Assistant Professor of the Practice of Law

University of Denver•Denver, CO

23h•$100,000 - $110,000•Onsite

About The Position

Founded in 1897, the Sturm College of Law is a national leader in experiential learning and interdisciplinary legal study. Located in one of the nation’s most dynamic and beautiful cities, the Sturm College of Law features a faculty of outstanding and nationally recognized scholar-teachers, an accomplished student body, a highly talented and dedicated staff, and roughly 17,000 alumni who have achieved careers of distinction in law, business, government, public interest, and other professional domains. A private Research 1 university dedicated to the public good, the University of Denver offers more than 300 academic programs and serves roughly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Position Summary The University of Denver Sturm College of Law seeks to hire a full-time faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor of the Practice of Law to teach in the law school’s innovative and nationally recognized Externship Program, through which students gain real-world legal experience and receive academic credit by externing with judges, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, law firms, and corporations. In collaboration with the Director of the Externship Program, the successful candidate will (1) advise students with respect to externship selection; (2) teach student-externs various skills and perspectives relevant to strengthening their professional capacities, navigating their workplaces, and beneficially shaping their professional identities and ethical foundations; (3) engage with both current externship supervisors regarding programmatic expectations and prospective supervisors to expand externship opportunities for students; and (4) collaborate with faculty and staff colleagues within the Sturm College of Law to advance programmatic goals. This is a 12-month appointment, and the successful candidate would be expected to begin work by July 1, 2026.

Requirements

A J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school
Membership in the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction
At least three years of post-JD legal work
An understanding of legal practice across a variety of settings

Nice To Haves

Admission to the Colorado bar or ability to gain such admission
Experience mentoring, supervising, or teaching law students and/or early-career lawyers
Familiarity with the legal communities of the city of Denver and the state of Colorado
Experience with legal pedagogy

Responsibilities

Advise students in identifying and selecting externship placements that advance their professional goals.
Impart relevant professional skills and perspectives to student-externs.
Foster professional self-reflection by students, in both individual and group settings.
Assist students in navigating professional matters arising in the workplace, including ethical issues.
Engage with current externship placement supervisors regarding programmatic requirements and expectations, including training, supervision, and evaluation.
Work to expand externship opportunities for students, including in specialty legal settings (e.g., public interest, sports and recreation, technology law).
Collaborate with faculty and staff to advance programmatic goals.
Participate fully and actively in faculty governance, including faculty meetings and committees.