A humble college founded before Texas was a state, Baylor now stands as one of the premier institutions of higher education in the world. Baylor has continued to invest in research and doctoral education, both solidifying and elevating its unique status as a preeminent Christian research university. Baylor is among 187 R1 institutions, just 52 of which are private universities.
Since 2011, Baylor has been named as one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For”. Great Colleges to Work For® is one of the country’s largest and most respected workplace recognition programs. Each year, Great Colleges recognizes the colleges and universities that get top employee ratings regarding workplace practices and policies across 10 areas. This recognition is based on faculty and staff responses to a related annual survey. The survey, conducted by ModernThink, is a way for colleges and universities to gain a deeper understanding of how their employees experience and view various aspects of the institution. This continued recognition further affirms Baylor as a rewarding place to build a career.
What We Are Looking For
Baylor University is seeking a Legal Writing Associate to support the mission and vision of Baylor University and serve within the Law School. The Legal Writing Associate will assist with the ongoing programming and development of the Legal Writing Program. This includes assisting with all LARC courses, reviewing and updating Practice Court materials, assisting with intraschool moot court competitions, administering competitions, and assisting with additional courses or duties as assigned.
A Juris Doctor and less than one year of relevant work experience are required. Bar admission required/anticipated. A Juris Doctor and one year of relevant work experience are preferred. A combination of education and work experience will not be considered in lieu of the required degree and/or years of experience.
Applications must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
What You Will Do
- The Associate will assist with all LARC classes, and his/her duties will vary based on the specific class
- Assist with reviewing and grading assignments for LARC Program, but also of importance, this position will help develop new bench hearing and summary judgment case packets
- Gather and review materials and grade assignments for additional classes taught by the Legal Writing Faculty, such as Advanced Legal Research, Advanced Discovery Management, and Contract Drafting and Negotiation
- Collaborate with moot court officers in managing the intraschool moot court competition. Additionally, the Legal Writing Associate may also assist with co-coaching moot court and mock trial teams
- Effectively coordinate and plan the intraschool and The Paper Chase competitions and write competition problems
- Perform legal research to prepare materials for various classes and build Canvas modules and Discussion Boards within Canvas
- Maintain competency with various technologies including Zoom, SmartBoard, Grammarly, Brief Catch, Teams
- Perform all other duties as assigned to support Baylor’s mission
- Ability to comply with university policies
- Maintain regular and punctual attendance
LARC Program
The Associate will assist with all LARC classes and his/her duties will vary based on the specific class. For example, the Associate will work with the LARC 3 professor to develop and draft the moot court problem and bench memo. This position would also help coordinate the various sections of LARC 3 to ensure that all are receiving accurate information regarding the moot court problem and the competition. The Associate will manage the student form graders by coordinating office hours and distributing form-graded copies of the briefs to the Faculty. This position will assist in LARC 1 and 2 by updating the online textbook and interactive questions used in class. The Associate will also help draft problem packets in LARC 1 and additional problems in LARC 2 which would be used for research memos. For LARC 4 and 5, the Associate will help draft the “Deal Packet” and “Case Packet” for each class. New packets are needed each spring and must be coordinated so that the problem works for both transactional drafting and litigation drafting.
Practice Court
The writing component of the Practice Court program is intensive and requires a significant amount of time to review, grade, and comment on the various assignments. There is currently a temporary, part-time associate position that assists with grading the assignments, and the part-time position would continue to focus primarily on grading. The proposed Associate position will assist with reviewing and grading some assignments, but also of importance, this position will be available to help with developing new bench hearing and summary judgment case packets. The current packets have not been updated for several years. A consistent review and update of the materials would greatly benefit those Practice Court exercises.
Advocacy
For the intraschool moot court competition, the Associate would assist the moot court officers in managing the competition. This includes scheduling barristers, bailiffs, and competitors, tallying scores, and answering questions related to the competition. The Associate may also assist with co-coaching moot court and mock trial teams. The position could help by briefing competitors on substantive materials that the students have not yet studied in class. For example, the Associate could brief 2L mock trial competitors on evidence procedures.
Competitions
The Legal Writing Department administers two writing competitions each year – Ultimate Writer (the intraschool competition) and The Paper Chase. The Associate will assist with writing the competition problem and will have primary responsibility for coordinating the two competitions. For the Ultimate Writer competition, the position will work with other faculty, competition sponsors, and staff to advertise the competition, secure trophies and award money, and plan the award ceremony. For the Paper Chase, the Associate will coordinate with participating law schools, advertise the competition, and manage the review and ranking of student entries.
Other Classes
We anticipate that the position will also help with other classes taught by the Legal Writing Faculty, including Advanced Legal Research, Advanced Discovery Management, and Contract Drafting and Negotiation. The Associate would assist with gathering and reviewing materials for each class, as well as grading assignments.
What You Can Expect
As part of the Baylor family, eligible employees receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, generous time off, tuition remission, and outstanding automatic retirement contributions. Baylor has a comprehensive benefits plan that supports you and your family’s wellbeing and allows you to be a part of the life of a vibrant and active college campus. To learn more, go to Baylor Benefits & Advantages.
Explore & Engage
Learn more about Baylor and our strategic vision, Baylor in Deeds. Also, explore our great hometown of Waco and the many opportunities to engage locally. If you are new to Central Texas, This is Waco!