Duke Law School

Civil Justice Clinic

Clinic Director

Duke University’s Law School seeks a dynamic and proven lawyer-advocate-teacher to direct its Civil Justice Clinic. The Civil Justice Clinic allows students to work on a wide variety of cases involving housing issues, including landlord-tenant disputes, eviction defense, foreclosures, rent-to-purchase agreements, and inhabitability 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.

This is an exciting time for clinical and experiential education at Duke Law. The Clinical Program, which currently consists of 12 individual clinics, is an integral component of the law school’s curricular focus on professional development and problem solving. The Civil Justice Clinic complements the law school’s other clinical offerings by offering students the skills development specific to civil litigation in North Carolina state superior, district, and small-claims courts, as well as administrative agencies. The Director will actively engage with faculty from Duke Law and across the University to continue to grow and strengthen this key part of the curriculum.

The precise contours of the position will be tailored to the strengths and interests of the successful applicant. In addition to a strong record of or demonstrated potential for clinical teaching, intellectual engagement, and leadership in the field, the ideal candidate will offer:

·         Substantial legal experience representing clients in civil litigation matters such as landlord-tenant disputes, evictions, foreclosures, 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 legal representation. 

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

North Carolina Bar membership is strongly preferred. Minimum professional requirements include a J.D. (or foreign equivalent) and eligibility for admission and a willingness to become a member of the North Carolina Bar. 

The position of Director of Civil Justice Clinic at Duke Law is open for the 2024-25 academic year and beyond. We expect the Director will be a member of Duke Law’s governing faculty; specific academic title (i.e., Assistant, Associate, or full Clinical Professor of Law) and terms of employment will be determined based upon the successful applicant’s qualifications and experience.

At Duke Law, clinical faculty teach other courses or seminars in addition to clinics. Clinical faculty also have the opportunity and support to pursue other academic interests, including research and scholarship related to their areas of expertise, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration with students and faculty in the Law School and the larger University. 

Interested applicants must apply via Academic Jobs Online. In addition to a current CV, applicants should also submit a letter of interest outlining (1) their vision for the Civil Justice Clinic (including docket design, seminar curriculum, and approach to supervision); and (2) how their personal and professional experiences will contribute to an equitable and inclusive learning community at Duke Law. In addition to applying online, please send a copy of your materials to Lauren Maxey at lauren.maxey@duke.edu. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a final deadline of November 27^th, 2023. We anticipate interviewing finalists on campus in early 2024.

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.