I absolutely love my job. As a faculty member at the School of Government, I get to work with smart, dedicated, fun colleagues; focus on a subject area I am passionate about; create wonderful relationships with the professionals I teach; and be part of an institution that has helped North Carolina for more than 90 years. The School of Government is unique; there aren’t other Schools like this in the country. The School provides public service to the state of North Carolina by helping local and state officials do their jobs and do them well. Faculty members do this in three main ways: advising, teaching, and writing. Our philosophy is to provide engaged scholarship, meaning we provide practical resources for regular use by the officials we serve. We are responsive to the issues that professionals identify through our teaching, writing, and advising. Amazingly, we get thanked daily. For teaching, we have the opportunity to create informed, practical programs that not just teach the subject matter but incorporate methodologies to use that can improve practice. For example, I just created and administered a two-day course on termination of parental rights for district court judges, and a focus throughout the course addressed employing trauma-informed practices not just for the families but for the attorneys, judges, clerks, and bailiffs who are in the courtroom during these challenging hearings.

Is this the type of job that sounds like something you, or someone you know, would not only enjoy but would be great at? If so, keep reading.

We have a new position for a teaching assistant professor who will focus on civil procedure, trials, and contested hearings. The full posting is here.

The job title is pretty self-explanatory, but there’s more to know. This faculty member will be the main point of contact for civil procedure issues for superior court judges. However, this faculty member will advise and teach superior and district court judges, clerks of superior court when acting in their judicial official capacity, magistrates, and sheriffs. Substantive areas include the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, court-ordered attorney fees, drafting orders, and pre- and post-judgment civil proceedings. Not only will this faculty member work collaboratively with their colleagues at the School and the North Carolina Judicial College in particular, but they will work with community professionals this position serves and be part of the School’s partnership with the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts.

This position is variable track, meaning it starts out as a teaching assistant professor with a focus on teaching, course planning and administration, and advising. Although writing is encouraged, it is not a focus. However, this faculty member in consultation with an advisory committee for the faculty member, can seek to convert this position to a tenure-track position, where writing is a crucial component of the work.

Candidates must have a JD, a demonstrated commitment to public service, and a strong academic performance. Our preferred candidate has at least three years of experience in civil law.

What my colleagues say about working at the School. I am not the only faculty member who loves her job. Check out this short video that features some of my colleagues talking about what it is like to work here.

If you’re interested in or are thinking about applying, please do so. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me (I am the School’s faculty recruiting co-chair) at sara@sog.unc.edu.