Director of Community Outreach, Cumberland School of Law (12 Mo NTT)
Position: Director of Community Outreach
Start Date: March 2025
Status: 12-month, Non-Tenure Track
Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law invites individuals interested in serving in a Christian university environment to apply for the position of Director of Community Outreach. The Director reports to the Dean of the Law School. This position collaborates closely with the admissions department as described below. This is a full-time non-tenure track administrative faculty position.
The Director manages external relationships and specified student recruitment efforts at the law school, primarily related to programming for the recruitment of first-generation students and those from underrepresented backgrounds. The primary responsibilities of the Director will include:
- Administering the Cumberland Connection Program (CCP), a weeklong summer program that brings undergraduate students (CCP Scholars) to the law school to take law classes, receive LSAT preparation advice, network with local lawyers, participate in our advocacy program, and engage in related activities (the CCP will launch in Summer 2025);
- Teaching, presenting to, and instructing students in the CCP program;
- Maintaining the application framework and processes for the CCP; working with our marketing department on web design, marketing, and promotion of the program, and related duties;
- Processing student applications and coordinating a CCP committee to review applications and make recommendations to the Dean on applicant acceptance;
- Coordinating travel arrangements for CCP students; managing reimbursements; planning social and other events for CCP students during their week-long visit;
- Helping fundraise for the CCP and relaying details about the benefits of the program to potential donors;
- Administering a Cumberland Pre-law Advisors Conference hosted at the law school or in Birmingham;
- Teaching, presenting to, and instructing pre-law advisors at Advisors conference;
- Building connections with university pre-law advisors and recruiting them to apply to attend the conference; working with our marketing department on web design, marketing, and promotion of the conference, and related duties;
- Processing pre-law advisor conference applications;
- Coordinating travel arrangements for pre-law advisors; managing reimbursements; planning social and other events for advisors during the conference;
- Planning the conference programming, in consultation with the Dean, and leading discussions/programming at the conference.
- Teaching and instruction opportunities at Cumberland on training related to diversity education and coursework related to professional development, race and the law, civil rights, and related subjects;
- Coordinating programming and instructional opportunities with the Cumberland Civil Rights Center and with outside civil rights-focused organizations;
- Assisting with the development of curriculum related to professional development and civil rights matters;
- Coordinating law school information sessions given by the Dean at local public schools on a bi-weekly basis during the fall and spring semesters;
- Traveling to universities in the region (or virtually connecting) on a bi-weekly basis to meet with pre-law advisors for connection/mentor meetings and to put on workshops for pre-law students; Organizing online workshops for pre-law students at universities around the country;
- Traveling for 15-20 recruiting visits at the direction of our admissions department, with emphasis on visiting schools with high numbers of first generation and underrepresented students; undergoing training with the admissions department on their processes for recruiting visits;
- Assisting our admissions department with other activities as needed;
- Assisting with the scheduling and implementation of the Judge James Edward Horton Inns of Court speaker series;
- Networking and connecting with other pipeline programs to identify other opportunities for connection and additional programming;
- Submitting reports to the Dean on the status of above duties; coordinating with the Dean’s administrative assistant on the scheduling of events attended by the Dean; receiving approval for travel requests in advance of events so that visits can be prioritized.
Candidates must have a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school or an equivalent degree. At least two years of professional experience in recruiting, admissions, marketing, community development, or outreach is preferred. The position will be a twelve-month administrative faculty position.
Serving as a community model, the preferred candidate will exercise professionalism combined with an energetic personality and an ability to connect with and develop relationships with potential students. The ability to work effectively and collegially with administration, faculty, students, and colleagues is of utmost importance.
Samford University (www.samford.edu) is a leading nationally ranked Christian University. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th oldest institution in the U.S. and the largest privately supported and fully accredited institution for higher learning in Alabama. Located in the Birmingham, Alabama, suburb of Homewood, with 425 full-time faculty and more than 6,100 students representing 45 states and 16 countries, Samford is ranked #2 in the nation for student character development and #8 in the nation for the quality of career preparation provided to students as listed in The Wall Street Journal (2025). The University is dedicated to the promotion of rigorous academic inquiry in a Christian setting. The University seeks and prefers employee applicants of the Christian faith and offers competitive salaries with a generous benefits package. Samford University and the Cumberland School of Law embrace diversity in their faculty, students, and staff and encourage applications from those who would add to the diversity of our academic community.
Review of applications will begin December 10 and will continue through February 1, 2025. Application materials should include a letter of interest, curriculum vita, application for faculty position and faculty applicant Christian mission statement. Salary is dependent upon qualifications and experience. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States, as Samford will not sponsor any employment visas for this position. Candidates must pass a background check.
“Application for Faculty Position” can be found at:
https://www.samford.edu/departments/files/Human_Resources/application-for-faculty-employment.pdf
“Faculty Applicant Christian Mission Statement” can be found at:
Please submit all materials in PDF format to:
Subject: Law Administrative Faculty – Outreach
