Berkeley Law is hiring an additional field supervisor for the Ninth Circuit Practicum, an area of particular hiring need from the applicant pool for lecturers in experiential education. This is a 35% appointment. The Practicum focuses on appellate practice before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Students brief and argue an appeal or petition pending in the Ninth Circuit under the supervision of an experienced attorney. At present, the cases offered through the Ninth Circuit’s Pro Bono Program predominantly concern matters of asylum and refugee law, though there are often a small number of civil cases. Field Supervisors must be licensed to practice law in the Ninth Circuit and be experienced in either asylum and refugee law or federal civil appellate practice. The ideal candidate would have experience in both areas and would also have demonstrated interest and experience in teaching or mentoring students. The Ninth Circuit Pro Bono Program requires that no more than four students work on an appeal and that no attorney supervise more than five students in total. Field Supervisors will ordinarily supervise one case with two students, though, for more complex cases, supervisors may supervise three students. Supervisors must routinely meet with the students in order to direct the preparation of opening and reply briefs and supervise training for oral argument. Though many meetings may occur via video conference, supervisors are expected to meet their students in person at Berkeley Law for key meetings, moots, and oral argument. Supervisors must review multiple drafts of each brief and arrange for the filing of those briefs. Supervisors must arrange moot courts to prepare the students for oral argument. Supervisors must also help students to communicate routinely and appropriately with the client. Supervisors, as licensed attorneys, have the ultimate responsibility for representing the client.
The Practicum trains students primarily in persuasive legal writing, appellate procedure, and oral argument. Students also learn skills of client communication by visiting their clients, consulting with them, and providing them with updates on progress. Students learn the underlying substantive law of the cases that they and their peers are briefing. Finally, because these are real cases with unpredictable clients and procedural complexities, students may research and advocate for their client in matters beyond the Ninth Circuit’s formal jurisdiction. Interested candidates should submit their materials through the U.C. human resources portal at https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03168. Please submit your full application by Thursday, May 12, 2022.