Stanford Law School - Religious Liberty Clinic
Clinical Supervising Attorney and Lecturer in Law ("CSA") position in its Religious Liberty Clinic (RLC)—the only full-time law-school clinic in the country dedicated to teaching students in and through litigation in that field, and a leader of programs founded in its image at other elite law schools across the country. As a member of the RLC, the CSA will not only join the core team of this landmark program but will also become part of the thriving clinical community at Stanford where, together with the faculty and staff, he or she will represent clients and train students at one of the nation’s top institutions for legal scholarship and education.
The RLC is one of eleven clinics comprising the Mills Legal Clinic—the “law firm” under which Stanford’s clinical program is housed. The RLC launched in August 2012, and has become a cherished fixture at the law school. The Stanford clinical program is unique in that students participate in a clinic on a full-time basis; the clinic is the only course a student takes during the term of enrollment. The Mills Legal Clinic occupies an entire floor in an award-winning campus building opened shortly before the RLC’s launch.
The RLC focuses on developing professional skills in a dynamic way. Specifically, its students are introduced to the “real practice of law” through supervised representation of a diverse group of clients in disputes arising from a wide range of beliefs and practices, and in a variety of settings. A typical project might involve a prisoner facing obstacles to religious observance; a small church, synagogue, or mosque with zoning challenges; or an employee facing religious discrimination in the workplace. Students learn and apply the laws affecting religious liberty, and are taught to counsel individual or institutional clients and litigate on their behalf with excellence, professionalism, and maturity.
As a litigation-focused clinic, the RLC involves administrative, trial, and appellate work. Most administrative and trial work takes place in California, while the RLC’s appellate work includes an active practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and amicus briefing to the U.S. Supreme Court. Because the RLC is an innovative and leading project, clinic activities also include marketing, outreach, and development. Further details about the RLC’s approach and docket can be found at its website.
The CSA participates in all activities of the RLC, including client development, student supervision, and client representation. The CSA also assists the RLC’s faculty director with curriculum design, teaching and evaluation matters, and general clinic operations. All Mills Legal Clinic attorneys are part of the intellectual community within the clinical program, Law School, and Stanford University at large. For example, CSAs are invited to attend weekly workshops at which scholars from Stanford and throughout the world present works in progress. The RLC also provides resources for its lawyers, including CSAs, to participate in continuing education and other professional development.
Applicants for the CSA position should typically have at least three years of litigation experience, preferably at the trial level, and be members of the California bar (or be willing to take the next-offered California bar exam). Applicants must possess strong academic credentials, a developed interest in religious liberty, and organizational and team skills essential to helping run what is, in essence, a small law firm. Teaching or supervision experience (or the demonstrated potential for such skills) is desirable.
Applicants should submit resumes through http://stanfordcareers.stanford.edu/, noting job number 104689.
Applicants should also send the following materials electronically to the RLC’s faculty director, Professor Jim Sonne at jsonne@law.stanford.edu.
- A statement no longer than three pages describing the applicant’s: (i) litigation or other relevant experience; (ii) interest in religious liberty generally and the RLC in particular; and (iii) interest and potential for clinical supervision and teaching
- A resume
- A list of three professional references
- A writing sample
- A complete law school transcript
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is December 1, 2024, although an earlier start is possible.
Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.
Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
