Assistant Professor for Part-Time J.D. Program - Naperville Campus - 2 Positions
Position Information
Working Position Title - Assistant Professor for Part-Time J.D. Program - Naperville Campus - 2 Positions
Classification Title - Assistant Professor
Position Number -
Priority Review Date - 09/18/2026
Business Unit Description - Faculty
Full-Time/Part Time - Full-Time
FTE - 1.00
Position Status - Regular
FLSA - Exempt
Job Code - 2000
Union Representation - Non-Union
Union Code - N/A
Unit/Department - College of Law Faculty
College/Unit - College of Law Dean
Division - Academic Division
Location - NAPERVILLE
Link to Department Website or Custom Search Page - College of Law
Position Summary, Requirements, and Qualifications
Overview - Northern Illinois University College of Law ("NIU Law") invites applications for two entry-level tenure-track faculty positions to serve its newly launched Part-Time J.D. Program ("PTJD Program" or "Program"). The Program will be based at the NIU Naperville campus, which is approximately 45 minutes from NIU Law's full-time program on the university's main campus in DeKalb. The positions begin August 2027. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join a growing program from the ground up and help shape legal education for a new generation of working professionals in the dynamic suburban Chicago legal market. The successful candidate will teach in the PTJD Program's first-year-equivalent curriculum, upper division electives in the PTJD Program, and may also teach at the DeKalb campus (especially in the first few years of the PTJD program). Priority teaching areas are the core first-year equivalent courses (e.g., Torts; Civil Procedure; Criminal Law; Property; Contracts and Constitutional Law) though the College has wide-ranging curricular needs as the new program grows. Candidates with the range and flexibility to teach across multiple doctrinal areas are strongly encouraged to apply.
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 PTJD Program earn the same J.D. degree as students in NIU Law's full-time program but over four years.
Position Summary - This position is located at the NIU Law Naperville campus and will primarily focus on teaching in the Part-Time J.D. Program. Two Campuses, One Law School Although the PTJD Program will be located in Naperville, it will operate as one law school along with NIU Law's DeKalb location. Faculty at the PTJD Program are full members of the NIU Law community and will have service commitments that integrate with faculty in DeKalb. Travel to DeKalb for some service commitments, such as attending faculty meetings, is required.
Teaching Responsibilities and Schedule The PTJD Program's class schedule is built around its students' professional lives. Class formats include:
- In-person instruction on two primary weekday evenings between 5:00–10:00 p.m.
- Occasional Saturdays for specialized courses
- Synchronous and Asynchronous online courses
- Fall and Spring Terms
Professors will be expected to engage in and master in-person, online synchronous, and online asynchronous teaching methods. In the first few years after hire, this faculty member should expect to carry a blended teaching load. This may include in-person teaching at the Naperville PTJD Program, in-person teaching at NIU Law's full-time J.D. program in DeKalb, or online courses delivered remotely to students at either campus. This arrangement reflects the program's growth trajectory and offers new faculty the opportunity to become fully integrated into the NIU Law community across both campuses. As the Program grows, teaching loads will shift to focus primarily on the Naperville PTJD Program as course offerings expand. This faculty member will teach four courses per academic year, which is the same teaching load as in the full-time program.
Faculty teaching in the PTJD Program are expected to be physically present on the Naperville campus on at least three days per week during the academic year. This is not a remote position. NIU Law values faculty members who understand and embrace the distinctive needs of non-traditional law students. Teaching effectiveness, accessibility to students, and a commitment to in-person engagement are central expectations of this role. In addition to teaching in Naperville, faculty members are expected to attend institutional events and contribute to the broader NIU Law community, which includes Fall Orientation, Spring Commencement in DeKalb, and other key law school events.
Distance Education and Technology Candidates should have a demonstrated experience with or express a willingness to master synchronous and asynchronous online legal instruction. Professors should also have a commitment to staying current on distance education best practices and emerging instructional technologies. Preferred candidates will have either a demonstrated capacity for or expressed willingness to master the following:
- Synchronous online instruction (live virtual class sessions)
- Asynchronous course design and delivery (recorded lectures, discussion boards, online assessments)
- Learning management systems (e.g., Blackboard or its equivalent)
- Hybrid course modalities that blend in-person and online learning
- Ongoing professional development in distance legal education
- The ability and willingness to remain proficient and up to date on best practices in distance education is an ongoing expectation of this position, not merely a hiring preference.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities - The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Primarily teach in the first-year equivalent curriculum (e.g., Torts; Civil Procedure; Criminal Law; Property; Contracts and Constitutional Law) of the PTJD Program and other upper-level courses as assigned in the PTJD Program
- Teach occasional courses, especially in the program's first years, at NIU Law's full-time program on the DeKalb campus
- Engage in high-quality, original legal scholarship
- Maintain a regular in-person presence at the NIU Naperville campus at least three days per week during the academic year
- Participate in law school and university service at both the Naperville and DeKalb campuses
- Advise, mentor, and support PTJD students
- Attend key institutional events including Fall Orientation and Spring Commencement
- Contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of the PTJD Program
Minimum Required Qualifications - J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school (or a law school program deemed substantively equivalent to an ABA-approved J.D. program for purposes of taking a U.S. State bar examination) Ability to engage in high-quality in-person, online synchronous, and online asynchronous teaching in evening and weekend formats; Ability to produce high-quality legal scholarship Ability to be an active participant in law school and university service Demonstrated flexibility and willingness to teach across multiple doctrinal areas Willingness to travel to DeKalb for service commitments, such as attending faculty meetings in-person
Preferred Qualifications - Record of scholarly publication or strong scholarly promise Law school teaching experience, particularly in evening or part-time programs Experience with synchronous and asynchronous online legal instruction Legal practice experience Strong law school academic record Law journal membership Clerkship experience Demonstrated commitment to serving non-traditional, working-professional students
Physical Demands Summary - For physical demands and requirements please see human resources policies and protocols.
Appointment and Compensation Details
Appointment and Compensation Details
Anticipated Appointment Start Date - August 16, 2027
Anticipated Appointment End
