Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Social Work & Law School Joint Full-Time Open Rank Clinical Professor Appointment: Community Justice at its Detroit campus location​​​​ to begin August 2025.

Req. # 2850 - To apply, click this link

The Social Work and Law Schools at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan are committed to community engaged practice within our dynamic urban setting. We invite applications for one joint appointment faculty position from outstanding candidates with focused practice experience in community advocacy, community justice, holistic defense and/or legal reform and exemplary teaching who can add to the pluralistic, collaborative, and supportive environment within Wayne State University. The holder of this unique joint appointment will teach and practice at both the Social Work and Law Schools while directing the Law School’s public interest and pro bono initiatives during broader community engagement.

The School of Social Work and the School of Law are committed to community service and practice. We strongly encourage a ‘person in environment framework’ with a particular interest in vulnerable populations. The ideal candidates will be involved in research/practice consistent with this philosophy and capitalize on established and emerging connections to academic units, service agencies, communities and government.

Qualifications:

• A terminal graduate degree in social work or related field (i.e., MSW, DSW, PhD) as well as a JD or equivalent and the ability to practice law in Michigan are required.
• Consistent record of inquiry that advances policy/practice as it relates to community justice/legal reform, with the expectation of one publication per year in venues accessible to students, clinical faculty, and practitioners in the social work and/or law fields.
• Training/experience in designing and operating community-facing programs, including experience with and ability to supervise, facilitate, and connect students with public interest and pro bono legal work and initiatives.
• Ability to build collaboration/cooperation with community advocacy organizations. 
• Interpersonal skills that facilitate communication and connection in a range of communities and disciplines.
• Content and research expertise should be focused on community advocacy and justice for indigent clients.  Experience with and commitment to holistic defense, mitigation, diversion and deflection efforts for adults and youth is desirable but not required.
• Commitment to and ability to teach within a social work curriculum (i.e., youth justice; social work and the law, etc.). Teaching experience and/or expertise in JD and BSW or MSW curricular areas is desirable but not required.
• A beginning track record of external funding is desirable but not required. 

Wayne State University School of Social Work, accredited since 1945, is situated in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural and Historic District. Opportunities to engage in a community-centered research/practice/advocacy abound! The School’s status as second in research within this premier urban research institution is supported by the activities of our two Centers: 1) Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ) and the 2) Center for Social Work Research (CSWR). CBHJ is currently home to multiple state, foundation, and federal grants focused on the intersection between behavioral health and the criminal/legal continuum and will serve as complimentary partner to this position. The goal of CBHJ is prevention of confinement through diversion and deflection. The CSWR supports faculty research, scholarship, community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration on projects relevant to social work and community justice. For more information about the School please visit our website.

Founded in 1927, Wayne Law is one of the very few law schools that effectively marries access with research, giving students top-flight outcomes at affordable prices. We are the No. 11 law school nationally (and No. 4 public law school) for value based on the ratio of law graduates’ debt to their starting salaries, and routinely place over 90% of our graduates in “gold standard” law jobs around the state and the country. Among the school’s many educational offerings, we recently launched an innovative holistic defense externship in partnership with the School of Social Work.  We also have a robust experiential education program providing opportunities for our students to engage in the metro-Detroit community. This includes an annual expungement fair and the Warrior Housing Corps- a community of faculty and students committed to addressing housing issues in Detroit. Wayne Law is committed to welcoming new faculty and making their research programs succeed.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.