Mitchell Hamline School of Law-a leader in pedagogical innovation dedicated to expanding access to high-quality legal education-seeks entry-level candidates to join our growing, vibrant faculty as visiting assistant professors (VAPs) in July 2022. Appointments are for two years with an option for a one-year renewal.

The VAP program trains talented lawyers-particularly those from underrepresented groups-to be great teachers and to compete successfully in the national law school market for permanent faculty positions. Although VAPs typically teach in both blended and residential enrollment options, a hallmark of the program is to introduce VAPs to best practices in blended legal education, a field Mitchell Hamline pioneered among accredited law schools (https://mitchellhamline.edu/academics/j-d-enrollment-options/blended-learning-at-mitchell-hamline/).

Our faculty has committed to help Mitchell Hamline become an anti-racist law school. We seek to recruit and retain a diverse faculty as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of our state and nation; to improve the legal profession and expand access to justice; to maintain the excellence of the law school; and to offer our students richly varied perspectives and ways of knowing and learning.

We are looking for:

• Candidates with experience in law practice, law-related professional fields, or academia who are interested in teaching our year-long Legal Analysis, Research, and Communication class plus an additional upper-division skills or doctrinal class.
• Candidates whose law-practice, teaching, research, or community-service experience has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence.
• Candidates who are interested in, and excited about, teaching in our innovative blended learning program (https://mitchellhamline.edu/academics/j-d-enrollment-options/blended-learning-at-mitchell-hamline/).

Candidates must have a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school or foreign equivalent. We seek colleagues who can contribute to the diversity of our campus community and wish to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through teaching and service. We welcome all applicants but are particularly interested in those with an interest in, or emerging expertise in, racial justice scholarship, and willingness to teach in the area.

We strongly encourage those who attended or taught at the following categories of institutions to apply:

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Law Schools (HBCUs) or Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
• Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Native American Indian Serving, Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs), or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANNHIs)
• Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)
• Asian-American & Native Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

VAPs will teach Legal Analysis, Research, and Communication each semester and one additional first-year or upper-division class each spring semester. They are expected to complete at least one scholarly article during their appointment and participate in the AALS recruiting conference in the fall of their second year. Each VAP will have a faculty mentor in the legal writing program, as well as a scholarship faculty mentor and a general teaching mentor.

Our law school is in an historic area of Saint Paul, on the Indigenous homelands of the Dakota Oyate, home to the Penumbra and Fitzgerald theaters, a diverse array of restaurants, and one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. Just across the river, Minneapolis is the home to the Walker Art Center, First Avenue, the Guthrie Theater, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and one of the nation’s liveliest performing arts scenes. The city was the birthplace of the American Indian Movement and continues to boast one of the largest urban American Indian populations in the country. Eleven federally recognized tribes, including four Dakota and seven Ojibwe tribes, remain within the State of Minnesota. Minneapolis and Saint Paul are among the top cities in the country for the arts and entertainment, active lifestyles, non-profit organizations, and exceptional levels of volunteer engagement.

Please apply through the application portal on Mitchell Hamline’s website and provide: (1) a cover letter, (2) a resume, and (3) whether in your cover letter or a separate document, a statement addressing your past efforts and future plans to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through your teaching, scholarship, and service.

We expect interviews to occur in February and March. Finalists should be prepared to present a 5-to-15-page writing sample demonstrating legal writing and analysis.

The committee will consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To ensure consideration, please submit your application by Monday, February 28, 2022.

For questions about the application process, contact Professor Tom Cobb, Appointments Committee Chair and Director of Legal Writing, at tom.cobb@mitchellhamline.edu.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer. We are dedicated to building a diverse employee base that is committed to teaching and working in an environment focused on equity and inclusion. Each employee is responsible for ensuring equity and inclusion is rooted into their day-to-day work. Employees must strive to promote equity through continuous learning and improvement, the positive development of our community, and the identification and removal of barriers.