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The University of California, Irvine School of Law invites applications for a full-time Lawyering Skills faculty position, with security of employment or potential for security of employment, to begin on July 1, 2027.

The School of Law is a visionary law school focused on training talented and passionate lawyers and driven by professional excellence, intellectual rigor, and a commitment to enrich our communities through public service. UCI Law, founded just 17 years ago, is the newest public law school in California and is highly regarded for its faculty and expert training for the modern practice of law. UCI Law offers a distinct, innovative approach to legal education that features experiential learning and interdisciplinary studies. Committed to values of public service, excellence in scholarship and teaching, and fostering a diverse, inclusive community, UCI Law is home to distinguished faculty and talented, socially conscious students.

The UCI Law Lawyering Skills program, ranked sixth in the country by U.S. News and World Reports, offers an innovative and rigorous six-credit, two-course series of classes for 1Ls. Lawyering Skills I and II cover legal writing, research, analysis, problem solving, client counseling, client interviewing, negotiation, contract drafting, fact investigation, and professional identity development.

Beginning in Fall 2026, the Lawyering Skills Program is piloting several different Lawyering Skills II courses that students may select. Those are as follows:

1. Lawyering Skills II: Pretrial Advocacy
2. Lawyering Skills II: Business and Legislative Drafting and Advocacy
3. Lawyering Skills II: Lawyering to Change the Law

Other sections may be added in future years. The ideal candidate will be willing to develop and teach at least two of these courses (not in the same year).

Both the fall and spring courses involve regular individualized interaction with students throughout the year, with multiple opportunities for formative and summative assessment. The 1L Lawyering Skills course also incorporates an interviewing experience in which students work with pro bono and government organizations to observe organizations’ client interviews and to conduct interviews under observation. That experience is not managed by individual professors; responsibility for coordinating rotates among lawyering skills faculty members, and the Lawyering Skills Program Manager handles most logistics.

The Lawyering Skills program also involves an expansive curriculum of upper-level writing and skills classes, some taught by Lawyering Skills professors, and others taught by outside attorneys and judges.

The candidate selected will teach one section of Lawyering Skills I in the fall and one section of Lawyering Skills II in the spring. Additionally, the candidate will teach one additional course of their choice considering curricular needs and in consultation with the Associate Dean for Lawyering Skills and the Vice Dean. Appointment, merit, and promotion in the Professor of Teaching series requires, in addition to excellence in teaching and service, that the candidate makes outstanding and externally recognized contributions in research/creative activity in pedagogy and/or the discipline.

When hiring, we look for talented faculty with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who wish to make a difference and a major contribution at an extraordinary public law school. Applicants must hold a J.D. from an ABA-accredited school, and at least three years of practice experience are strongly preferred. All applicants must have demonstrated potential for outstanding teaching and scholarly achievements. Interested candidates must submit application materials using UC Irvine’s online application system, AP Recruit.

Please direct questions about this position to the co-chairs of the search committee, Cindy Archer (carcher@law.uci.edu) and Shauhin Talesh (stalesh@law.uci.edu).

For more information about UCI Law, visit:
Home | UC Irvine Law.

The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC anti-discrimination policy.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment.
  

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.