Law Fellow & Visiting Assistant Professor

Fellows spend one or two years in residence at the College of Law researching and writing under the close mentorship of Illinois faculty, teaching one course per semester, and fully participating in the College’s intellectual environment. Fellows are treated like tenure-stream faculty with a light teaching load and no administrative responsibilities, receiving support and counseling to develop a serious scholarly portfolio. By the end of the program, fellows are expected to be competitive for tenure-track positions at leading law schools.

About the role

Applications are invited from law school graduates as well as Ph.D. recipients or candidates in any field who have a sustained academic interest in the law’s interaction with their discipline. Applicants may be in the final stage of a doctoral program, recent graduates, or individuals completing a judicial clerkship or employed in legal practice. Fellows will be chosen based on their potential, with appropriate support and mentoring, to obtain a tenure-track position at a leading U.S. law school.

Responsibilities

• Teach one course per semester, with the teaching package designed to provide meaningful preparation for the academic job market and to complement the fellow’s current writing projects, subject to the curricular needs of the College of Law.
• Research and write under the mentorship of Illinois faculty.
• Fully participate in the College of Law’s intellectual environment.

Qualifications

Fellows will be selected based on an assessment of their potential to secure a tenure-track position at a leading U.S. law school with the support and mentorship provided by the program.

Pay

Salary ranges from $68,500 to $72,000, commensurate with experience, paid over twelve months for a nine-month appointment.

Schedule

This is a nine-month, 100% time, visiting appointment (paid over twelve months) that is typically renewed for a second year, assuming satisfactory performance. The expected start date is as soon as possible after August 16, 2027.

Benefits

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Tuition waivers for employees and dependents

This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work authorization. Fellowships are not tenure-stream positions.