Duke Law School

Civil Justice Clinic

Supervising Attorney

Duke University School of Law seeks a dynamic and proven Supervising Attorney with experience as a lawyer, advocate, and teacher to support the Clinic Director of the Civil Justice Clinic collaboratively and to supervise students in a variety of civil litigation cases. The Civil Justice Clinic  assigns students to work on a wide variety of cases involving housing issues, including landlord-tenant disputes, eviction defense, rent-to-purchase agreements, and habitability claims. Students may also represent clients in consumer protection matters and in cases related to intimate partner violence, among others. The Clinic enjoys a proud and significant partnership with Legal Aid of North Carolina, which helps contextualize for students the critical lack of legal representation among low-income North Carolinians.  

The successful candidate will work closely with the Clinic’s Director to teach in the Clinic’s seminar and supervise student direct representation fieldwork. The ideal candidate will exhibit:

·         Experience in clinical teaching and student mentoring;

·         A passion for building local and interdisciplinary collaborations to combat housing insecurity and evictions in Durham County.

·         Substantial legal experience representing clients in civil litigation matters such as landlord-tenant disputes, evictions, breach of contract claims, consumer protection issues, and/or incidents of intimate partner violence.

·         Demonstrated ability and/or willingness to build and maintain local and state connections to legal services providers and advocacy organizations.

·         A commitment to combatting injustice in North Carolina’s legal system on behalf of persons who cannot afford quality representation

·         Dedicated interest in developing students’ understanding of the connections between their individual casework and opportunities for systemic and structural change.

North Carolina Bar membership is required for this position. Preference will be given to those already licensed in North Carolina. Non-members seeking this position would be expected to seek membership as soon as possible. Minimum professional requirements include a J.D. (or foreign equivalent), at least three years of substantive legal experience providing exemplary representation to indigent clients in civil court; and, skill in incorporating research and data in direct client representation and/or systemic reform advocacy.

We would expect the successful candidate to join the Duke Law faculty, full-time, in the summer of 2025. The precise contours of the position will be tailored to the strengths and interests of the successful applicant and formalized with his or her input. Specific academic title and terms of employment will be determined based upon the successful applicant’s qualifications.

Interested applicants must apply via Academic Jobs Online no later than November 8, 2024. Applicants should also submit their letter of interest and résumé via email to Marcie Newpher at: marcie.newpher@law.duke.edu.

Please share this announcement with those who might be interested. Questions about this position may be addressed to Jesse Hamilton McCoy II, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Civil Justice Clinic at: mccoy@law.duke.edu.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.