Clinical Teaching Fellow, Immigration Law & Advocacy Clinic - Cornell Law School

Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School is a top-tier law school. We offer a 3-year JD program for about 200 students per class, a one-year LLM program for about 90 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (JSD) program for about 2-3 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 20 with chaired faculty positions; and 15 clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level. Our faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence, and has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields. Our school is committed to being recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.

The Immigration Law & Advocacy Clinic at Cornell Law School seeks a clinical teaching fellow to provide immigration legal services, including business immigration cases, and supervise and direct law students providing immigration legal services.

The Clinic focuses on three main projects on behalf of immigrant communities: 1) the Path2Papers project, which assists Dreamers to obtain employment-based visas; 2) representing applicants in affirmative filings before USCIS; and 3) providing legal orientation and community outreach for immigrants in the Ithaca area and in immigration detention. The Clinical Teaching Fellow will be involved in all of these projects.

Responsibilities include the following:

• Working with the Clinic Director to ensure the effective management of the Clinic and to support Clinic grant fundraising and communications efforts.
• Supervising Clinic students' work, providing feedback, mentoring, and training on the cases and projects assigned to student teams.
• Managing ongoing cases, ensuring that the work is done in a timely and professional manner.
• Handling cases during the summer and over other university breaks.
• Co-teaching the clinic orientation seminar sessions. The Fellow will lead selected class sessions.
• Engaging in professional development training and learning any area of immigration law they are not already familiar with, such as business immigration law, asylum law, and/or other humanitarian pathways.
• Continuing to upgrade knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to keep abreast of regulation/policy changes.
• Collaborating with the Director and the staff of Path2Papers on projects and casework on behalf of the DACA community.

The successful candidate will be based in Ithaca, NY and is expected to work on-site. Occasional travel for casework and projects may be required. This full-time position is for a two-year term, and is benefits eligible. Employment through the intended term is contingent on successful performance and continued funding. The anticipated start date for the position is July or August 2025.

Qualifications:

Applicants must have a law degree (J.D.) and be admitted in good standing to a state bar for at least two years. The ideal candidate will have the following:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in immigration law representation (will consider relevant law school clinical experience).
• Experience in humanitarian immigration applications and/or business immigration law, including H-1B, PERM, and similar visas.
• Ability to mentor, supervise, and train law students in an in-house clinical program, as well as prior teaching and/or student supervision experience.
• Outstanding lawyering skills.
• Exemplary communication skills (both written and oral).
• Demonstrated tenacity and dedication, a successful track record of working effectively with diverse and vulnerable client populations, and a demonstrated commitment to the client communities served by the Clinic.
• Strong organizational and time management skills are essential.
• Professionalism, including an ability to manage multiple tasks, work independently, and seek guidance when appropriate.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment, as this role involves engagement in the law school academic community, frequent collaboration with the Path2Papers legal team, and work with students.
• Proficiency in Spanish or another non-English language.

To Apply:

Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, the names of and contact information for three references, a writing sample (should be an unedited or slightly edited brief or bench memo), and other significant supporting materials to https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30009.

To ensure maximum consideration, please submit all application materials by June 1, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early applicants.

Questions may be referred to Liz Flint (liz.flint@cornell.edu).

The anticipated starting salary for this position is $75,000-$80,000.

Pay Range:

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.

• Academic Discipline

• Unique applicable skills.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email mycareer@cornell.edu.

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at accommodations@cornell.edu.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu.

Notice to Applicants:

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEEO Statement:

Cornell University's history of diversity and inclusion encourages all students, faculty and staff to support a diverse and inclusive university in which to work, study, teach, research and serve. No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual's genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRRA) and qualified disabled individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act have rights in the application process and in employment under federal law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.