Director of the Law Library

Description

The Fowler School of Law at Chapman University invites applications for a tenured/tenure-track Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law. 

The successful candidate will direct the Hugh & Hazel Darling Law Library and teach advanced courses related to legal research. 

Chapman University is a nationally ranked, R2 Carnegie Classified, private institution offering traditional undergraduate and graduate programs in the heart of Orange County, one of Southern California’s most diverse and vibrant regions. Chapman’s campuses are home to nearly 10,000 students representing 50 states, three territories, and 78 countries. The 11 schools and colleges of Chapman, including the Fowler School of Law, offer 65 bachelors, 53 master, and six doctoral programs, along with nearly 60 minors and 17 accelerated and bridge programs. Classes are taught by the more than 1,100 dedicated faculty members who are leaders in their fields, including Nobel Prize recipients, MacArthur Fellows, National Medal of Science honorees, former U.S. Supreme Court clerks, and Emmy, Grammy, and Academy Award winners. 

Chapman University's Dale E. Fowler School of Law is an ABA-accredited, private law school located in beautiful Orange County, California, just 35 miles from downtown Los Angeles and a short drive to both the beach and Disneyland.

This California law school's high-caliber faculty includes three former U.S. Supreme Court clerks, a Nobel Prize winner, and a former five-term U.S. congressman. Here, our law students find countless opportunities, diverse academic programs, and a dynamic and personalized legal education.  The Fowler School of Law is a place where future lawyers prepare for life as professionals and officers of the court, providing the groundwork for a lifetime of legal service. We are a strong academic community with connections to local, regional, national, and international bars, enviable student bar passage and employment rates, a low student-to-faculty ratio and curricular offerings with breadth and depth across multiple areas of specialty, all within a supportive and collegial environment where viewpoint diversity is respected. Students especially value close connection with their professors, a vibrant and engaged co-curricular environment, and a tremendous facility located in easy walking distance to the rest of campus and to the coffee shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions of Old Towne Orange.

The University is dedicated to enhancing diversity and inclusion in all aspects of recruitment and employment. More information on diversity and inclusion at Chapman University is available at https://www.chapman.edu/diversity.

Department Summary

The Hugh & Hazel Darling Law Library is located inside the Dale E. Fowler School of Law on the Chapman University campus.  The Law Library supports the teaching, scholarship, research, educational, and service objectives of our users, including Fowler School of Law faculty, students, and staff and the greater Chapman University community.

The Law Library is organized into four departments: Public Services; Collections & Technical Services; Systems/Technology; and Administration.  The library also employs undergraduate student employees to assist in the Circulation and Technical Services departments.  The Law Library collaborates regularly with the Leatherby Libraries, which serve Chapman University’s undergraduate and graduate students.

The Law Library’s strong record of service to our faculty, staff, and students includes research and reference assistance through our Research Help Desk, which offers in-person and remote reference support as well as in-depth one-on-one research consultations.  Throughout each academic year, librarians provide scholarship support, database training, instruction in classes and clinics, guest lectures and research training in 1L and upper-division courses, as well as teach Advanced Legal Research.  The library staff also work closely with programs in the law school such as the Chapman Law Review and the First-Generation Scholars to provide support and access to specialized resources.  Librarians are active in professional organizations including AALL and SCALL and present, publish, and serve on professional committees.

The Law Library occupies one full wing of the Law School building and provides comfortable space for study and collaboration.  The library has beautiful natural light, soft seating for group study, and eleven private study rooms.  Our collection strives to meet the teaching and research needs of our users.  It encompasses more than 80,000 print volumes and provides access to more than 3.6 million electronic resources.  The Law Library also stewards a small special collection of antiquarian books and a growing institutional archive collection.

Responsibilities

The Director’s primary responsibilities are managing the law library and providing information resources in appropriate formats to faculty and students.  The Director is responsible for administering library policies and programs to support the law school’s program of legal education.  The Director will oversee all aspects of library operation and administration, including strategic planning; budgeting; hiring, training, and supervising library staff; collection development; and space planning.  The Director is responsible for ensuring that the library meets the accreditation standards of the American Bar Association as they relate to law libraries and the membership requirements of the Association of American Law Schools.  Additionally, the Director will teach advanced courses in legal research.

Qualifications

Candidates must have outstanding academic credentials, including:

• A J.D. from an accredited law school or an equivalent degree (such as a Ph.D. in a related field)      
• A degree in library or information science
• Substantial experience working in a law library setting
• Outstanding legal research ability

Application Instructions

Qualified candiates are invited to electronically submit the following:

• Letter of application/interest  
• Curriculum Vitae
• A list of 3 professional/scholarly references (references will not be contacted until a candidate is a finalist for the position and the candidate is notified in advance)

Inquiries can be directed to Dean Paul D. Paton at [email protected]. Please use “Library Director Vacancy” as the email subject line.  All inquiries and applications are confidential to the extent permitted by state and federal law.

Application reviews will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Salary is $ 150,000 - $ 160,000 and will be commensurate with experience and internal equity. This position is contingent on final budget approval.  Successful completion of a background check is required for the final candidate.