From Both Sides Now: The Job Talk’s Role in Matching Candidates with Law Schools

26 Pages Posted: 5 Oct 2010 Last revised: 13 Nov 2010

See all articles by Anne M. Enquist

Anne M. Enquist

Seattle University School of Law

Paula Lustbader

Seattle University School of Law

John Mitchell

Seattle University School of Law

Date Written: October 4, 2010

Abstract

In the heavily competitive law school teaching job market, the so-called “job talk” has assumed increasing importance in the ultimate hiring decision. Nevertheless, there is little published information to assist a law school faculty in structuring or evaluating the job talk and a similar paucity of information for candidates to guide them in creating and preparing for the presentation of their talk. This article is intended to fill that void. The article guides the preparation of faculty and candidates for both the job talk itself and for the crucial Q&A period that follows the talk. The article represents the authors’ collective 87 years of experience seeing both successful and unsuccessful job talks, as well as the experience of 15 colleagues around the country who reviewed our initial draft and commented on it from the perspective of their various law schools.

Keywords: job talks, hiring, interviewing, law teaching, law faculty, faculty appointments

Suggested Citation

Enquist, Anne M. and Lustbader, Paula and Mitchell, John, From Both Sides Now: The Job Talk’s Role in Matching Candidates with Law Schools (October 4, 2010). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1687378 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1687378

Anne M. Enquist

Seattle University School of Law ( email )

901 12th Avenue, Sullivan Hall
P.O. Box 222000
Seattle, WA n/a 98122-1090
United States

Paula Lustbader

Seattle University School of Law ( email )

901 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA n/a 98031
United States
206-398-4021 (Phone)

John Mitchell (Contact Author)

Seattle University School of Law ( email )

901 12th Avenue, Sullivan Hall
P.O. Box 222000
Seattle, WA n/a 98122-1090
United States

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