Center for International Human Rights

Bluhm Legal Clinic

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Job Description and Qualifications for Clinical Faculty Position

August 2017

The Center for International Human Rights (CIHR) of the Bluhm Legal Clinic, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, is seeking applications to fill a non-tenured clinical faculty position commencing for the 2018-2019 academic year. CIHR, which is an endowed center, engages in a broad range of clinical and doctrinal courses pertaining to international human rights law and international justice that involve a significant number of law students and several faculty members. CIHR fosters the development of legal skills by its students through classroom learning and direct, intensive engagement, including on-site field work, in human rights projects and around the world. Through supervised practice, CIHR students build human rights lawyering skills and learn to appreciate the tensions and responsibilities in diverse legal systems and cultural settings. The work of CIHR includes international criminal justice and atrocity crime accountability; advocacy before international tribunals and UN bodies; health and human rights advocacy; and cutting edge human rights litigation in the United States, including Alien Tort and travel ban cases.

Description of Position

CIHR seeks an individual who has a broad grasp of international human rights knowledge and experience. The individual should be prepared to undertake a wide range of clinical teaching opportunities and engage directly with a significant number of students enrolled in clinical courses, as well as teach a doctrinal course on an area of international human rights law. Clinical projects generally involve close work with stakeholders to define representational and advocacy goals, research, fact-finding and documentation and development of advocacy strategies and products.The individual should be willing to travel to challenging environments with students and colleagues in the course of work. The individual would teach two clinical or other experiential courses and one doctrinal course each year, with the allocation among the two subject areasand other topics to be determined through internal consultations to meet curriculum requirements at the law school. The individual also would co-direct the International Externship Program and assist in the fulfillment of the teaching and scholarship review duties in that program.

Qualifications for Position

The candidate should possess, at a minimum, the following qualifications:

  1. A JD or other graduate-level degree in law.
  2. License to practice in an American jurisdiction is strongly preferred.
  3. In addition to a record of clinical teaching, advocacy, and intellectual engagement, the ideal candidate will have experience as a practicing lawyer or human rights advocate; in practice-oriented courses; in student supervision; in working collaboratively with other rights advocates and faculty. Other evidence of relevant knowledge of and practical engagement in international human rights law and mechanisms is welcome. The ideal candidate should be experienced in both experiential and doctrinal modes of instruction.
  4. The candidate should have demonstrated experience with relevant multi-stakeholder groups, international organizations and tribunals, and have developed a network of contacts that can be accessed for clinical and other experiential teaching purposes.
  5. The candidate should have fluency in English and preferably at least one other official language of the United Nations.
  6. The candidate should have excellent inter-cultural skills as well as good communication and team-working skills.

Application Requirements

  • A statement no longer than four (4) pages describing the applicant’s: (i) relevant background and experience; (ii) interest and potential for clinical supervision and teaching; and (iii) one to four potential project ideas/concept notes (one to three paragraphs per idea/concept, explaining the overall nature of the project and the role of students in all phases of its implementation)
  • An updated c.v.
  • A list of three professional references (with relevant contact numbers, email addresses, etc.)
  • A brief writing sample, in English
  • A complete law school transcript

The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2017. All candidates will be informed in a timely manner of their status in the consideration for this position.

Please read ALL instructions and make preparations before proceeding to the application page:

  • Applications will only be accepted via online submission (see link below).
  • Please prepare all documents in advance as Adobe PDF files, and please be sure all information is entered correctly and accurately (especially names and email addresses), as there will be no opportunity for online revision after your application has been submitted.
  • Please also prepare a list of names and email addresses for your external references
  • All required fields in the application form are marked with an asterisk and must be filled before clicking the “Submit” button.
  • Be aware that incomplete applications cannot be saved.

Applications accepted here:
Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.

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