Full-Time Faculty Professor - Legal Writing

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law invites applications for a full-time faculty position at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Legal Writing. The position is part of a system of contracts progressing to presumptively renewable long-term contracts, separate from the University's tenure stream. The position will begin on July 1, 2026.

Pitt Law's legal writing program seeks to develop the legal analytical skills of students and to equip them to write and speak clearly and persuasively, in a manner appropriate for different audiences and purposes in the practice of law. The first-year Legal Analysis & Writing course spans two semesters, typically including "objective" writing assignments in the fall and persuasive writing assignments and oral argument in the spring. The course typically also encompasses related skill sets, including client interviewing and negotiation, among others. While the course covers the basics of legal research and includes open-source assignments, students are separately required to take a one-credit course on the fundamentals of legal research, taught by library faculty, in the fall or spring semester of their second year.

Legal Writing faculty members typically teach two small sections of first-year Legal Analysis and Writing in both the fall and spring (at current projected enrollments, with 15-20 students per section), for a total of four credits for each section. Legal Writing faculty members may also teach upper-level writing courses and may have some administrative duties. All members of the Legal Writing faculty have the opportunity to shape the future direction of the Legal Writing program as part of their participation in faculty governance at Pitt Law. Candidates should be prepared to share their thinking about how that program might be adapted or reformed in light of changes in legal education, the legal profession, and society.

The successful applicant must have, at a minimum, a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school, excellent writing skills, and an outstanding academic record. Experience teaching legal writing and law practice experience are also preferred. Candidates should be able to work effectively with a wide variety of students and have an interest in developing legal writing experiences for law students within a community that supports collaboration and innovative teaching opportunities.

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