Job Description

Position Information

Title Director of Trial Advocacy, Professor of Law or Professor of Law Legal Practice Campus Sacramento Department Law Instruction Posting Number F01084 Full or Part Time Full Time Open Date Close Date Open Until Filled No Days Per Week Weeks Per Year

Position Description

Primary Purpose and Essential Functions

The University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law (McGeorge), invites applications for a faculty position as Director of our Trial Advocacy program, ranked 16th in the country by US News. The position may be tenured, tenure-track, or an indefinite contract, commensurate with a candidate’s experience and preferences. Each of these options involves or can lead to security of position, sabbatical opportunities, research support, voting rights, and faculty governance responsibilities. Qualified candidates may be considered for our Robert Eglet Endowed Chair in Trial Advocacy, a fully funded chair that includes a stipend, double travel funds, and a guaranteed writing grant. The Noell M. Ferris Advocacy Professorship is also open to highly experienced contract faculty and comes with additional compensation and benefits.

The Director of Trial Advocacy is responsible for overseeing the Trial Advocacy Program, including teaching courses in Trial Advocacy, other skills and related doctrine, and running the Mock Trial competition teams. The Director of Trial Advocacy is a member of the faculty and reports directly to the Associate Dean for Advocacy for administrative matters. Courses currently offered as part of the program include Trial Advocacy, Jury Selection, Expert Witness Testimony, Mock Trial Evidence, The Art of Plea Bargaining, and Taking and Defending Depositions. The teaching of Trial Advocacy Program courses is shared between the Director, the Assistant Director of Trial Advocacy, and numerous adjunct faculty who participate in the program as teachers and mock trial coaches. As part of her/his/their teaching package, the Director of Trial Advocacy is expected to teach one or more doctrinal courses, such as Criminal Law, Evidence, Criminal Procedure, or Torts.

Other responsibilities include:

• Supervising and collaborating with other trial advocacy faculty in proposing and developing courses for the Trial Advocacy program.
• Teaching Mock Trial Evidence to all members of the Mock Trial team.
• Participating in running the National Ethics Trial Competition (NETC).
• Doing scholarly research and writing in relevant fields and participating in the intellectual life of the law school.

McGeorge is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or protected veteran status. The McGeorge faculty has committed itself to undertake the work to transform itself into an anti-racist law school. Applicants who share that vision, and particularly those who would enhance the racial or ethnic diversity of the faculty, are strongly urged to apply.

University of the Pacific recognizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion is foundational to the success of our valued students and employees. We prioritize policy and decision-making that demonstrates awareness of, and responsiveness to, the ways socio-cultural forces related to race, gender, ability, sexuality, socio-economic status, etc. impede or propel students, faculty and staff.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris-Doctor (J.D.) degree.
• Post-J.D. legal experience, including experience as a trial lawyer, criminal or civil.
• Three (3) years of experience teaching in and/or directing a trial advocacy program at a U.S. law school, or equivalent.
• Holds membership in a state bar association.

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent writing skills.
• Five (5) years of experience teaching in and/or directing a trial advocacy program at a U.S. law school, or equivalent.
• A record of involvement in national and state advocacy organizations such as the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), Legal Aid Services of California (LAAC), and the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators (NALAE).
• Communicates effectively.
• Possesses extraordinary interpersonal skills.
• Maintains professional composure and demeanor at all times.
• Promotes the vision, mission, and core values of McGeorge School of Law.
• Experience and sensitivity in working with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Demonstrated experience in advancing social justice, equity, and inclusion in a university setting.
• Ability to engage and integrate culturally responsive practices and knowledge in their work.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative but not definitive of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Hiring Range $130,000-$175,000 We consider factors such as, but not limited to, scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s qualifications, internal equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. Special Instructions Contact Information Contact Email jproske@pacific.edu

Reference Letter Information

Are Applicants Required to Submit References for This Posting? Yes Minimum Number of References 2 Maximum Number of References 3 Background Check Statement

All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment are required to execute a release and authorization for a background screening.

AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: University of the Pacific complies with California Assembly Bill 810, requiring candidates accepting conditional job offers to disclose any final administrative or judicial findings, ongoing proceedings, allegations, resignations under investigation, or appeals related to sexual harassment or misconduct within the past seven years.

Anti-Discrimination/EEO Policy Statement

University of the Pacific is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity across backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. Pacific does not unlawfully discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, or mental or physical disability, or other legally protected characteristics or combination of such characteristics. While we strive to attract a broad and representative pool of candidates, all hiring decisions are made based on merit, selecting the most qualified individual for each position.