A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Please also provide a writing sample that demonstrates your motion writing skills.
The University of Michigan Law School is seeking applications for a newly created full-time Program Director position in the MDefenders program. MDefenders is a program designed to provide education and support for current students considering careers in indigent defense as well as support and assistance to alumni who work as public defenders. The MDefenders program is an umbrella organization responsible for overseeing a faculty-sponsored student group for aspiring public defense students, an active alumni listserv with more than 300 members, the Public Defender Training Institute, and the Data for Defenders project. The Program Director will help to implement MDefenders's projects and will work closely with the Founder and Faculty Director to plan additional initiatives that align with the overall mission of the group to provide support for and grow interest in indigent defense work. The Program Director will also teach relevant courses on indigent defense representation to current MDefenders students and will provide counseling and advice to current aspiring public defenders on career paths.
The appointment will be for two years with the possibility of renewal based on satisfactory performance and the availability of funding.
Administrative Responsibilities:
Oversight and development of MDefenders' Data for Defenders project including:
Outreach to public defender offices and organizations to expand the program's partners and its reach and impact
Social science research and drafting of motions to include in the database
Oversight and development of Alumni Development Program including:
Creating and overseeing an alumni mentorship program for Michigan Law graduates who go into indigent defense
Maintaining alumni connections through alumni reunions and crafting monthly newsletters
Advising students on indigent defense careers paths and providing substantive support to them in the application process
Coordinating with the Office of Career Planning and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Coordinating activities with the MDefenders student group
Thinking creatively about new initiatives and helping to implement them. Examples may include creating a toolkit to enable other law schools to create programs similar to the MDefenders program or making Public Defender Training Institute programming available to entry-level attorneys through CLE programs.
Teaching Responsibilities:
Teaching advocacy-related courses that will depend on the particular skills and background of the candidate and may include teaching in the Trial-Level Public Defender Training Institute and/or creating and teaching in an Appellate Defender Training Institute
Juris Doctor degree
Minimum of two years of experience working in indigent defense
Demonstrated project management experience
Ability to work collaboratively as part of a streamlined, highly organized team
Excellent legal research and writing skills
Strong administrative, organization, and communication skills
Highly motivated self-starter who is able to learn and apply new concepts quickly
Creative vision and ability to implement complex tasks
Comfortable with and interested in technology
Experience teaching, training, or mentoring entry-level lawyers and/or law students
Budgeting experience
During the semesters that the co-director is teaching, the staff appointment effort will be adjusted downward and a LEO lecturer appointment will be created that represents the effort associated with teaching the class(es).
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.
