How to Become a Law Teacher 2026
Apr 14, 2026
Being part of the legal academy is one of the most intellectually rewarding career paths a lawyer can pursue, but it is one of the least transparent. The hiring process is not discussed in depth at most law schools, and the preparation required begins earlier than most candidates realize.
The How to Become a Law Teacher program cuts through the mystery. Designed for those seriously considering a future in the academy and the career counselors who support them, it brings together recently hired faculty and current deans for a practical conversation about what it actually takes to make the transition into law teaching.
Finding dedicated resources to guide those within the legal profession through this process can be scarce, but this program exists to change that and ensure that the pipeline into legal academia reflects the full range of talent and perspectives the legal profession has to offer.
Panelists covered:
- What you should be doing right now to position yourself as a competitive candidate.
- The different pathways into legal academia include traditional clerkship and fellowship routes, as well as less conventional entry points.
- A discussion of different teaching jobs within legal academia: academic support, clinical, doctrinal, and legal writing.
- The mechanics of the hiring cycle — what to expect at each stage, how to navigate the AALS Faculty Appointments Register, and how to deliver an effective job talk that resonates.
| Name | Title | Organization | |
| Elizabeth Kronk Warner | Jefferson B. & Rita E. Fordham Presidential Dean and Professor of Law | S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah | [email protected] |
| Amanda Fisher | Assistant Professor of Law | University of Arkansas School of Law | [email protected] |
| Andrew Budzinski | Associate Professor | American University Washington College of Law | [email protected] |
| John Parsi | Harry S. Redmon Jr. Professorship David Weston Robinson Professorship Assistant Professor of Law | LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center | [email protected] |
| LaVonda Reed | Dean and Professor of Law | University of Baltimore School of Law | [email protected] |
| Alena Allen | Dale E. Bennett Professorship, Judge Henry A. Politz Professorship Professor of Law | LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center | [email protected] |
How to Become a Law Teacher 2025
April 22, 2025
This webinar is for law school career development professionals, current students, and graduates who may have an interest in law teaching. How to Become a Law Teacher is designed to provide useful information about the faculty hiring process within the legal academy. Only a small segment of law schools are able to provide dedicated career counselors for students who seek careers in legal academia. This information will help career counselors at member schools, as well as prospective law teachers themselves, as we work to attract a wider, more diverse group of qualified candidates to the legal academy. The panelists are a group of recently hired law faculty, experienced hiring chairs, and current deans. This webinar will also provide an overview of resources that AALS offers to assist and support candidates throughout the hiring process and while they are members of the legal academy. Panelists discuss:
- Concrete actions that law students can take while in law school to make them more competitive candidates when applying for law teaching jobs.
- Different pathways for entering legal academia.
- Nuts and bolts of the hiring process including the typical hiring cycle, what to expect at different phases of the hiring process, and tips for an effective job talk.
Welcome
Kellye Testy, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer at AALS
Moderator
Alena Allen, Dean & Professor of Law, Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
Panelists
Adam K. Feibelman (Tulane University Law School); Melanie B. Jacobs (University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law); Brian R. Gallini (Quinnipiac University School of Law); John Parsi (Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center); Ahmed Lavalais (University of Cincinnati College of Law); Jenny Roberts (Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University)
How to Become a Law Professor 2024
April 4, 2024
The How to Become a Law Professor webinar was designed to provide useful information about the faculty hiring process for law school career development professionals, current students, and graduates who may have an interest in law teaching.
Only a small segment of law schools are able to provide dedicated career counselors for students who seek careers in legal academia. This recorded webinar provides an overview of resources that AALS offers to assist and support candidates throughout the hiring process and while they are members of the legal academy, and discussed the following topics:
- Concrete actions that law students can take while in law school to make them more competitive candidates when applying for law teaching jobs.
- Different pathways for entering legal academia.
- Nuts and bolts of the hiring process including the typical hiring cycle, what to expect at different phases of the hiring process, and tips for an effective job talk.
The panelists include recently hired law faculty, experienced hiring chairs, and deans.
Host
Alena Allen (Dean, LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center)
Speakers
Yvette Butler (Indiana University Bloomington Maurer School of Law), Stephen Clowney (University of Arkansas School of Law), Adam Feibleman (Tulane University Law School), Carrie Floyd (University of Michigan Law School), Matthew Kim (University of Florida Levin College of Law), Elizabeth Kronk Warner (Dean, S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah), Tamara Lawson (Dean, University of Washington School of Law), Katherine Macfarlane (Syracuse University College of Law).
Watch the 2023 version of the How to Become a Law Teacher webinar here.
The On-Campus Callback Interview: Tips & Tricks
October 2019
This webinar was designed as a primer on callback interviews with law school hiring teams. After initial screening interviews, law schools invite candidates for on-campus callback interviews that may take place over one or two full days. Our group of faculty experts shared their experiences and advice about the callback interview process.
Host
Sean Scott (Loyola Law School, Los Angeles)
Speakers
Sherley Cruz (University of Tennessee College of Law), Darby Dickerson (University of Illinois at Chicago), Kevin R. Johnson (University of California, Davis, College of Law), Courtlyn Roser-Jones (The Ohio State University, Michael E. Moritz College of Law)
Screening Interviews: Tips & Tricks
September 2019
This webinar was designed as a primer on initial interviews with law school hiring teams, whether conducted in person, virtually, or at the AALS faculty recruitment conference. Our group of faculty experts, both subject-matter and clinical professors, shared their experiences and advice about these screening interviews.
Host
Sean Scott (Loyola Law School, Los Angeles)
Speakers
Claire Donohue (Boston College Law School), Doron Dorfman (Syracuse University College of Law), Shalini Ray (The University of Alabama School of Law), Marcy Strauss (Loyola Law School, Los Angeles)