Description:

Position Summary:
Position Summary: The Director of Law School Academic Success and Bar Programs is responsible for the academic support programs for College of Law students from admission through bar passage. The College of Law's philosophy is that bar success is achieved through a comprehensive program of academic support beginning at admission. As a small law school with a strong commitment to its students, the Director of Law School Academic Success and Bar Programs will often work with students who are struggling with bar passage through multiple attempts.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The College of Law's Academic Success Program is among just a few ASP programs that are intentionally combined with the Legal Writing Program. In addition to academic success responsibilities, the Director of Law School Academic Success and Bar Programs is a regularly rostered instructor in the Legal Writing program. All Legal Writing instructors, including the rotating Legal Writing Director, are also Academic Success Instructors. Because of the joint nature of the program, it is imperative that the Director of Law School Academic Success and Bar Programs be able to work collaboratively with the Legal Writing Instructors.

The Director of Law School Academic Success and Bar Programs must have an in-depth understanding of the skills law students need to be successful in both law school and on the bar examination. The Director must develop and maintain substantial knowledge about academic support, including but not limited to, notetaking, outlining, case briefing, exam writing, etc., bar preparation, bar preparation strategies, and the bar exam, including the UBE and the NextGen exam. The Director will work closely with the administration, faculty, and, most importantly, with College of Law students, implementing and evaluating the ASP/Bar programs.

This is a twelve-month contract position as a non-union Instructor in the College of Law. There are no publication requirements tied to retention. At the completion of the initial one-year contract term, the Director will be eligible for two additional one-year contract terms, for a total of three one-year contract terms, upon a satisfactory review of their performance. At the conclusion of the third one-year contract term, the Director will be eligible for a five-year, presumptively renewable contract upon a satisfactory review of their performance. Instructors attend faculty meetings, vote on curriculum and other academic matters, and serve on committees. They are integral contributors to our law school community. Instructors have service and professional development requirements that may be fulfilled, for example, by presenting at conferences and serving on law school and university committees and as faculty advisor to student organizations. All faculty are allocated travel funds for the year to attend conferences.

Programmatic Planning -
  • Develop, implement, and assess short and long-term goals for the Academic Success and Bar Preparation programs in collaboration with the Dean, Associate Deans and Faculty.
  • Develop, implement, and assess existing and new curricular programming for the ASP and Bar Prep programs in collaboration with the Dean, Associate Deans, and Faculty.
  • Develop, implement, and assess the Legal Writing Curriculum in collaboration with the Dean, Associate Deans, and Legal Writing Faculty.

Assessment-
  • Assess the success of the academic success and bar support programs through data collection and analysis and through collaboration with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Deans and Faculty.
  • Participate as needed and directed in institutional assessment programs, including, but not limited to ABA reports, NIU assessment programs, COL assessment programs, AALS reports, and other independent or external studies, etc.

Teaching and Other Program Delivery -
Implement the day-to-day Academic Success and Bar Preparation programs in cooperation with deans and faculty, including organizing and delivering ASP oriented seminars, classes, orientations, and other sessions as needed to assist students in reaching their full potential. Programs may include but are not limited to:
  • Individual student study skill and exam preparation (one to one critique and review of written work).
  • One-on-one academic counseling and voluntary advising meetings with 1L, 2L, and 3L students.
  • Teach a four to six-hour regular course load each semester potentially consisting of two or more of the following courses: Legal Methods, Legal Writing I, Legal Writing II, Advanced -Legal Analysis: Skills and Strategies, Bar Fundamentals, or other courses as identified including overseeing or teaching bar preparation courses such as Bar Fundamentals
  • Collaborate with the Legal Writing faculty to provide a COL five-day pre-orientation orientation for a select group of students.
  • Develop deliver and assess materials for this orientation and assess its effectiveness.

Academic Success Programs
Plan/develop, schedule and supervise the delivery of 1L, 2L, and 3L Academic Success services through the Academic Success Program including hiring, training, and supervising ASP Graduate Assistant tutors, if applicable, or training and coordinating with an assistant director, if applicable, and planning and delivering seminars or other sessions, and coordinating with other faculty as needed:
  • Coordinate with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs to identify and assist first, second, and third-year students on academic probation or at academic risk.
  • One-on-one tutoring for 1L, 2L, and 3L students as needed.
  • Provide individual instruction for third-semester students selected to participate in upper-level ASP.
  • Provide individual instruction to students selected to participate in 1L exam-writing seminars.

Bar Programs
  • Assist in the planning, development, and delivery of Bar programs for upper-level students and alumni.
  • Coordinate with doctrinal faculty to deliver winter and summer bar supplement courses for both first-time takers and retakers.
  • Offer and deliver one-on-one writing and other skills critique and review for students studying for the bar examination during both the February and July study periods.
  • Offer and deliver individual assistance to alumni retaking the bar examination.

Additional Duties:
  • Cooperate and assist, as needed, with other programs involving oral and written communication skills including the second-year moot court competition and third-year external moot court teams.
  • Attend faculty meetings, serve on faculty committees, and complete other community service as assigned.
  • Additional related duties as assigned

Minimum Required Qualifications:
Minimum Required Qualifications:
  • Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school
  • Admission to any state bar where a bar exam is required
  • An academic record which indicates a comprehensive grasp of core and ancillary law school curriculum
  • 2 – 5 years of experience teaching at the law level in skills programs, academic success programs, and/or bar support programs

Additional Requirements:
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Preferred Qualifications
  • Minimum 2 – 5 years teaching experience in legal writing, appellate advocacy, other skills courses
  • Minimum 2 – 5 years of experience teaching in an Academic Support Program, counseling, and tutoring
  • Minimum 2 – 5 years of experience teaching in a bar support program, including work with first-time takers and repeat takers
  • Experience working with a diverse student body, including students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, first-generation students, and neurodivergent learners

Physical Demands Summary
General Office