In recognition of its obligation to develop new scholars and teachers, St. John’s University School of Law created the position of Research Professor in 2006. The Research Professor program provides aspiring legal academics with an invaluable opportunity to begin their careers in a supportive environment dedicated to their development as scholars and teachers.
The Research Professor position is a one or two-year appointment, with a reduced teaching load – typically one course each semester. The Research Professor is a full participant in the scholarly life of the law school: attending faculty workshops, conferences, and colloquia, having full access to the law school’s library and support staff (including a budget for research assistants), and enjoying a host of informal mentoring and networking activities. In particular, the Research Professor is given an opportunity to present scholarly work to the faculty – both formally and informally – and to receive detailed feedback. The Research Professor is part of a faculty that values pedagogy and is committed to developing effective teachers.
The Research Professor position is not a tenure-track position. Instead, it is designed to enable the Research Professor to obtain a tenure-track position at a top law school. Members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in law teaching are especially encouraged to apply. The Research Professor is chosen based on an evaluation of the applicant's potential to obtain a tenure-track position with appropriate support and mentoring.
The School of Law has one Research Professor position open for a one-year appointment (subject to renewal for a second year), starting August 2009, as a Research Professor of Law in the St. John’s Bankruptcy Program. The Research Professor will be appointed a Fellow in the St. John’s Institute of Bankruptcy Policy and will assist in all aspects of the St. John’s Bankruptcy Program - a nationally-recognized program that includes an LL.M. in Bankruptcy degree program, the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, and the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. The Research Professor will teach at least two courses and will help supervise scholarly writing in bankruptcy by both LL.M. and J.D. students. The Research Professor will supervise the student editors and staff of the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review (this includes supervision, in conjunction with the Director of Legal Writing, of a writing course for second-year law review staff members). The Research Professor will also assist in the LL.M. program and help run the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, including preparation of the moot court problem and bench memo and managing the competition. This position is designed to prepare the Research Professor to apply for tenure-track law professor positions. Consequently, applicants must have a Juris Doctor degree with an outstanding academic record, a strong background in bankruptcy and insolvency law, and a commitment to teaching and scholarship.
To apply, please mail or e-mail a resume, cover letter, three references and a writing sample to G. Ray Warner, Associate Dean for Bankruptcy Studies, St. John’s University School of Law, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, New York 11439; warnerg@stjohns.edu. Please apply by July 20, 2009. St. John’s University School of Law is an equal opportunity employer.