Skip to the main content
Opportunity: Clinical Instructor

Opportunity: Clinical Instructor

We are seeking a Clinical Instructor to join our Cyberlaw Clinic

APPLY HERE

The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University seeks a Clinical Instructor to join our Cyberlaw Clinic team. The position reports to the Managing Director of the Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic. This position is a great opportunity for experienced attorneys who appreciate the important role technology plays in our society, want to serve the public interest, mentor the next generation of legal practitioners, transition to academic pursuits, or work in a cutting-edge and intellectually invigorating environment.

Job-Specific Responsibilities

The Cyberlaw Clinic provides pro bono services to individuals and organizations facing technology-related legal issues, with the goal of zealously representing our clients while providing vital learning opportunities to our students and advancing social justice. As an indispensable part of our team, your primary responsibility as a Clinical Instructor will be to supervise, manage, mentor, and teach the diverse Harvard Law School students enrolled in the Clinic as they represent clients.
 
Over the twenty years of the Clinic’s existence, its practice has evolved to span the areas of intellectual property; digital civil liberties and human rights; privacy and security; new media and online speech; emerging technologies; government innovation; and online safety. As a Clinical Instructor, you may work across any of these areas or develop new ones informed by your interests and experience.
 
The Clinic is particularly interested in ensuring that its core practice and teaching activities address fundamental questions about justice and fairness in the context of technology. A strong candidate will bring to the Clinic an interest in the interplay between technology and social justice; enthusiasm for the development of robust and inclusive local, national, and international policy regimes to govern technology; and a passion for examining the impact of technology on the rights of marginalized communities.
 
The substance of your work will vary from matter to matter but may include overseeing students in their counseling of clients; drafting of contracts, licenses, and other transactional documents; preparation of amicus briefs, comments and other filings; or support for policy advocacy efforts. You will meet regularly with students to direct and supervise their work, observe students in client interactions, review students’ written and other work product, provide regular and detailed feedback to students on their projects and performance, deliver instruction in legal skills and practice, and ensure professional, high-quality representation of Clinic clients.
 
As a Clinical Instructor, you will collaborate with the rest of the teaching team to develop new Cyberlaw Clinic cases and clients consistent with your background and goals and to maintain relationships with the Clinic’s existing clients and external partners. You will also assist the Managing Director and Assistant Director with the administration of the Clinic’s practice and teaching operations and the alignment of the Clinic’s work with its core values, including promotion of a robust and inclusive online ecosystem for free expression; the advancement of diversity and mitigation of the impact of bias in tech development and tech policy; advocacy for open government; and support for cultural production through balanced regulatory and enforcement regimes.
 
Furthermore, you will join the rest of the Cyberlaw Clinic staff as an integral part of the intellectual community at the Berkman Klein Center, which includes activists, social scientists, artists, technologists, and more. You will have the opportunity to attend workshops and conferences at the Center and at Harvard Law School and will have frequent opportunities to expand your knowledge of technology and law.

Basic Qualifications

Juris Doctor degree with (a) admission to the Massachusetts bar or (b) admission to and active status in at least one U.S. state bar and immediate eligibility for admission on motion to the Massachusetts bar. A minimum of 3 years legal-practice experience in one or more of the Clinic’s areas of focus is required.

Additional Qualifications

Candidates should be energetic and passionate about working on a variety of technology law and policy and social justice. Strong academic credentials, superior writing and verbal skills, sound judgment, exceptional ethical standards, alignment with the Clinic's core values and proven abilities in interpersonal communication, supervision, and team building are required.

Additional Information

The work and wellbeing of the Cyberlaw Clinic community is strengthened profoundly by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, experience, national origin, religion, sexual orientation and much more. We actively seek and welcome applications from people of color, women, the LGBTQIA community, and persons with disabilities.

This is a term position expected to extend one year from start date, with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon continued funding and business needs.

​All offers to be made by HLS Human Resources.

APPLY HERE