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Water Justice Clinical Lecturer

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Position description

The University of California, Davis, School of Law seeks a director for its Aoki Water Justice Clinic. The Aoki Water Justice Clinic is a transactional live-client legal clinic that provides technical legal assistance to disadvantaged California communities that lack access to reliable, affordable, and safe drinking water. In addition to meeting the pressing needs of these communities, the clinic will provide valuable training and experience for King Hall law students and help create a pipeline of trained and experienced California water attorneys.

Specific activities and functions the Director will undertake on behalf of the Clinic include, but are not limited to: (1) work in partnership with client communities, non-profit organizations, and campus partners to develop innovative solutions that dismantle structural barriers to affordable, safe, clean residential water; (2) supervise and collaborate with law students to provide high-quality legal services (including client representation, drafting and negotiating contracts and other legal documents, conducting legal research, determining client legal issues, and advising and counseling clients) to implement the human right to water in disadvantaged California communities; (3) supervise and collaborate with administrative staff to effectively manage paperwork related to the mission; (4) supervise junior attorneys and fellows hired by the Clinic; (5) teach and assist in the development of the curriculum as part of the classroom component of the clinic; (6) serve as an ambassador and spokesperson for the Clinic and its mission; (7) support the School of Law Development Office undertaking significant fundraising to support the expansion and continued operation of the Clinic.

This is a full-time year-to-year non-tenure-track lecturer appointment with a possibility of a continuing appointment after the sixth year of appointment.

We seek candidates with the following qualifications:

  • Juris Doctor from an A.B.A. approved law school and bar admission.
  • Extensive experience in state, national and international critical race and nation studies law and policy issues.
  • Experience working with government agencies, students, alumni, private practitioners working in the critical race and nation law field, and academics in law schools and in other departments throughout the academy.
  • Excellent transactional, analytical, legal writing, negotiation and advocacy skills, including high-quality precision in contract drafting, and skill in high-level and detailed analysis
  • Experience teaching clinical law or supervising law students.
  • Interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
  • Management and leadership skills.

Must be a member of a state bar for at least five years. Must be willing to take the California Bar within the first year of hiring, if not already a member.

The desired qualifications for this position are:

  • Administrative experience managing a Center and/or Clinic at a law school.
  • Familiarity with the law school's students, faculty and alumni.
  • Transactional experience to include community economic development, including business associations (cooperatives, social enterprises, and nonprofits), real property agreements, and drafting governance documents and policies.
  • Administrative law practice experience (specifically participating in hearings and notice & comment).
  • Experience with community lawyering and the grassroots movement for environmental justice.

Review of candidates will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

UC Davis is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus effective January 1, 2014. Smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes) will be strictly prohibited on any property owned or leased by UC Davis—indoors and outdoors, including parking lots and residential space.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Cover Letter

  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Statement of Teaching (Optional)

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Diversity contributions documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants. Visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/faculty-equity-and-inclusion for guidelines about writing a diversity statement and why one is requested.

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 required (contact information only)
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