Professor/Director of Bar Support - Roger Williams University School of Law

Job Description:

The responsibilities of School of Law faculty are to teach and to perform law related service to the community. As a Professor of Law and Director of Bar Support, the primary objective will be to enhance the bar passage rates at the law school through developing, implementing, directing, and evaluating a comprehensive bar examination program, including the for-credit Applied Legal Reasoning course.  This role involves working with the Academic Excellence Program and assisting the directors involved with academic excellence to incorporate best practices in preparing students for the bar.  Additionally, this role will include academic advising to students to enhance their preparation for the bar exam.

Teaching

• Teach a course load as determined by School of Law policies.
• Specific teaching loads will include focus on bar support and will be determined by the Associate Dean in consultation with the faculty member.
• Plan and present material assigned for course.
• Establish specific requirements and make them known to students, grade examinations and papers, and submit grades in a timely manner.
• Maintain regular interaction with students outside the classroom including student advising and sponsorship of student activities.
• Participate in School of Law governance and serve on committees which may be established by the Dean or Faculty.

Bar Preparation and Oversight and Best Practices

• Assist the Director of Academic Excellence in providing support to faculty for incorporating best practices to enhance bar preparation.
• Provide support to graduates preparing for the bar.  This support includes advising students on bar applications, licensure, and bar preparation.
• Serve as liaison with Professional Responsibility professors to help prepare students for the MPRE Multistate (Professional Responsibility Exam).
• Act as a liaison for student questions with bar vendors and institutional bar partners.

Student Counseling and Guidance

• Meet individually with students to provide information and answer questions regarding the bar exam and the application and licensure process.
• Serve as academic advisor for students to enhance their likelihood of successfully passing the bar exam the first time.  As academic advisor, review and approve course registration each semester for adequate coverage of bar courses and provide other academic support, in conjunction with the Director of Academic Excellence and the Director of Writing, to improve analytical and writing skills necessary to pass the bar exam.

ABA Compliance

• Provide bar pass data, including backup data, routinely to the Registrar.
• Ensure School of Law compliance with ABA requirement Standards 504 & 509.

Bar Exam Liaison

• Chair the faculty Bar Passage Committee and advise the faculty and administration regarding any bar-preparation matters.  Work with faculty on integrating bar exam topics and material, including assessments, in select courses.
• Identify factors impacting bar passage rates and develop strategies to enhance bar passage rates.
• Serve as primary contact for the School of Law with commercial bar course vendors and bar examiners to obtain results, monitor changes to the exam, and arrange for meetings as appropriate.

Additional Functions

• Attend and participate in events at the School of Law, including but not limited to Orientation, Commencement, Accepted Students Day, Faculty Meetings, and a variety of educational and social events for faculty, students, and alumni.
• Attend local and national conferences with respect to legal education.

Requirements:

• J.D. degree from an ABA accredited law school.
• Admitted to the practice of law.
• Minimum of five years of relevant work experience, either in the law school academic support field or teaching bar exam skills.
• Proven teaching, interpersonal and counseling skills, including class preparation, classroom teaching and working with individual students.
• Superior interpersonal communication and presentation skills with a special focus on communicating effectively with students, including those from traditionally underrepresented groups and those with varying abilities.
• Adept at developing, marketing, and delivering a bar preparation program.
• Commitment to diversity and supporting a diverse student population.  Willingness to work with students with a range of disabilities.
• Strong academic record.
• Excellent oral and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills, ability to prioritize multiple projects, meet deadlines.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

At the University's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be excepted where the candidate can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the University, an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.