Michigan Law graduates can be found in virtually every law school in the country, and many of our alumni teach at law schools overseas as well. Michigan is known nationally and internationally for being among the small handful of law schools producing the vast majority of law academics. Recent graduates have accepted positions at NYU, Harvard, University of California Davis, University of Chicago, and Emory, to name just a few. Our graduates are represented on the faculties of the very top law schools in the country.

If this career path is one that interests you, there are several factors you should consider. The OCP staff, in collaboration with law faculty, have written a guide (PDF) that includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

Calling Aspiring Law Profs
If you are planning to enter the teaching market, Michigan Law wants to help.

Student Research Roundtable
Students who may be interested in teaching should start laying the groundwork now, even as early as the 1L year.  Students considering academic and research jobs should join the Student Research Roundtable (SRR).  The goal of SRR is to provide students with every opportunity to become highly attractive teaching candidates years down the road.  SRR revolves around regular lunches during which students presents research ideas, research in progress, or even completed projects that are still open to revision.  In addition to exposing students to the mechanics of giving a "talk" and the intellectual back-and-forth that comes with a scholarly career, SRR also brings together students who share an interest in becoming law professors so they can network, exchange information, and even begin projects together.  SRR also sponsors coffees with professors, facilitates student/faculty interaction more generally, and provides detailed information and advice about all aspects of the process of finding a teaching job.  Students can visit the  Student Research Roundtable CTools site to join the group and view the upcoming schedule of talks.

AALS Faculty Recruitment Conference
Michigan Law graduates planning to enter the law teaching market in 2012 should plan to attend the AALS Faculty Recruitment Conference. The conference will take place October 11-13, 2012, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.  Please visit www.aals.org and click the "Faculty Recruitment" link under the "Services" tab to obtain more information about the conference and the Faculty Appointments Register ("FAR").

AALS Faculty Recruitment Conference Registration Deadlines and Distributions

CV Review
A Michigan faculty member will review and comment on your CV to help you put your best foot forward on the teaching market this fall. Please submit your CV as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, August 15, 2011. You may send the CV to jllarsen@umich.edu. Please put "CV Review" in the subject line of your email.

Distribution of Michigan CV Book
We will bind all submitted Michigan CVs in a book and forward them to faculty hiring committees at law school across the country. The submission deadline for final inclusion will be Wednesday, August 17, 2011.

Discussion Group and AspiringLawProfs Email Group
We've posted a discussion group for alumni attending the upcoming AALS Faculty Recruitment Conference. If you're on the market, and you've been corresponding with us about your academic job search, you can join the discussion group here.

Students and alumni can also request to join the AspiringLawProfs email group by contacting Tammy Sindlinger at sindling@umich.edu.

Important Dates