The Director of the Disaster Relief Clinic will direct the CSOL’s pro bono and clinical responses to the 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles and other natural disasters. The director will administer the program under supervision of the Associate Dean of Clinical Education & amp; Global Programs, will lead the clinic’s and pro bono program’s law practice, practice law directly with clinical faculty and staff attorneys, supervise pro bono and clinic students, and teach the Disaster Relief Clinic.

The Clinic’s teaching practice will provide legal services to clients who lost their homes or property in recent wildfires in Los Angeles, including education, advice, counsel, and advocacy on FEMA applications and appeals, insurance matters, housing issues, and rebuilding questions.

The Disaster Relief Clinic is a component of the Program of Clinical Education and the Pro Bono Programs at the School of Law. Through the pro bono programs, law students volunteer to handle basic legal matters under supervision of the director and other faculty. In the clinical course, enrolled students earn credit for a greater volume of supervised, focused work on more complex and demanding matters. The director will supervise pro bono students’ work in Spring 2025 and Summer 2025. The director will revive, teach, and direct students in the Disaster Relief Clinic course in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.

The successful candidate will be responsible for supervising students in legal work, teaching and directing the Disaster Relief Clinic and its associated programs. The director may also supervise part-time staff attorneys. The director will also be responsible for organizing and executing community education and field clinics throughout the community, will be primarily responsible for developing and maintaining vital relationships with area partners, legal aid agencies, counterpart clinics, local governments, donors, and other stakeholders.

Duties

• Supervising pro bono and clinic students' legal work for clients.
• Teaching clinical course seminar and providing on-going, continuous, faculty-guided reflection in various forms and modes. 
• Practicing law directly for clients in the clinic and pro bono programs. 
• Liaising and communicating regularly and effectively with internal and external partners, collaborating agencies, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Conducting regular orientation and training for pro bono students. 
• Managing significant academic and law practice documentation and records with the Clinical Program Manager.
• Performing additional duties as necessary or required. 
• Upholding University mission through work performed. 

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required: Must hold a J.D., be licensed to practice law in California, be willing to start immediately, be able to work full-time in person at the School of Law with options for occasional remote work, and be able to work irregular hours occasionally while offering events and clinics in the community. The candidate’s record should demonstrate superb lawyering skills, leadership and management experience, strong teaching ability, and the communication and interpersonal skills essential to being an effective clinical teacher.

Preferred: Experience working with law students on client cases in a clinical, externship or similar setting.

Qualified individuals should be able to articulate a strong commitment to diversity, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

This is a Restricted, Exempt, 40 hour per week position.

Expected Pay Range: $90,000 - $100,000 per year

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.