Assistant Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought

Amherst College: Faculty Search: Department of Law, Jurisprudence & Social Thought

Amherst College’s Department of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of assistant professor in the area of Race and American Law. The college is committed to cultivating an inclusive and critically engaged educational environment. Nearly one-quarter of Amherst’s students are Pell Grant recipients; close to half of our students are domestic students of color. The successful candidate will demonstrate competence and sensitivity in working in a department in which students are broadly diverse in matters of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, political outlook, and religion.

In searching in the field of race and American law, we seek a colleague who sees the domain broadly through the light of theory, practice, and history. We are interested in candidates who conduct research into, for example: the legal construction of race; the moral and legal debates concerning race-based reparative and redistributive practices; the racial dimensions of carceral practices, understood both domestically and trans-nationally; the racial dimensions of the legal construction of space; the role that racial-thinking has played in the construction of immigration policy and the very idea of “Americanness”; how matters of race inform issues of environmental justice; and how the American legal response to the legacy of slavery compares and contrasts with that of other nations with a history of chattel slavery (eg. Brazil).

Teaching responsibilities include two courses per semester and supervision of senior honors projects. We welcome applications from persons trained in the social sciences, the humanities, and/or law. We are particularly interested in candidates whose research and teaching are interdisciplinary. The position requires a Ph.D. (candidates must have the Ph.D. degree in hand or all requirements for the degree fulfilled by the start of the appointment) or a J.D. The start date for the position is July 1, 2025. To apply, candidates are asked to submit electronically (http://apply.interfolio.com/142507) a cover letter addressed to Professor Lawrence Douglas, a curriculum vitae, a sample of their scholarship, a teaching statement, and three confidential letters of recommendation. Review of applications will begin on September 15, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. Amherst College is a private undergraduate liberal arts college with 1,800 students and more than 200 faculty members. Located in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, Amherst participates with Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts in the Five-College Consortium.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Statement of Non-Discrimination

Amherst College does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs and activities on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity), age, disability, genetic information, military service, or any other characteristic or class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Amherst College complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Inquiries should be addressed to the https://www.amherst.edu/mm/538285, Amherst College, P.O. Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002-5000.