Assistant Professor - Law, Crime, and Punishment Jurisprudence & Social Policy

Assistant Professor - Law, Crime, and Punishment Jurisprudence & Social Policy Program School of Law

Position overview

• Position title: Assistant Professor of Law
• Salary range: The current salary range for this position is $203,900 - $333,600 (9‑month academic year salary). Off‑scale salary and other components of pay may be offered to meet competitive conditions.
• Anticipated start: July 1, 2027

Application Window

• Open date: June 26, 2026
• Final date: Friday, Aug 14, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Position description

The Jurisprudence and Social Policy (JSP) PhD Program at the University of California, Berkeley invites entry‑level and early‑career lateral applicants for a full‑time, tenure‑track faculty position with a primary research and curricular focus on the criminal legal system in its practical, institutional, historical, social, economic, and political contexts. Scholars are expected to teach core courses in Berkeley's interdisciplinary undergraduate Legal Studies major, mentor graduate and undergraduate students, and contribute to the PhD program’s interdisciplinary training.

The faculty member will be responsible for advancing the program’s commitment to methodological pluralism and building an equitable, diverse learning environment.

Applicants should have expertise in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods, with a demonstrated record or potential for outstanding scholarship related to law, crime, and punishment. Areas of specialization may include, but are not limited to, criminal courts; policing and civil rights; mass incarceration; race and the carceral state; abolition and reform; punishment and society; economics of crime; and politics of law and order.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications

• Hold a Ph.D. or equivalent international degree, or be a Ph.D. candidate in candidacy status.

Preferred qualifications

• Primary research focus on law, crime, and punishment in the United States or comparative research involving the U.S. criminal legal system.
• Ability to teach at least one introductory graduate course on law, crime, and punishment.
• Ability to work with students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds.
• Ability to mentor a diverse student body, including those from non‑traditional and underrepresented minority backgrounds.
• Proof of building an equitable, diverse, and interdisciplinary learning environment.
• Ability to teach within the undergraduate Legal Studies program and potential to contribute to the JD program.

Job location

Berkeley, CA