Description

Position Summary

The UNC School of Government seeks an attorney with a commitment to public service, a desire to teach, and a strong interest in legal research and writing to serve as an Assistant Professor of Public Law and Government with a primary focus on public employment law.
Every unit of government is an employer and must meet the legal obligations related to employment that employers generally must meet. In addition, governments as employers have constitutional and other constraints related to their employment obligations that employers in the private sector do not face. North Carolina public employers look to the School for guidance on the law of employment generally and for help with individualized situations particularly.

The faculty member in this tenure track position will provide research, training, and advising to state and local government officials on topics of public employment law, including constitutional protections including free speech in the government workplace and statutory requirements, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and workers compensation, as well as the application of the State Human Resources Act to local government employees. 
The faculty member will teach alongside colleagues in a variety of School of Government courses, many developed specifically for human resources professionals and attorneys. Other teaching will be as part of larger courses directed at other local government officials with supervisory responsibilities.

Successful faculty members in this type of position become statewide experts and trusted advisors for public officials across North Carolina. Every consultation with a public official, every class taught, and every element of their published scholarship contribute to the School’s 90-year legacy of improving North Carolina through better governance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill works to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government. As the largest university-based local government training, advisory, and research organization in the United States, the School of Government offers up to 300 courses, webinars, and specialized conferences for more than 14,000 public officials each year. In addition, faculty members annually publish approximately 50 books, manuals, reports, articles, bulletins, and other print and online content related to state and local government. The School is also home to a nationally ranked graduate program in public administration.

For more information about the School, visit sog.unc.edu.

Requirements

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

J.D., excellent writing skills, strong academic performance, and demonstrated commitment to public service required

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

3+ years practicing employment law preferred.