UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA LAW SCHOOL
CHILD ADVOCACY CLINIC
PRACTICE PROFESSOR OF LAW
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, a national leader in clinical legal education, seeks to appoint
to its Practice Professor track a full-time faculty member to teach in and administer its Child Advocacy
Clinic. The position is available on a flexible basis between January 2012 and July 2012.
Penn Law School’s endowed Gittis Center for Clinical Legal Studies is the home of nine major clinics
covering civil litigation, entrepreneurship and community development, mediation, legislation,
transnational lawyering, criminal defense, appellate practice, child advocacy, and intellectual
property. The program is complemented by a robust externship program that takes full advantage of
diverse practice settings in Philadelphia and the Northeast corridor.
Penn’s Child Advocacy Clinic was pioneered by Professor Alan Lerner who tragically passed away last
year. Under his leadership, the Clinic employed a strong interdisciplinary approach to addressing the
legal needs of low-income and disadvantaged children in the child dependency system and in related
education and public benefits tribunals. The clinic partnered closely with leading public and private
institutions and organizations serving children and youth, such as Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
Penn’s Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research, and Philadelphia’s Support Center for
Child Advocates. In recent years, the Clinic was co-taught by a member of Penn’s clinical faculty and a
leading pediatrician from Children’s Hospital, assisted by a licensed social worker; it brought together
students from Penn’s Schools of Medicine, Law, and Social Work to share knowledge and advocacy
across disciplines.
Penn Law seeks a successor who will build on this legacy and explore new practice and partnership
opportunities. We encourage applicants who bring new visions for the ways in which the Clinic can
allow students to address the needs of children and youth.
The successful applicant will possess substantial experience and a deeply-rooted passion for advancing
the legal interests of children. He or she will present an inspiring vision for the future directions that a
premier child advocacy clinic should undertake in order to improve the status, well being, safety, health,
and education of vulnerable kids. It is expected that the successful applicant will integrate direct
advocacy, law reform, community outreach, and public policy work in a clinical setting that forges strong
partnerships with community institutions and advocacy groups and which educates law students to be
skilled, reflective, and ethical practitioners.
Penn seeks candidates with strong practice experience, distinguished academic and professional
achievement, dynamic teaching and supervisory skills, and a deep commitment to clinical legal education,
teamwork and collegiality. Candidates must have a minimum of three years of relevant practice
experience; prior teaching experience is desirable but not required. Candidates must hold a J.D. degree
and be a member of the Pennsylvania bar or be willing to be licensed in Pennsylvania.
This is a practice professor track position, which is Penn Law’s equivalent of clinical tenure. Upon
successful initial review, clinicians are considered for promotion to five-year presumptively renewable
contracts. Clinical faculty are eligible to receive research funds during the academic year and may also
apply for summer financial support for scholarly research. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal
opportunity, affirmative action employer. Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue
until the position is filled.
Please submit all applications via e-mail to: lawgroup-cacsearch@law.upenn.edu . E-mail
attachment materials should include a resume and a letter of interest addressed to Rachel Mayover, Clinic
Administrator, 3400 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Please contact Rachel Mayover at (215)
898-8904 with any questions.