Assistant Professor of Legal Research and Writing

Job Title
Assistant Professor of Legal Research and Writing

Requisition Number
FE05000

Working Title

Department Name
8K100:Law Instruction

Work Location
Lexington, KY

Type of Position
Faculty

Position Time Status
Full-Time

Tenure Track Status
Non-Tenure Track

Required Education

Qualified candidates will have a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school

Required Related Experience

Qualified candidates will have a distinguished academic record, strong analytical, writing, and research skills, and substantial legal-practice experience

Required License/Registration/Certification

N/A

Job Summary

THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ROSENBERG COLLEGE OF LAW invites applications for a full-time faculty member to teach in our Legal Research and Writing (LRW) program beginning in August 2027. The position is in the clinical title series, and thus it is non-tenure eligible. It will be a 9-month appointment corresponding with the University’s fall and spring semesters.

The new faculty member will usually teach two sections of the first-year LRW courses (typical section size ranges from 18 to 22 students). The first-year LRW curriculum involves two in-person courses taught over two semesters, and it covers the fundamentals of legal research, legal analysis, legal writing, and legal citation. The three-credit fall course focuses on predictive writing with a brief introduction to client correspondence, and the three-credit spring course focuses on persuasive writing with a brief introduction to oral advocacy. Each course also includes a legal research component that is taught by a library faculty member. After teaching the first-year LRW courses, the faculty member will have an opportunity to teach upper-level writing courses (typical section size is 16), depending on class size and program needs.

The LRW program is a director-led program that values faculty collaboration and independence. That means that while faculty who teach in the program work together on curriculum design for the first-year LRW courses, they are encouraged to bring their own teaching styles and ideas to their classrooms and learners. As such, we are especially interested in student-focused colleagues who are committed to excellence in teaching legal writing, enjoy working collaboratively, and wish to contribute to curricular innovation discussions, including in connection with a recent increase in credit hours for the first-year LRW courses (from four to six total hours).

The position offers an initial appointment as Assistant Professor of Legal Research and Writing for a term not to exceed three years. After the initial appointment period and a review process, the successful candidate will be eligible for a renewable, five-year appointment. While the primary distribution of effort is teaching, the position also includes engaging in professional activity and service. Clinical title series faculty receive a Faculty Development Allowance for expenses related to professional development efforts, including travel and registration expenses associated with academic conferences. They are also eligible to receive grants for summer research pending available funds.

The Rosenberg College of Law is an important part of a major research university and offers a collegial and supportive atmosphere for its faculty, staff, and students. Applicants should have a J.D. or equivalent law degree, a record of high academic achievement, strong analytical and writing skills, and legal-practice and/or teaching experience that demonstrates the potential for excellence in teaching legal analysis and legal writing. Salary for this position will be commensurate with experience.

To receive consideration for this position, applicants must apply through the University of Kentucky’s Integrated Employment System, where they should submit the following: a letter of interest, a resume or CV, a list of three professional references with contact information, and a writing sample (appropriate samples include publications in legal or academic journals, legal briefs that are edited for confidentiality as needed, or other similar works that showcase analytical and writing skills). This position will remain open until filled. For best consideration, please submit a complete application by Friday, October 9, 2026.

Please send any questions to Faculty Appointments Committee Chair John Blevins, jbl272@uky.edu, or by mail at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law, 620 South Limestone, Lexington, KY 40506-0048.

Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with many rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: www.uky.edu/HR/benefits.

Lexington is in the center of the Bluegrass, an internationally acclaimed cultural landscape, and in close proximity to Louisville and Cincinnati. It is a community of 300,000 and is distinguished by its rating as one of the top 10 most educated cities in the nation (according to the U.S. Census), top 5 cities for young professionals (Kiplinger), top 3 mid-sized cities for lowest cost of living (KPMG LLP), and top 5 cities to raise a family (Forbes). More information on Lexington is available at http://www.visitlex.com.

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Candidates must also possess a commitment to students and to teaching in the legal writing field, which involves significant student interaction and evaluation of students’ written work.

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
No

Preferred Education/Experience

Substantial legal-practice is strongly preferred

Deadline to Apply

Open Until Filled
Yes

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.