Cornell Law School seeks candidates for its Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) Program. VAPs spend two to four semesters in residence at the Law School, gaining both teaching experience and the opportunity to devote substantial time to research, writing, and other scholarly pursuits. VAPs are given the opportunity to present work in progress to the Law School faculty and, more generally, to receive feedback and mentoring from faculty members in preparation for the academic job market. Course loads and teaching schedules are devised with sensitivity to the timing of the job market process.
With a vibrant faculty and a talented, engaged student body, Cornell Law School provides an unparalleled environment in which to prepare for a career in law teaching. By participating in the faculty workshop series, conferences, colloquia, and other facets of the intellectual life of the Law School, by having access to the resources of the Law School's remarkable library and support staff, and by experiencing teaching in an atmosphere of great mutual respect and commitment, VAPs at Cornell Law School receive an ideal entrée into legal academia.
Applications are invited from law school graduates and from recipients of a PhD in any field who have demonstrated a sustained interest in law. VAPs are selected on the basis of an assessment of the candidate's ability, with appropriate support and mentoring, to secure a tenure-track position at a top law school. The number of VAP positions available will vary from year to year, and VAP positions may be awarded in any legal subject matter area or methodological approach.
To Apply:
Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching and research statements, law school or other graduate degree program transcripts, copies of any published work in law or a related field, and any available letters of reference from academic advisors who are able to comment on the candidate's promise as a scholar. To ensure maximum consideration, please submit all application materials by January 31, 2025.
We also ask applicants for all faculty positions to share their experiences and/or approaches (past, current, or future) to fostering learning, research service, and/or outreach in a diverse community. Applicants may choose to submit a stand-alone statement or embed the information in other parts of their application materials.
The expected starting salary for this position is $70,000/year.
Pay Range:
Refer to Posting Language
Pay Ranges:
Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:
- Prior relevant work or industry experience.
- Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
- Unique applicable skills.
- Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)
About Us:
Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School is a top-tier law school, currently ranked 14th by U.S. News & World Report. We offer a 3-year JD program for about 200 students per class, a one-year LLM program for about 120 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (JSD) program for about 2-3 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 20 with chaired faculty positions; and 15 clinical professors in the Lawyering Program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level. Our faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence and has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields. Our school is committed to being recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.
Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City. We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.
Employment Assistance:
For specific questions about the position or application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or for general questions email mycareer@cornell.edu.
If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at equity@cornell.edu.
Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu.
Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.
EEO Statement:
Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.
Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff from all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.
Pay Ranges:
The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:
- Prior relevant work or industry experience.
- Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
- Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)
- Unique applicable skills.