The Professor will supervise student representation of clients and be responsible for meeting regularly, mentoring and advising the students. The Professor will have ultimate responsibility for directing the course of the students cases and for ensuring that the clinics clients are adequately and professionally represented. For some matters, this will largely entail supervising student work. For other matters, the Professor will be more directly involved in the representation.
In addition, the Professor will partner with Professor Strauch, the clinic co-director, in all aspects of the clinics work, such as helping teach a weekly clinic class, assisting with the selection of clinic cases, and participating in activities of the clinical program.
We expect the clinical professor to work closely with students on all aspects of their work and responsibilities include:
• Meeting regularly with student-attorneys and supervising their work • Attending all court appearances with student-attorneys • Assisting with teaching in the classroom component of the clinic • Implementing the clinic guidelines and policies related to supervision and representation • Participating in other meetings and activities of the clinical program
Clinical faculty positions at Texas Law are nine-month appointments with nine-month pay starting at $147,596, depending on experience. Additionally, the successful candidate will typically work during the summer through an additional full-time appointment to shepherd cases through the summer months or supervise a student fellow in their work with clients. This position is full-time and non-tenure track with an initial one-year appointment followed by three-year rolling presumptively renewable appointments.
The successful candidate will join a robust community of over 25 experienced faculty members who teach in the clinical program. The clinical faculty meet regularly to discuss best practices in clinical teaching, course design, and other relevant issues, and it is a collegial and supportive group.
About the Childrens Rights Clinic
The Childrens Rights Clinic has been representing child clients involved with Child Protective Services for nearly 50 years. The clinic is offered as a one-semester course in the spring and fall semesters to second- and third-year law students. Students are licensed under the student practice rule to represent clients under the supervision of the clinics professors.
Students represent children in Travis County District Court as student attorneys ad litem in cases in which the state seeks orders requiring parents to participate in services or involving custody or termination of parental rights based on allegations of abuse and neglect. Although the supervising attorneys sign pleadings drafted by the students and accompany the students to formal proceedings, the student attorneys sit first chair at hearings, mediations, and trial appearances, and they research and prepare cases as the primary attorneys. They also attend meetings, respond to emails, phone calls, and facilitate the legal positions of our child clients.
More information about the Childrens Rights Clinic can be found here.
Childrens Rights Clinic | Experiential Learning Clinics | Texas Law
Member of Texas Bar or eligible to waive into Texas Bar
At least seven to ten years of experience in Child Welfare practice
Significant trial experience including bench and jury trials
Familiarity with clinical teaching methods
Experience supervising law students and/or junior attorneys
Teaching experience preferred
Board Certified in Child Welfare Law or certified as a Child Welfare Law Specialist preferred
To apply, submit a cover letter, résumé, contact information for at least three professional references, and a writing sample. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.