Visiting Professor of Law & Director, Criminal Justice Clinic

University of Maine • Portland, ME

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The University of Maine School of Law seeks a founding Director for its new Criminal Justice Clinic in Portland, Maine. This full-time, 12-month visiting appointment is for a term of three years and is funded by a U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance Byrne Discretionary grant. The appointment and its continuation depend on the grant terms and availability of funding. The Director is expected to work on site at Maine Law’s Portland campus and reports to the Dean.

The Director will establish the Clinic, supervise student attorneys representing indigent adults charged with crimes, and train future criminal-justice practitioners. During the three-year pilot, the Clinic is expected to handle at least 150 cases and train 25 to 30 student attorneys. The Director will oversee the Clinic’s launch, caseload, teaching, data collection, grant administration, reporting, and compliance. The position also involves collaboration with Maine Law’s other clinics and with public-defense, prosecutorial, and court partners.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with some evenings and weekends as needed. The annual salary range is $105,000–$115,000, based on qualifications and experience.

Requirements

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in Maine, or able to obtain a Maine bar license within three months of beginning employment.
• A minimum of 7 to 10 years of trial-level litigation experience, including substantial criminal-law experience and significant courtroom and trial experience.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or training attorneys, law students, or other legal staff.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing high-quality representation to indigent clients.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to build a new program, manage competing deadlines, and work independently.

Nice To Haves

• Experience practicing criminal law in Maine courts, or familiarity with Maine’s criminal justice system and MCPDS.
• Law school teaching experience, particularly clinical teaching or skills instruction.
• Experience managing grant-funded programs, including data collection and reporting.
• Experience collaborating with prosecutors, courts, and public-defense agencies.
• Familiarity with legal case-management systems such as Legal Server.

Responsibilities

• Lead the launch and design of the Criminal Justice Clinic, aligning it with the Clinics at Maine Law’s mission and grant goals.
• Develop case-intake protocols with Maine Law clinical leaders, MCPDS, the Maine Judicial Branch, and other stakeholders.
• Recruit and select the inaugural cohort of student attorneys.
• Supervise six student attorneys each fall and spring semester and two paid interns each summer.
• Oversee representation in approximately 150 criminal cases during the three-year grant period, ensuring compliance with the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct and Student Practice Rule.
• Provide hands-on supervision of student work, including client interviews, investigation, motion practice, negotiations, hearings, and trials.
• Design and teach a weekly seminar on lawyering skills and substantive criminal law and procedure.
• Lead weekly case rounds for structured peer and supervisor review of active files.
• Develop joint learning opportunities for Clinic students and students in other criminal-law placements.
• Design and manage data collection and outcomes tracking, including jurisdiction, case types, outcomes, representation duration, and students trained.
• Manage the federal grant, monitor its budget and progress toward targets, and maintain required documentation.
• Ensure compliance with federal grant terms and conditions in coordination with the University of Maine System sponsored-programs office.
• Prepare semi-annual, annual, and final performance reports for BJA and support quarterly federal financial reporting.
• Lead the mid-pilot evaluation, refine curriculum and intake based on results, and produce a final pilot evaluation.
• Collaborate with Maine Law’s clinical program directors, especially the Director of the Youth Justice Clinic, on shared issues, client needs, and pedagogy.
• Coordinate with the Director of the Youth Justice Clinic to liaise with MCPDS, District Attorney offices, courts, and the criminal defense bar.
• Participate in the life of the Law School and clinical faculty, including committee service appropriate to a visiting appointment.

Benefits

• 13 paid holidays plus earned vacation and sick time.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Short-term disability insurance and employer-paid long-term disability insurance.
• Employer-paid basic life insurance and supplemental life insurance.
• Tuition waiver program for employees and their dependents, including spouse, domestic partner, and dependent children.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution.

What This Job Offers

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