Legal Writing Faculty (Open Rank)

UR University of Richmond; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Voting rights

Professional development funds

Summer writing grants

Research assistant support

Job summary

The University of Richmond School of Law invites applications for two full-time faculty positions in the first-year Legal Analysis and Writing program for 2027-2028. Appointments may be at Assistant, Associate, or full Professor level based on qualifications.

The LAW course is two-semester, five credits, plus a one-credit research course. Faculty will teach one section to first-year JD students and another course aligned with expertise.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Excellent written and oral communication, research, and analytic skills.
• Experience teaching first-year J.D. legal analysis and writing courses preferred.
• Experience using generative AI platforms and legal technology.
• Experience mentoring junior attorneys or legal interns.

Responsibilities

• Teach one section of first-year LAW and an additional course.
• Contribute to course design, problem design, and pedagogy.
• Provide frequent personalized feedback on major assignments.
• Collaborate with a five-member LAW faculty team and participate in governance.

Skills

Excellent written and oral comm.

Analytical skills

Legal research skills

Legal pedagogy experience

Education

J.D. from ABA-accredited law school

Tools

Generative AI platforms

Job description

The University of Richmond School of Law is seeking applicants for two full-time faculty members to join our first-year Legal Analysis and Writing program in the 2027-2028 school year. Both experienced and entry-level candidates are encouraged to apply. Appointments may be made at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or full Professor of Law, Legal Practice, commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience.

The University of Richmond’s first-year Legal Analysis and Writing (LAW) course is a two-semester, five-credit program (three credits in the Fall and two in the Spring) that focuses on legal analysis and core principles of communication and expository writing, such as audience and purpose analysis, organization, and presentation. In addition to the LAW course, first-year students take a one-credit legal research course taught by library faculty. Faculty members will teach one section of LAW for first-year J.D. students. Sections typically contain between 27 and 30 students. Faculty will also teach one additional course in line with their experience, expertise, and school need. The five-member LAW faculty team coordinates learning objectives to ensure all first-year students receive instruction in the same fundamental legal writing and analysis skills. All faculty members are committed to providing multiple opportunities for students to practice written and oral communication and significant personalized feedback on all major assignments. Faculty members have autonomy with respect to all pedagogical choices for achieving these objectives, including reading assignments, classroom exercises, teaching materials, and problem design, selection, and implementation.

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school
• Excellent written and oral communication, research, and analytic skills

Preferred Qualifications

• At least three years of legal practice and/or legal education teaching experience
• Experience effectively teaching first-year J.D. legal analysis and writing courses
• Experience using or teaching generative AI platforms and other legal technology
• Experience with legal writing course design, problem design, and legal pedagogy
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or training new attorneys, legal interns, or other junior colleagues, with particular emphasis on written and oral assignment feedback
• Experience using inclusive pedagogy to support students with varied backgrounds and levels of preparation
• Experience working in a collaborative, team-based environment
• Involvement with legal writing, legal education, or legal professional organizations

Position Details

The faculty position is full-time, ten-month, and in-person. Faculty at all ranks are awarded voting rights (for all but tenure hiring and promotion) and professional development funds. Legal writing faculty are eligible for summer writing grants and research assistant support, though scholarship is not a mandatory component of the legal writing faculty position. Faculty will serve on faculty committees and become an integral part of the faculty-governance structure.

Candidate Expectations

Candidates for these positions may be asked, at a later date, to provide the names and contact information for three references and copies of prior teaching evaluations, if applicable.

Application Deadline

Review of applications will commence on October 2, 2026, and continue until the positions are filled.

Salary

The anticipated salary range for these positions is $110,000-$140,000. Salary and rank will be commensurate with background, qualifications, and experience.

Benefits

• Faculty at all ranks are awarded voting rights (for all but tenure hiring and promotion)
• Professional development funds
• Legal writing faculty are eligible for summer writing grants and research assistant support

About the Law School

The University of Richmond School of Law is a top-ranked law school that combines a rigorous academic program with extensive clinical and experiential learning opportunities to prepare students for 21st-century legal practice. The Law School also cultivates a genuinely collegial community marked by engagement, civility, inclusivity, and concern for others and the greater good.

For more information on the School of Law, please visit https://law.richmond.edu.

About the University

The University of Richmond is a private university located just a short drive from downtown Richmond, Virginia. Through its five schools and wide array of campus programming, the University combines the best qualities of a small liberal arts college and a large university. The mission of the University of Richmond is to educate in an academically challenging, intellectually vibrant, and collaborative community dedicated to the holistic development of students and the production of scholarly and creative work. A Richmond education prepares students for lives of purpose, thoughtful inquiry, and responsible leadership in a diverse world. The University of Richmond’s strategic priorities are academic excellence, belonging and community, access and affordability, well-being, and experiential learning and community engagement. The University seeks to model a relentlessly welcoming and inclusive campus community that values the expression of difference in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development, and institutional success. Our academic community strongly encourages applications that are in keeping with this commitment. Located just minutes from downtown Richmond, Virginia, the University of Richmond blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. The University of Richmond ranks number 30 among the nation’s best liberal arts colleges by US News and World Report, one of many accolades that showcases Richmond as a premiere place to grow professionally and personally.