"Director of Externships & Faculty Appointment -Law-Fall 2026"

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law invites applications for the faculty position of Director of Externships. The position will commence no later than August 1, 2026.

The Director of Externships will lead Winston Law’s externship program and will also have a faculty appointment. The externship program currently includes Judicial Externships, Prosecution Externships, Public Defender Externships, Field Placements, and the Semester in Residence program. These programs are referred to in this document as "externships."

The Director of Externships’ responsibilities will include:

• Leading the school’s outreach, coordination, and collaboration with current and prospective externship placement offices. The Director will be expected to work creatively to expand the number and types of externship opportunities and to collaborate with other faculty directors to identify externship opportunities that align with the law school’s various centers and programs.
• Communicating externship opportunities to students and advising students about specific placements that may meet their educational interests and goals.
• Administering the application, matching, placement agreement, and enrollment process for externships.
• Educating and training supervising attorneys concerning externship program requirements and expectations.
• Along with other faculty, teaching externship courses and supervising student placements. The duties in this area may also include identifying and training adjunct faculty to teach these courses.
• Collaborating with the faculty in proposing and instituting changes to the externship program that align with accreditation standards, best practices, and preparing students for practice.
• Ensuring that all aspects of the externship program satisfy ABA Accreditation standards.
• Staying abreast of and advising interested students about obtaining public interest legal opportunities following graduation.
• Being actively engaged in the national externship and clinical teaching communities and the local legal community, such as through bar activities.
• Serving as the faculty advisor to the Winston Law Pro Bono Program.

Candidates must hold a J.D. or equivalent law degree and have at least two years of experience as a lawyer, law teacher, or work in a law-related field.

Preferred qualifications:

• Teaching experience in a law school setting
• Practice experience; and experience leading, collaborating, and building programs.

The candidate must also have the qualifications appropriate for one of the following non-tenure track academic appointments. Candidates for Teaching Assistant Professor must show promise for excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them. Candidates for Teaching Associate Professor must have demonstrated excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them. Candidates for Teaching Professor must have demonstrated a consistent record of excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.

Applications must be submitted through Interfolio (apply.interfolio.com/__________). Applicants should submit a letter of interest (explaining how they will utilize their prior experience and abilities in this role); a C.V.; and the names and contact information for three references. While applications will be considered on a rolling basis, applicants should submit their materials no later than January 9, 2026, for best consideration. For questions, please contact Professor Paula Schaefer and Professor Danny Schaffzin, Co-Chairs of the Externship Director Search Committee at pschaefe@utk.edu and dschaffzin@utk.edu.