Tips for Aspiring Adjunct Professors!
Time to hit the books again. Last week, Golden Gate University School of Law Professor Rachel van Cleave gave law.com readers a primer on teaching as an adjunct professor. And, for many lawyers and law graduates in public interest, being an adjunct professor is a great way to supplement a full or part-time position while sharing skills and gaining teaching experience. Not to mention additional income.
“After practicing law and perhaps specializing in a particular area for several years, you cannot help but think, ‘I wish they had taught me [blank] in law school.” You start to wonder whether you could teach a class at a local law school.’
Luckily, for the readers of PSLawNet Blog, she didn’t leave us hanging. She’s provided information about the hiring process, preparing to teach, and what the in-the-classroom-experience is like. Incredibly helpful! Here are some excerpted tips from her piece.
On hiring:
“Send a cover letter and your curriculum vitae to the person who hires adjunct professors. The cover letter should explain which courses you believe best match your areas of expertise. I strongly recommend that you send a traditional resume rather than a link to your website; however, an email with these attachments is completely acceptable.”
“Do not be discouraged if the associate dean responds that at that time there are no courses for you to teach. I typically keep these applications on file and when a need arises, I will take another look at applications I have received. In addition, I recommend that every few months you resend your application with an email that simply indicates you are checking to see if a need has arisen. Try to avoid sounding even mildly annoyed.”
Getting ready to teach:
“You should first focus on which textbook to use. Someone at the law school, probably a faculty assistant, can help you contact publishers to obtain examination copies of relevant textbooks. While you want to consider the organization of the book, as well as the types of problems it includes, it is often difficult to really know which textbook works best with your teaching style until you use it. I suggest that you contact professors at other law schools who teach the same course to learn from their experience using different texts.”
In the classroom:
The semester has begun. You come to class fully prepared, students are interested in the materials and they have good questions. Occasionally, there is a disruptive student, or one who is absent too often. Again, the associate dean will be able to suggest how to address such situations, or put you in touch with someone who can.
…
Grading exams — where we really earn our compensation! It can be particularly helpful to prepare an outline of what your essay tested and your allocation of points among those areas. In addition, it is a good idea to write comments on the student essays as you grade them. Students are encouraged to meet with professors about their exams and since this could occur two to three months after you have graded, these comments will help you remember why you scored the essay as you did.
The PSLawNet Blog is grateful for primers like this one, particularly regarding employment in this tough economy. Keep ’em coming!
–Lauren
