Christopher N. Lasch Clinical Teaching Fellow (Criminal Defense Clinic)

Department Summary

The University of Denver Sturm College of Law is a national leader in experiential learning, whose innovative and highly respected clinical program ranks in the Top 5 in the nation. Located in a dynamic and beautiful urban setting, the Sturm College of Law features an outstanding and diverse student body, a motivated and highly professional staff, a faculty that includes some of the most accomplished legal scholars in the nation, and roughly 17,000 alumni who have achieved careers of distinction in law, business, government, public interest, and other professional domains.

The Sturm College of Law was the first law school in the nation to offer academic credit to students for representing indigent clients. Today, its Student Law Office provides second- and third-year law students with the opportunity to refine their lawyering skills and forge their professional identities while providing outstanding legal representation to clients in seven in-house clinics: advancing social change; civil litigation; civil rights; community economic development; criminal defense; environmental law; and immigration law and policy.

Position Summary

The Christopher N. Lasch Clinical Teaching Program (“Program”) at the Sturm College of Law prepares talented and dedicated individuals to serve as future full-time clinical faculty members at U.S. law schools. Christopher N. Lasch Clinical Teaching Fellows (“Lasch Fellows”) undertake a rigorous training program involving assignment to a particular clinic within the Student Law Office and an associated three-year course of teaching, research, and study culminating in an LL.M. degree. The Program honors the life and legacy of Professor Christopher N. Lasch (1965-2021), who served on the faculty of the Sturm College of Law for over a decade. Professor Lasch was a fierce advocate for social justice, a nurturing teacher and mentor, and a scholar of immense range and significance who took a strong and enduring interest in the training of future lawyers and clinical law teachers.

During the course of the Program, Lasch Fellows enroll in a seminar focused on clinical pedagogy; supervise clinical students, first as co-supervisors with full-time clinical faculty and then on their own; assist in teaching clinical seminars; engage in client representation; and prepare one or more scholarly articles of publishable quality. Lasch Fellows receive an annual stipend and are awarded LL.M. degrees upon the successful completion of their fellowships. 

We seek a Lasch Fellow in the Criminal Defense Clinic (“CDC”), which represents individuals in criminal proceedings.

The successful candidate would commence their responsibilities on June 1, 2025.

Essential Functions

• Supervision of second- and third-year law students, with the goals of training students to become ethical, effective, and compassionate advocates and of delivering outstanding client representation
• Classroom teaching and curriculum development, in collaboration with the Director of the CDC

Required Qualifications

• JD or equivalent degree 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• At least three (3) years of practice experience in criminal defense
• A commitment to inclusive teaching methods designed to effectively engage a diverse student population
• Membership in the Colorado Bar or willingness to petition for admission prior to the start date of the fellowship
  • Note: Lawyers teaching in a law school clinical program are permitted to waive into the Colorado bar, upon application.

Preferred Qualifications

• Teaching, training, or supervision of law students or early-career lawyers

Application Deadline

For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) March 10th, 2025.

Special Instructions

Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary

The salary for this position is $70,000 in Year 1, $72,500 in Year 2, and $75,000 in Year 3.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but no