Adjunct Professor – Disabilities Law

WMU-Cooley Law School, with locations in Michigan and Florida, welcomes applications for a part-time adjunct professor in Disabilities Law in the J.D. program. The Law School’s adjunct faculty include current and former judges and other leading members of the Michigan and Florida bars. The Law School seeks similarly accomplished judges and attorneys with demonstrated expertise in the subject matter of Disabilities Law and a commitment to providing quality educational experiences to our students.

The Law School seeks to advance justice and equity by providing broad access to a legal education to diverse individuals who meet that opportunity with a commitment to achieving high standards of professional competency. We provide a transformative practical legal education grounded in the science of learning, preparing and inspiring our students to become lifelong learners and agents for positive change in their communities and the legal profession.

Disabilities Law is a two-credit course with the prerequisites of Constitutional Law I and II, and Research and Writing. The course description is: Introduces the legal, political, and social issues affecting persons with mental illness and developmental disabilities. Topics that may be covered include commitment of adults, guardianship, the mental health treatment of children, the right to treatment, the right to refuse treatment, the relationship between the criminal justice and mental health systems, special education, and the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Essential Duties

• Contribute to and maintain an inclusive and collaborative learning environment.
• Ability to interact positively with individuals from a variety of diverse backgrounds.
• Ensure students receive prompt and productive feedback concerning their work.
• Attend an adjunct faculty meeting each semester.
• Mentor and guide students on careers in Disability Law.
• Provide students with appropriate materials and expertise in assigned subject, including knowledge, skills and ethics.
• Develop and maintain a course page on a course management system (Canvas) to support student learning.
• Develop syllabus and assess student performance against learning outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

Successful candidates must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and be licensed to practice law, with a minimum of five years professional legal experience. Preferred Qualifications Successful candidates will have a demonstrated history of successful teaching at the graduate/undergraduate level; a record of engagement with the Law School; experience as a judicial clerk or staff attorney, or similar; and supervisory experience in a legal practice setting.

To Apply

Please send a cover letter and curriculum vitae via e-mail to [email protected]. Please include “Adjunct Professor” in the subject line. Or send materials by mail to WMU-Cooley Law School, Human Resources, 300 S. Capitol Avenue, Lansing MI, 48933. Hiring is contingent on course availability, funding, and course enrollment. WMU-Cooley is an equal employment opportunity employer. Consistent with the Law School’s Diversity and Inclusion Value, all qualified applicants are welcome to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, or religious beliefs.