Director of the Legal Commons

East Texas A&M University • Commerce, TX

1d • $61,000 - $65,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

East Texas A&M University invites applications for the position of Director of the Legal Commons, a nine-month staff position within the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts (CHSSA) with an assigned teaching responsibility. The Director will serve as the founding leader of the Legal Commons of East Texas A&M University, a coordinating initiative, housed in the Office of the Dean, designed to organize and strengthen the University's undergraduate pathways into law and legal-adjacent professions. This is a nine-month staff position, aligned with the academic year, which carries administrative leadership of the Legal Commons as a primary responsibility, oversight of Paralegal Studies as the initiative's core academic program, and a 2/2 teaching assignment in the long academic terms. The Director reports to the Dean of CHSSA and works in close coordination with the Department Head of Social Sciences on matters related to the Paralegal Studies curriculum, scheduling, compliance, adjunct coordination, and program review. The Legal Commons represents a new and distinctive institutional commitment at East Texas A&M, one that builds on existing programmatic strength across the College without displacing departmental ownership of academic programs. The Director will have the rare opportunity to build something from the ground up: a coherent, visible, and student-centered infrastructure for pre-law education that the University has not previously had. The Paralegal Studies program, housed within the Department of Social Sciences and carrying ABA accreditation obligations, provides the academic foundation on which the Legal Commons is built. From that foundation, the Director will expand outward by aligning pre-law pathways across disciplines, convening co-curricular programming, and developing external relationships with law schools, courts, legal professionals, and community partners. This is a university-facing leadership role. The right candidate will bring administrative energy, a genuine connection to legal education, and the collaborative instincts needed to work effectively across departments and with external partners, while also contributing to undergraduate teaching in Paralegal Studies, Legal Studies, or a closely related field. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience and consistent with the applicable staff Director profile and salary guidance at East Texas A&M University. The Legal Commons of East Texas A&M University is a dean-level coordinating initiative established within CHSSA to support and organize the University's undergraduate pathways into law and legal-adjacent professions. It is not an academic unit, center, or budgetary entity, and carries no degree authority or assigned faculty lines. Its function is coordinating and convening in nature: aligning pre-law curricula and advising across participating programs, organizing co-curricular activity, and facilitating external engagement with law schools, legal professionals, courts, and community partners. The Director of the Legal Commons is its founding administrative leader. The initiative is supported from within existing CHSSA resources during its initial implementation phase, with budget and resource needs evaluated on an ongoing basis as activity develops and demand is demonstrated. The Director of the Legal Commons reports to the Dean of CHSSA, who provides direction for the Legal Commons initiative, oversees the Director's administrative performance, and serves as the primary institutional sponsor of the role. The position is a nine-month staff appointment assigned to CHSSA. Summer duties are not part of the base nine-month appointment unless separately assigned and compensated in accordance with University procedures. Because the position includes teaching duties, the Director will coordinate with the Department Head of Social Sciences on teaching assignments, course scheduling, curriculum matters, assessment, and Paralegal Studies program needs.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD), earned doctorate, or terminal degree in legal studies, paralegal studies, law, political science, public policy, or a closely related field.
• At least five years of relevant professional experience in program administration, legal practice, legal education, paralegal studies, or a combination of these areas.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills appropriate to a college-level administrative role.
• Commitment to student success and to building a comprehensive and professionally oriented learning environment.
• Demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate courses in Paralegal Studies, Legal Studies, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across institutional units and with external constituencies.
• Valid TX Driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with ABA accreditation standards or paralegal program compliance and administration.
• Experience advising pre-law students or administering undergraduate legal studies or paralegal programs.
• Established professional relationships with law schools, legal professionals, courts, or legal service organizations.
• Experience designing or leading co-curricular programming, student organizations, or experiential learning initiatives.
• Prior experience in higher education administration or academic program coordination.
• Familiarity with the landscape of pre-law education and law school admissions processes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the founding Director of the Legal Commons, working with the Dean to establish and implement a coordinating framework for undergraduate pre-law pathways across participating programs in CHSSA and, where appropriate, across the University.
• Develop and sustain a visible, student-centered identity for the Legal Commons, including its programming, partnerships, and presence within the College and University.
• Coordinate pre-law advising across departments, serving as a central resource for students pursuing law school admission, careers in legal services, or legal-adjacent professions.
• Develop 3+3 pathways and other structured agreements between East Texas A&M University and law schools.
• Plan and facilitate co-curricular programming, including pre-law student organizations, mock trial preparation, law school visits, LSAT resources, speaker events, and related enrichment activities.
• Build and maintain relationships with law schools, legal professionals, courts, bar associations, alumni, and community partners to create experiential learning, mentoring, and professional development opportunities for students.
• Convene an advisory group of faculty representatives and external stakeholders to support coordination and communication across participating academic units.
• Contribute to the marketing, recruitment, and outreach presence of the Legal Commons and its affiliated programs.
• Report regularly to the Dean on the activities, outcomes, and development needs of the Legal Commons.
• Attend, as needed, meetings of the Dean’s Leadership Team.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Serve as the program administrator for Paralegal Studies, overseeing ABA accreditation compliance, curriculum management, learning outcomes assessment, and required reporting.
• Advise Paralegal Studies students and support their academic progress, professional development, and degree completion.
• Coordinate with the Department Head of Social Sciences on scheduling, adjunct hiring recommendations, course coverage, and program review processes within Paralegal Studies.
• Maintain current knowledge of ABA standards and institutional obligations; prepare and submit required compliance documentation in a timely manner.
• Teach two courses per long semester (2/2 load) in Paralegal Studies, Legal Studies, or a related field, consistent with program needs and the Director's professional expertise.
• Participate in curriculum development and assessment within Paralegal Studies and, as appropriate, within the broader Legal Commons framework.
• Maintain active professional engagement appropriate to the role, including participation in relevant professional associations, continuing legal education, practitioner networks, or legal education organizations.
• Service to the department, college, university, and profession is expected at levels commensurate with the demands of the staff role and assigned teaching responsibilities.

Benefits

• Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience and consistent with the applicable staff Director profile and salary guidance at East Texas A&M University.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree