Job description

Saint Paul, MN

Mitchell Hamline School of Law-a leader in pedagogical innovation dedicated to expanding access to high-quality legal education-seeks qualified candidates for a tenured or tenure-track faculty position to work with our Native American Law and Sovereignty Institute (“NALS Institute”) and teach and write in the area of Native American Law.

The NALS Institute has dual purposes of furthering legal education in the field of Native American law and of recruiting, supporting, retaining, and graduating Native American law students. As a result of the NALS Institute’s mission and recruitment, Mitchell Hamline now has the largest enrollment of Native students of any law school in the nation.

We also seek candidates who are available and excited about teaching across multiple teaching modalities: in-person classes, synchronous online classes, and in our innovative blended learning program, which is the largest blended program in the country.

An appointment will be made either with tenure or on the tenure track. Anticipated annual salary range is from $105,000 – $140,000 depending on qualifications and appointment. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including medical/dental/vision insurance and 403(b) to eligible employees. Candidates will be expected to be available to teach in our in-person and blended modalities.

Our law school is in an historic area of St. Paul, on the Indigenous homelands of the Dakota Oyate, home to the Penumbra and Fitzgerald theaters, a diverse array of restaurants, and one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. Just across the river, Minneapolis is the home to the Walker Art Center, First Avenue, the Guthrie Theater, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and one of the nation’s liveliest performing arts scenes. Minnesota was an early leader in incorporating forms of alternative dispute resolution into its court rules and statutes and was on the forefront of restorative justice efforts such as victim offender conferencing.

This area was the birthplace of the American Indian Movement and continues to boast one of the largest urban Native populations in the country. Eleven federally recognized Tribes, including four Dakota and seven Ojibwe Tribes, remain within the State of Minnesota. Minneapolis and St. Paul are among the top cities for the arts and entertainment, active lifestyles, non-profit organizations, and exceptional levels of volunteer engagement.

Equity and Inclusion

We seek to recruit and retain faculty members who share our commitment of creating a welcoming and inclusive community aligned with the goals of equity and inclusion, which could be demonstrated by: (1) a candidate’s legal practice or community service experience; (2) a scholarly approach that contributes to the legal system’s impact on underserved groups; or (3) teaching that incorporates effective strategies for the educational advancement of students in underrepresented groups.

Minimum Qualifications

Distinguished academic credentials, including a J.D. from an ABA accredited law school or a foreign equivalent degree and at least 5 years of practice and/or clinical or externship teaching experience. The successful candidate will demonstrate experience with fostering or the ability to foster an inclusive and equity-centered teaching, learning, departmental, and research environment where all can thrive. This position will assist in delivery of the mandatory Native American law courses in the Native American Law and Sovereignty (NALS) Certificate within the NALS Institute, which is directed by Professor Angelique EagleWoman. The NALS Certificate curriculum focuses on both Tribal Nation law and U.S. law as composing Native American law.

How to apply

Candidates must submit: (1) a resume; and (2) a 2-3 page cover letter that discusses their interest in and qualifications for the position and how their law practice, teaching, research, or community service experience have prepared them to contribute to the NALS Institute and our commitment to inclusivity and excellence in Native American law.

The committee will consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To be considered for our first set of interviews, candidates must submit their application materials by Friday, August 15.

For questions about the application process, contact Professor Jim Hilbert, Appointments Committee Chair, at [email protected].

MHSL provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are committed to teaching and working in an environment focused on equity and inclusion.

Members of under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. AA/EOE.