Director of Civil Externship Programs: Brooklyn Law School

Brooklyn Law School maintains one of the most expansive externship programs in the country. Over 300 students work each semester and during the summer in law offices, government agencies, judicial chambers, public interest organizations and select private sector placements. See Top Schools for Externships, National Jurist (10/28/2011). Our program is continually expanding as the Law School adds new ventures such as a DC Immersion Semester, a new third-year/post-graduate apprenticeship, more extensive summer offerings, and greater varieties of host offices.  Almost every graduating student has enrolled in at least one semester of an externship, and increasing numbers of students participate in two or three, taking advantage of the innumerable opportunities in the New York metropolitan area. 

In light of the Law School’s longstanding commitment to clinical legal education, and its history of extensive externship programming, BLS is committed to adding instructional resources to meet the increasing needs of our existing programs and to develop new projects that expand opportunities for experiential education.

The Law School seeks a Director of Civil Externships to join our nine full-time clinical faculty members including the Directors of other externship programs (Criminal, Judicial, Health Law and Transactional Community Development).  Working alongside these highly experienced teachers, the new Director will be responsible for teaching, administering and helping reform our existing Civil Externship Program and will have a central role in implementing the experiential learning components of several programs that are scheduled to begin in 2014 including a new clinical year option and a new center for business and entrepreneurship. The new Director also will assist in training new adjunct faculty and overseeing adjunct faculty who already teach externship seminars.  The Director will collaborate closely with the other externship Directors, the Career Center and the Office of Public Service Programs to both develop and monitor placements.  The Law School also has the tradition of encouraging clinical faculty to teach outside of the clinic, as time and other responsibilities permit.

The Director will be a full-time faculty member with year-round responsibilities since the Law School offers an externship summer school option.  The precise terms of the appointment will depend on prior experience and qualifications and will provide job security consistent with ABA and Law School regulations. The Director will report to Associate Dean for Professional Legal Education Stacy Caplow.  The hiring process will begin in early fall with the hope that the position would be filled for the spring 2014 semester but no later than summer 2014.

Minimum qualifications include a JD, 7 years post JD legal work, knowledge of legal practice, and admission to the Bar of any state.  A successful candidate also will have strong communication, writing and interpersonal skills, a record of involvement in professional organizations and activities, and experience showing a commitment/interest in teaching/mentoring.  Prior teaching experience will be considered a plus, as will excellent management skills.

Please submit a letter of interest along with supporting materials (curriculum vitae, list of references, etc.) to Prof. Steven Dean, Chair of the Appointments Committee, Brooklyn Law School, 250 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn NY 11201, steven.dean@brooklaw.edu and a copy to stacy.caplow@brooklaw.edu.   Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.