New Law Success Instructor Positions at St. Mary's University

Excerpt from listserv email from Zoe Niesel, Service Professor and Director of Law Success,  St. Mary's University School of Law:

 

St. Mary’s University is excited to announce that we are dramatically changing our academic support approach.  We have performed a comprehensive review of our program and are now in the process of rolling out our new Law Success program.  This new approach includes new graded academic support courses, enhanced programming, and dramatically increased funding.

 

Most pertinently, we are significantly expanding our team of academic support professionals.  For the Fall 2016 semester, St. Mary’s is looking to hire multiple Instructors of Law Success.  These full-time teaching positions will provide formal instruction within a required legal skills program that is designed to stretch across the entire law school curriculum.  Additionally, Law Success Instructors will provide individual student advising, design and coordinate programming, and assist in curriculum development. 

 

The posting is available here: https://stmarytx.applicantpro.com/jobs/412107.html.  (Please note that although the title for this position in the posting is Associate Director, Bar Studies & Academic Success, we will be changing the title as soon as we complete the restructuring of our office.)

From the ad posting:

In the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, assists in the execution of the functions of the Academic and Student Affairs Office at the Law School, including counseling students, providing lectures, assessing and grading written work, managing data systems, and developing curricula. 

The Associate Director must also have a commitment to leadership in a Catholic and Marianist institution, which fosters quality education in a family spirit; to pursue service, justice and peace and prepare for adaptation and change, while encouraging each person in their own way in their formation in faith.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

• Coordinates, plans, and executes academic support programming for 1L, 2L, and 3L students, including classes, workshops, bar preparation events, and individual academic counseling with students, irrespective of year in law school, who want to improve their grades generally, or who have specific questions about study or test-taking skills;
• Provides course advising to law students;
• Works with both day and evening students;
• Creates and executes mandatory programming targeting the lower half of the 1L, 2L, and 3L class, including a number of Fundamental Skills Programs helping students develop the skills they need to succeed in law school, on the bar exam, and as lawyers, along with helpful feedback mechanisms;
• Creates, plans, and executes voluntarily attended programing targeting 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, LLMs, and Masters of Jurisprudence Students;
• Works to improve opportunities for both in-person and online programming and feedback mechanisms;
• Works closely with Bar Review Companies in the development of jointly created programming for the law students;
• As appropriate, assists students in completing materials necessary for the Financial Aid Office;
• Provides updates and feedback regarding programming and student performance to the law school administration;
• Works with law students needing accommodations;
• Assists with the Summer Skills Enhancement Program;
• Plans, hosts, and executes occasional special events (such as conferences) and presentations to provide learning opportunities and collaboration with peers in the academic support profession;
• Works with the Office of Career Services at the Law School to create and implement joint programming for 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, and LLM Students;
• Tracks and keeps records of academic counseling appointments and mandatory and voluntary programs;
• Executes the curriculum used by advanced law students to teach skills such as briefing cases, creating outlines, and writing law school essay exams, helps train these students as they work directly with students, and provides feedback;
• An Associate Director is expected to be available for both day and night appointments and programming.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:  General direction from the Director(s) in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs and/or the Assistant Dean of Law Student Affairs.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must possess positive interpersonal communication skills, both oral and written;
• Must be proactive and possess a positive customer service oriented attitude.  Creativity and positive leadership skills are mandatory;
• Fluency in English is required, but a language other than English is an advantage (although not a requirement); 
• Must respond professionally to inquiries and provide services to students requiring academic counseling and advising;
• Must have knowledge of Microsoft Office;
• Must be able to travel and to work some evenings and weekends; and
• Must be prepared and willing to provide leadership in a Catholic and Marianist institution committed to fostering quality education in a family spirit; to pursuing service, justice, and peace; to preparing for adaptation and change; and to encouraging each person in their own way in their formation in faith.

EDUCATION:  Juris Doctor preferred; in the absence of a J.D., a candidate must hold a graduate degree and have teaching experience in a field within the programs curriculum. 

EXPERIENCE:

• Prior experience in the practice of law preferred; 
• Prior experience in writing curriculum proposals preferred;
• Prior experience in data management, analysis and predictive modeling preferred;
• If JD bar admission strongly preferred;
• Student counseling experience, teaching, or other type of experience providing academic support to students in a law school environment preferred; and
• Prior experience counseling J.D. candidate preparing for bar examination preferred.

CERTIFICATION: Not required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:  Ability to stand during lengthy presentations with good manual dexterity and ability to lift up to 25 lbs.  The physical demands described here are representative 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.