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The University of California, Davis, School of Law seeks a director for its Water Justice Clinic, starting July 1, 2025. The Clinic is a transactional clinic that provides 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 provides valuable training and experience for our law students which helps to 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. Work closely with the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) staff engineers and attorneys to select and implement projects;

3. Collaborate with other technical assistance providers designated by the Water Board in the implementation of projects;

4. Supervise and collaborate with law students to provide high-quality legal services concerned with implementing the human right to water in disadvantaged California communities (including client representation, advising and counseling clients, drafting and negotiating contracts and other corporate documents, conducting legal research, and drafting guidance memoranda and administrative applications);

5. Supervise junior attorneys and graduate fellows working for the Clinic;

6. Supervise and collaborate with administrative staff to effectively manage paperwork and invoices related to grant funding and grant application (clinic funding comes from the State Water Resources Control Board);

7. Teach and develop the curriculum as part of the classroom component of the Clinic;

8. Serve as an ambassador and spokesperson for the Clinic and its mission;

9. Support the School of Law Development Office undertaking significant fundraising to support the expansion and continued operation of the Clinic; and

10. Play an administrative, and possibly supervisory role, in the Small Farmer Assistance Clinic.

This is a full-time year-to-year non-tenure-track lecturer appointment with a possibility of a continuing appointment depending on funding. The Clinic is currently funded through the 2026-27 Academic Year.

We seek candidates with the following qualifications:

• Juris Doctor from an A.B.A. approved law school.
• 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.
• Experience working in Environmental Law with government agencies, students, alumni, private practitioners, or academics in law schools and in other departments throughout the academy.
• Experience in state, national, and international critical race and nation studies law and policy issues.
• Interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Management and leadership skills.
• Must be a member of the CA state bar for at least three years.

The desired qualifications for this position are:

• 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.
• Experience working with Administrative Agencies.
• Experience with community lawyering and the grassroots movement for environmental justice.

As a condition of employment, the finalists will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, or left a position for misconduct.

Review of candidates will begin February 22, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. We recommend that you submit your materials as soon as possible.

Candidates must also include a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Information about the Statement can be found at http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/diversity/equity_inclusion/diversity_statements_writing.html

Candidates should apply via our online recruitment system only at https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06919

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.

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, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.

For the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20

For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400: Policy on University of California Diversity Statement. UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their "Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.” There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.