished Professorship in Civil Litigation. This professorship recognizes distinguished achievement in scholarship and teaching of disciplines related to civil litigation, including civil procedure, complex litigation, evidence, conflict of laws, and others focused on civil litigation. Candidates must have exceptional records in research, teaching, and service and have attained a J.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree. Candidates should currently hold a tenured academic appointment and should be eligible for appointment as a full professor at Emory. For candidates meeting the law school’s standards for scholarly excellence and the demonstrated ability to teach civil litigation courses, the interest in teaching first-year Civil Procedure will be an additional positive factor.

Candidates must complete the online application which requires creating an account, uploading a resume or CV, and providing basic demographic information. In addition, applicants should submit a cover letter, a current CV, a published or unpublished academic article, a brief research agenda, and an indication of teaching interests (if not listed on the CV) to the chair of the Appointments Committee: Professor Joanna Shepherd, at [email protected].  Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.   

Wayne State Hiring Announcement

Wayne State University Law School aims to hire three tenure-track faculty members to begin in Fall 2025. For the first position, we seek entry-level or junior (untenured) lateral candidates working in any subject area. For the second position, we seek entry-level or junior (untenured) lateral candidates working in race and the law generally and Black studies and the Black experience in particular. The third position is a joint appointment with the Wayne State University School of Social Work. For that position, we seek entry-level, junior (untenured) lateral, or tenured lateral candidates working in criminal law and procedure, especially on questions related to criminal legal reform or holistic defense, and whose scholarly work would support an appointment in both the law and social work schools. For all positions, we are looking for outstanding scholars and teachers whose experiences and perspectives will enrich our community.

Wayne Law is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive faculty. We warmly welcome applications from people of color, people with disabilities, women, LGBTQ people, and others whose background, experience, and viewpoints will contribute to the diversity of the faculty. Candidates should send a cover letter, CV, and any other relevant materials to Professor Will Ortman, Faculty Appointments Committee chair, at [email protected]. Candidates are invited (but not required) to share in their cover letter how their background, experience, and viewpoints will contribute to perspectives not ordinarily well-represented in law schools or the legal profession.

Wayne State University is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity, and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities and prepares students for success in a diverse, global society. WSU encourages applications from women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups. WSU is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

John Manning Named Permanent Provost of Harvard

Harvard University has announced that its interim provost, John Manning, the former dean of Harvard Law, will serve in the position permanently.  

Hiring Announcement: University of Illinois Chicago School of Law

From a recent email message:

UIC Law, Chicago’s only public law school, invites applications for one (1) entry-level tenure-track candidate to teach Torts and Products Liability with secondary needs of Business Associations and Constitutional Law.

Candidates must have a Juris Doctor from an ABA-approved law school or its equivalent from a foreign country; a record of teaching excellence or demonstrated potential to become an excellent teacher and a record of high-quality scholarship or demonstrated potential to produce high-quality scholarship; and demonstrated interested in serving the academy, the community, and legal profession at an urban, public, Research 1 university. Excellent writing and communication skills and demonstrated ability to mentor students is highly preferred. Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Confidential review of materials and screening of candidates will be ongoing and will continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, apply online at https://jobs.uic.edu by October 7, 2024. Include a letter of intent, a current CV/resume, and the names of three professional references.