Assistant Dean for the Part-Time J.D. Program and Lecturer (00005020

Assistant Dean for the Part-Time J.D. Program and Lecturer

The Northern Illinois University College of Law invites applications for the position of Assistant Dean for the Part-Time J.D. Program, which will be based at the NIU Naperville campus. This is a full-time, twelve-month position with a preferred start date in early January 2027. The Assistant Dean for the Part-Time J.D. Program will serve as the on-site administrative leader of the College of Law's new evening Part-Time J.D. program (PTJD Program) at the Naperville campus.

This is a unique opportunity to help build a new legal education program from the ground up in one of the most dynamic legal markets in the Chicago suburbs. Initially, the position will report to the Associate Dean for the Part-Time J.D. Program. As the program develops, it is anticipated the Assistant Dean will report to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, both of whom are located at the law school's full-time campus in DeKalb.

The Assistant Dean will also work with the Dean of the College of Law and the faculty in the development and enhancements to the PTJD Program.

About NIU Law As the oldest public law school in northern Illinois, NIU Law has been named a top law school nationally for diversity, value, and careers in public interest/government service. NIU Law provides unique opportunities for its students, beginning with its highly accomplished faculty who are personally invested in the success of every student throughout their professional lives. Although many alumni serve as public interest attorneys, prosecutors, defenders, elected officials, and judges, they are equally prepared for careers as solo practitioners or lawyers in multinational firms.

NIU Law is at the heart of a diverse and active university campus of over 16,000 students in DeKalb, Illinois, located near the western suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area.

About the NIU Law Part-Time J.D. Program NIU Law's new Part-Time J.D. Program (PTJD) will welcome its first class in Fall 2027. The Program is designed for working professionals, career changers, and community-rooted individuals who are ready to earn a rigorous, ABA-accredited law degree without putting their lives on hold. Students in the Naperville PT JD Program earn the same J.D. degree as students in NIU Law's full-time program over four years.

Position Summary This position is located at NIU Law's new Naperville campus. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the right candidate to play a foundational role in growing a new legal program that will expand access to legal education for working professionals in the western suburbs of Chicago. The position has both administrative responsibilities and teaching responsibilities.

Administrative Responsibilities The Assistant Dean will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the PTJD Program at the Naperville campus. This includes overseeing building operations, classroom scheduling, facility management, and serving as the liaison between the administration at the Naperville campus and the administration at the DeKalb campus. In coordination with the Associate Dean for the PTJD Program, the Assistant Dean will coordinate and oversee all aspects of the PTJD Program's on-site needs, which may include scheduling co-curricular activities and events for students.

Under the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs' direction and approval, the Assistant Dean will identify, recruit, and hire adjunct professors to teach in the PTJD Program and will be responsible for ensuring that the adjunct faculty roster meets the curricular needs of the program each semester. The Assistant Dean will also assist the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with the evaluation and mentoring of adjunct faculty.

Because the PTJD Program holds classes in the evening, the Assistant Dean must be available and present at the Naperville campus at least two evenings per week during class instruction. Occasional weekend presence may also be required depending on programming and student needs. Flexibility in scheduling is essential.

Teaching Responsibilities and Schedule The position requires teaching at least one course per term (fall, spring and summer), which may be a doctrinal course or a skills-related course, such as legal writing or a legal clinic. The Assistant Dean will also be the faculty of record for the Introduction to the Legal Profession course (a half-credit course held during the first year of the PTJD curriculum) and will organize the content and guest speakers for the course.

The Assistant Dean will engage in outreach to the local bench, bar, and corporate community in Naperville and the surrounding suburbs to build and strengthen partnerships that support the law school's mission, its students, and the program's long-term growth.

The PTJD Program's class schedule is built around its students' professional lives. Class formats include:
In-person instruction on weekday evenings…