Adjunct Professors

Minnesota Law periodically seeks adjunct professors to teach doctrinal and seminar courses. These positions are typically for one class, one semester per year, and all instruction is conducted in person.

Adjuncts may teach a traditional doctrinal course (typically 3 credits taught two days per week) with support from prior Law School professors, choose a textbook and develop your own syllabus. (Examples: Trademark Law, Labor Law, Secured Transactions, etc.)

Adjuncts may also develop a new course, applying their expertise on a specialized legal topic in a seminar (typically 2 credits taught one day per week) that is particularly relevant to today's law students. (Examples: Campaign Finance and Election Law, Law and Social Media, and Marijuana Law & Policy)

Minnesota Law seeks adjunct professors to teach in its Legal Research and Writing Program each academic year. Adjunct professors will teach small sections of the 1L LRW course with the help of a student instructor. 

1L Legal Research and Writing is a year-long course taught in small sections of eight to ten students. Each section is taught by a teaching pair: an adjunct professor and a 2L/3L student instructor. Together, this teaching pair meets weekly with their section to lead them through a set of problems provided by the Legal Research and Writing Director. Adjuncts are provided the course syllabus, problem materials, weekly lesson plans, and other teaching materials. We are looking for individuals who: 1) value legal writing as a skill; 2) have an interest in teaching and mentoring 1L students; and 3) are positive, supportive, and constructive.

The small section size and turnkey nature of the course make it a great opportunity for first-time teachers

Law in Practice is a required experiential education course for 1Ls in Spring Semester. It provides the students with the opportunity to practice being an attorney in various simulations. Our program consists of 28-35 adjunct professors, who we refer to as Practitioner Instructors (PIs). As a PI you would supervise simulations and provide grades and feedback on the students' performances. We are looking for PIs who are local practicing attorneys with experience in providing feedback.

Law in Practice is a turn-key course. On average, our PIs say they spend about 3 hours per week on this class, including the two-hour simulation class here at Mondale Hall. We run a litigation file for the first five simulations, culminating in the mediation, and a transactional file for the final two simulations, culminating in a negotiation.

Simulations are held during four time slots: Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursdays from 5:10 p.m. to 7:10 p.m.; Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. or Fridays from 10:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.

Minnesota Law periodically has an opportunity available for an adjunct instructor with the Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Moot Court.

The majority of instructors/coaches possess considerable advocacy experience, strong communication skills, and a knack for mentorship. Appellate advocacy experience and/or experience in civil rights cases is a plus, but not required. Civil Rights Civil Liberties Moot Court is a turnkey course with 12 sections. Adjuncts are paired with a student instructor(s), receive weekly communications, along with comprehensive lesson plans for each class. All sections work on one topical problem for the year. Recent problems have involved a first amendment right to record the police, voting rights for persons convicted of a felony, and affirmative action in higher education admissions.

Adjunct Professors for CRCL Moot Court can expect to spend 1-hr of in-class time per week during Fall Semester in addition to, on average, 3-4 hours of time outside of class. During Spring Semester adjuncts can expect, on average, 3-4 hours of time outside of class. Any in-class time will be as arranged by the Adjunct.

Additionally, we periodically have opportunities for adjunct instructors to coach Moot Court Competition Teams. The Law School participates in a variety of topical and/or affinity moot court competitions each year. Please view the individual sections for additional information about each team.

Trial Practice - This is a basic trial skills development course designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn fundamental trial advocacy skills through role playing and a variety of classroom exercises. Students will learn how to conduct opening statements, closing arguments, direct and cross examination, use of exhibits, and expert testimony, among other trial skills. The course will conclude with a mock trial.

Alternative Dispute Resolution - This survey course introduces students to primary (negotiation, mediation, and arbitration) and "mixed" (“med-arb,” court-annexed arbitration, non-binding arbitration, neutral evaluation, summary jury trial, private judging, and mini-trial) alternative dispute resolution processes. Students will explore the theory, rules and customs relating to these processes, as well as the skills required to effectively serve as an advocate and a neutral. Students will also learn about matching the most optimal process to a particular dispute and the basics of designing dispute resolution systems and clauses. This is a simulation course that will engage students experientially. Students will perform and participate in simulations, role-plays and exercises to help them understand the issues implicated in the use of ADR behaviorally, as well as cognitively.

Contract Drafting - This course will take the contract principles that students learned in their first year Contracts class and build upon them in a practical way. Students will review and revise contracts, draft sample provisions, draft contracts from "scratch" and discuss options for managing risk through effective drafting.

Civil Litigation - The goal of this course is to teach students how to think both strategically and tactically with regard to case development and discovery. Students are introduced to basic (and some advanced) concepts and skills relating to “designing” and “building” the case, including through discovery practice. In addition, students participate in a number of skills-related exercises. Students work in teams. This course follows Magna-Lev vs. ATS, et al., a trade secrets case, or Monroe vs. Copy Master, et al., a sexual harassment case. Skills exercises are based upon the case. Teams will litigate one of the two cases for the entirety of the semester

Mediation - This course focuses on the theoretical and practical applications of mediation. Students will learn about conflict and communication, mediation theory, the stages of mediation, the roles of the attorney advocate and mediator, negotiation theories and strategies, mediator styles, cultural and gender issues in mediation, and ethical considerations. Students will engage in discussions about the theories behind conciliation processes, mediation, negotiation, and the rules of professional ethics relevant to these processes. The theories will then be tested in simulations to illustrate how they are implemented in practice and facilitate the development of mediation skills. This course is heavily experiential. Students will be asked to perform and participate in simulations, role-plays, and other experiential exercises.