Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Assistant/Associate Professor of Law, Director, Farmed Animal Advocacy Clinic

Full-time, Exempt

On-campus

Contract

Salary: $90,000-$119,000

Vermont Law and Graduate School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We grow and learn better together with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. In recruiting for faculty and staff, we seek unique backgrounds to enrich and challenge our community.

Position Summary:

Building on its history as a pioneer in animal law and policy, VLGS seeks an experienced practitioner and instructor to fill a permanent position as professor and director of the Farmed Animal Advocacy Clinic (FAAC or Clinic).

The FAAC provides an experiential offering for students to work alongside and assist animal advocacy organizations and others. The FAAC is the only clinic in the country exclusively dedicated to farmed animal advocacy, providing expertise and assistance to a broad range of stakeholders. The director and professor will identify, connect with, and collaborate with clients and project partners, and train and guide students to provide them with law and policy assistance. The director and professor will join a vibrant and supportive clinical community and play a crucial role in the VLGS Animal Law and Policy Institute (ALPI). They will work closely with the ALPI to help identify, oversee, and implement grant-funded law and policy projects focused on farmed animal protection. Applicants should have a commitment to farmed animal advocacy and an enthusiasm for working with J.D., LL.M., and master’s students who are eager to learn practical skills.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supervise and teach students on cases and projects in a clinical learning environment.
• Develop and teach the Clinic seminar.
• Manage grant-funded projects to develop innovative legal tools to improve legal protections for farmed animals in response to client/partner needs and funder deliverables and translate those tools for broad use; such tools may include but are not limited to legal reports, policy briefs, fact sheets, and online toolkits.
• Provide direct representation to Clinic clients and maintain responsibility for case/project management and completion during transitions between semesters.
• Manage the Clinic, including identifying potential clients and project partners and stewarding those relationships, overseeing Clinic case/project intake and docket, handling Clinic case/project work, and supporting and ensuring cohesion for Ccinic projects/matters.
• Administer the Clinic, including: overseeing appropriate management of files including potentially confidential, privileged, protected, and/or sensitive information; overseeing related curriculum and student enrollment; and participating in personnel decisions in coordination with the ALPI Director, Vice Dean of Faculty, Associate Dean of Environmental Programs, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, and Human Resources as they deem appropriate.
• Actively participate in a dynamic law school environment, including collaboration with other law school clinics and programs, and meet faculty service expectations including committee participation.
• Mentor students.
• Deliver talks and trainings to animal protection groups, government officials, and others, and present on the Clinic’s and ALPI’s work at conferences and other events.
• Assist with the development and execution of media strategies for Clinic work, including being a spokesperson for the Clinic and the ALPI.
• Support efforts to secure and maintain funding for the Clinic, including providing information for grant proposals, budgets, and grant reports.
• Collaborate and work with technical experts as needed.

Required Education, Skills, and Experience:

• Active member of the Vermont Bar Association in good standing or eligible for admission to the Vermont Bar.
• Understanding of and appreciation for inclusion, including the ability to work with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, identities, and viewpoints.
• Demonstrated leadership experience.
• Strong research, writing, and communication skills.
• Strong organizational, time, and project management skills.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• High degree of professionalism.
• Strong academic credentials.
• Communications and/or marketing experience, or the willingness to learn, apply, and teach these skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

Preferred Education, Skills, and Experience:

• Demonstrated experience and interest in mentoring and supervising students.
• Law school teaching experience with significant weight given to clinical teaching experience.
• At least three years of relevant legal and policy advocacy experience, such as in food and agricultural law and policy or environmental law and policy, with significant weight given to animal law and policy experience.
• At least three years of litigation experience.
• At least three years of management experience.
• Demonstrated experience writing policy papers, issue briefs, draft legislation, and various legal documents.

Other Requirements:

• Respect – Understanding and interest in incorporating VLGS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion values into the classroom and workspace.
• Adaptability and Flexibility – Must be able to adapt to new and emerging technology as established and communicated by the school to carry out the administrative duties associated with teaching. Willingness and ability to work remotely in emergency situations. Ability to work the occasional after-hours and weekend hours required to support students in this position. Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines and reorganize under pressure.
• Communication – talk and/or listen to convey or exchange information; communicate effectively and efficiently in written correspondence and technical correspondence in English; process and comprehend written material; exchange ideas, information, and opinions with others to formulate policies and programs and/or jointly arrive at conclusions, solutions, or dispute resolution.
• Professional Discretion – exercise thoughtful judgment and meet deadlines; develop and maintain effective professional relationships with others; function effectively under stress; adapt to changing environments; display flexibility; and function in the face of uncertainties and ambiguities.
• Collaboration – This position requires collaboration with peers and colleagues as well as students, and ability to independently manage deadlines and multiple projects.
• Service – Faculty and staff at VLGS provide service to students, the community, and one another through service on committees and appropriate volunteer opportunities both on- and off-campus.
• Scholarship – Faculty at VLGS are encouraged to pursue research and scholarship opportunities as a critical part of their own continuous learning process.
• Must be able to work legally within the United States without sponsorship.
• Ability to perform all essential functions of the job with or without basic accommodations.

How to Apply:

Applicants must complete an online application and electronically submit (1) a cover letter, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) a writing sample, and (4) the names and contact information of three references. VLGS will only contact references for finalists. Please direct inquiries about the position to Animal Law Policy Institute Director, Delcianna Winders at dwinders@vermontlaw.edu . The position will remain open until filled.

As part of our commitment to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, candidates who meet the qualifications for this position and who require accommodations to apply should contact Human Resources at jobs@vermontlaw.edu. Vermont Law and Graduate School strives to raise the bar for being an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, place of birth, marital status, disability, veteran's status, HIV status, pregnancy, genetic information, health insurance status, and crime victim status.

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