Clinical Professor & Director, First Amendment Clinic - Cornell Law School

Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School is a top-tier law school. We offer a 3-year JD program for about 200 students per class, a one-year LLM program for about 90 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (JSD) program for about 2-3 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 20 with chaired faculty positions; and 15 clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level. Our faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence, and has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields. Our school is committed to being recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.

Cornell Law School is soliciting applications for a Clinical Professor to serve as Director of the First Amendment Clinic, starting in July 2027. This full-time (100% FTE) position will be based in Ithaca, New York.

The First Amendment Clinic launched in 2018 with the aid of an initial seed grant from The Stanton Foundation. The Clinic’s dual mission is to teach students important aspects of the First Amendment and to vigorously defend its clients’ First Amendment rights. Through coursework and cutting edge First Amendment litigation and advocacy, students gain theoretical and practical skills while contributing to the Clinic’s mission.

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include the following:

• Teach or co-teach the Clinic, focusing on imparting essential knowledge of First Amendment doctrine related to the docket and helping students and Fellows develop litigation skills, including effective legal writing, advocacy, and client relations.
• Shape the focus of cases on the Clinic docket in collaboration with the faculty steering committee and develop relationships with law firms, advocacy organizations, and other First Amendment clinics to generate new, varied, and impactful cases for the Clinic. The cases should have broad application and significant impact on First Amendment principles, with a focus on protecting the free speech rights of speakers across the political spectrum.
• Organize programming to bring free speech issues to the broader Law School and University communities. Work to sensitize the greater Law School and Cornell University communities to the critical role free speech plays in the functioning of a representative democracy.
• In conjunction with the Law School and university advancement teams, oversee relationships between the Clinic and its outside funders, including the preparation of periodic reporting consistent with funder requirements and maintaining existing relationships with funders while seeking to grow the Clinic’s base of support. 
• Oversee the financial resources of the Clinic, including creating, monitoring, and reporting on the budget in collaboration with the Clinical Programs administrative manager.

The successful candidate will be a member of the Law School clinical faculty with voting rights and academic leave terms consistent with the title. Appointment will be to the long-term, presumptively renewable, contract track.

Qualifications:

JD and admission to the New York bar (or eligibility for admission on motion to the New York bar). A successful candidate must have a minimum of five years of relevant experience, excellent pedagogical and client-management skills, the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced

environment, and a track record of forming positive professional relationships. Prior significant litigation experience, including clinical teaching experience, is strongly preferred.

To Apply:

Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, your law school transcript, the names of three references, and other significant supporting materials to https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32312.

To ensure maximum consideration, please submit all application materials by August 31, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early applicants.

Consistent with Cornell’s practice, appointment to academic positions requires candidates to disclose relevant information about their prior employment, including whether they have been found to have violated institutional or employer policies related to or governing unlawful discrimination and harassment, academic and research misconduct, or financial misconduct.

Pay Range:

$84,000-$237,300

Pay Range:

Refer to Posting Language

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.
• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
• Academic Discipline
• Unique applicable skills.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email mycareer@cornell.edu.

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Office of Civil Rights at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at accommodations@cornell.edu.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu.

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EEO Statement:

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Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

About Us

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.