Position Title: Associate Professor (Small Business and Nonprofit Transactional Law Clinic)

Department: School of Law

Campus Location: Washburn University

The screening committee will review all eligible applications submitted by September 20, 2024.

Position Summary: WASHBURN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW invites applicants for a tenured/tenure-track position to teach in the Washburn Law Clinic and to teach complementary doctrinal courses, beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. Washburn Law has a unitary tenure track with scholarship support including summer writing stipends, year-round research assistants, and funding for travel to conferences. This nine-month tenured/tenure-track position is one of four open tenured/tenure-track positions in the School of Law.

We are particularly interested in applicants qualified to teach the Small Business and Nonprofit Transactional Law Clinic. We seek engaging candidates whose performance to date has demonstrated effectiveness in teaching, scholarship, and service or the potential for achievement in each of these job functions. The selected candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to pursuing teaching excellence, including a dedication to developing inclusive teaching practices that engage students from all backgrounds.

Founded in 1970, Washburn University School of Law’s in-house, live client clinical program has been an integral part of the law school curriculum staffed by tenured and tenure-track positions. Washburn Law Clinic's practice areas include Small Business and Nonprofit Transactional Law, Family Justice and Immigration, Criminal Defense, and Civil Practice. The Small Business and Nonprofit Transactional Law section has historically represented clients in matters involving entity formation, tax exempt status, intellectual property, and governing documents and has been actively involved in conducting community education events and other community projects.

The School of Law moved into its new, state-of-the-art building in July 2023. The building features classrooms equipped with up-to-date recording technology, including closed captioning; a green room recording studio; and beautiful trial and appellate courtrooms.

The Washburn campus is located blocks from the historic state capitol. Topeka features affordable housing; beautiful, historic neighborhoods with well-maintained parks; and a nationally recognized public library. It is also the home of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Site.

Washburn University is a teaching-focused, student-centered, public institution located in the metropolitan setting of Topeka that has earned national recognition for its high-impact programs for first-generation students. Washburn has a student body of over 5,550 undergraduate, graduate, and law students, a significant and growing number of whom are first generation and Pell-Grant eligible. The University has created educational pathways for all students to be successful and achieve their educational goals.

Washburn is dedicated to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff, and student body and cultivating a vibrant and inclusive working environment and curriculum. We offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, a supportive leadership team, and a healthy work/life balance. At Washburn, we strive to ensure a campus climate that supports the success of every employee and appreciates the unique skills and expertise each contributes to serving our students.

Essential Functions:
• The appointed hire will be responsible for fulfilling teaching expectations associated with a tenured/tenure-track professor appointment. They will teach part-time in the clinic and part-time in other courses as assigned.
• The appointed hire will be responsible for fulfilling scholarship expectations associated with a tenured/tenure-track professor appointment.
• The appointed hire will be responsible for fulfilling service expectations associated with a tenured/tenure-track professor appointment.

Required Qualifications:
• JD degree from an ABA-approved law school.
• Demonstrated commitment to clinical legal education.
• Kansas bar license or eligibility to apply for a restricted license to practice in a clinical setting for the length of the appointment, which does not require the taking of the Kansas state bar exam.
• Demonstrated dedication to developing inclusive teaching practices that engage students from all backgrounds.
• Demonstrated commitment to institutional service, whether university or practice-related.
• Demonstrated potential for scholarship.
• Training or experience appropriate to teach in a small business and nonprofit transactional law clinic.
The selected candidate will have a demonstrated dedication to pursuing teaching excellence at Washburn University, including a dedication to developing inclusive teaching practices that engage students from all backgrounds.
Official transcripts will be required at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Training or experience appropriate to teach doctrinal courses complementary to the clinic such as real estate transactions, transactional drafting, and other courses in the business curriculum.

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Inquires may be directed to Screening Committee Chair, Michelle Ewert at michelle.ewert@washburn.edu.

Background Check Required