The Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University invites applications for Director of initio, the Technology and Innovation Law Clinic (the Clinic) (www.initiolawclinic.ca).
This is a three-year limited term appointment at the rank of Instructor, with the possibility of renewal. The position is expected to commence September 1, 2022.
The Clinic aims to further Schulich Law’s mission to deliver a rigorous legal education and serve our society. The Clinic assists entrepreneurs and technology start-ups seeking early-stage legal services. It actively engages with the community, offering information and educational services, and acting as a support catalyst to grow the culture of innovation in Atlantic Canada.
Students enroll in the Clinic’s clinical advocacy course and work with clients and other students to provide early-stage legal information and advice, and to develop and deliver community resources, under the Director’s supervision and instruction. In addition, the Director will supervise an Articling Clerk who will work in the Clinic on a full-time basis.
The key responsibilities of the position will include:
• Providing legal advice and services for early-stage start-ups in areas related to business, technology and intellectual property law;
• Arranging the clinical fieldwork component of the Clinic and supervising law students as they participate in experiential learning, working directly with clients;
• Building and maintaining relationships between the Clinic and university innovation initiatives and programs, the local Halifax innovation and start-up communities, and law firms and lawyers who work with and support the Clinic; and
• Participating in the intellectual life of the Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University, including interaction with colleagues and with Centres, Institutes and Research Clusters whose work is related to the work of the Clinic.
A strong candidate will have corporate and intellectual property legal practice experience; excellent business development, relationship-building, communication and presentation skills; the ability to work effectively with students, clients, lawyers and professors; creative problem- solving skills and business judgment that enable the candidate to assess the practical requirements necessary to take a start-up to the next stages of development; a strong interest in developing clinical experiences for students within a community that supports interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative teaching; previous experience in the start-up/new business venture community; a passion for the synergies between law, technology and innovation; and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
Candidates must possess a J.D. or LL.B. and be admitted, or able to satisfy the requirements for admission, to the practice of law in Nova Scotia. They will have at least five years of practice experience in one or more of Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Law, and/or Information Technology Law. An LL.M. in these or related areas is preferred.
Applications received before June 1, 2022 will be given fullest consideration.
About Halifax and the Schulich School of Law
A vibrant, diverse, oceanfront city, Halifax is the perfect size and personality for enhancing the lives of more than 30,000 students attending the six universities here. This concentration of students injects Halifax with an optimistic energy and the city gives back by welcoming, encouraging, and inspiring newcomers to experience our unique way of life and make it their own.
We are a vibrant, collegial, and close-knit community of faculty and students from around the world. We live the Weldon Tradition of unselfish public service – of giving back and making the world a better place. The Schulich School of Law plays an extraordinary role in Canadian and international legal education. We are a national law school with an international reputation.
We draw talented students from every region of the country and from around the world into our JD, combined J.D./Masters, LL.M., and Ph.D. programs. We graduate leaders. Our alumni hold every form of government office, teach in law schools, innovate in the provision of private and public sector legal services and in business, advance policy in the executive branch of governments, render decisions on courts across the country, and offer service to non- governmental bodies and non-profit and community organizations.
We embrace the interdisciplinary opportunity of working in a university, we value the creation and dissemination of new knowledge, and we are firmly committed to students and to teaching and learning excellence. We are conscious of the difference we make to law reform, adjudication, legal service, and community engagement at home and around the world. We value the contributions of the founding communities in this province, the Mi’kmaq Nation, Acadians, African Nova Scotians, and British, and we open our doors to the world. For more information, see the Schulich School of Law Strategic Plan at https://www.dal.ca/faculty/law.html.
How to Apply
Applications should include a cover letter, resume, teaching statement, research statement, and the names of three referees, at least one of whom must be an academic referee. If a candidate’s graduate degree is in progress, then in their cover letter they should indicate their stage of completion.
Dalhousie has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that is currently in place until April 30, 2022. Should the vaccine mandate be re-implemented at a later date, the successful candidate will be required to provide proof of full vaccination, or may seek an accommodation from Dalhousie’s vaccine requirements on grounds protected under provincial human rights legislation. Please visit the Campus Check website for more information.
Dalhousie University is committed to fostering a collegial culture grounded in diversity and inclusiveness. The university encourages applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons with a disability, racialized persons, including persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), women, persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. For more information, please visit www.dal.ca/hiringfordiversity. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
Applications should include a resume and the names of three referees, at least one of whom must be an academic referee. If a candidate’s graduate degree is in progress, then in their cover letter they should indicate their stage of completion. Applications should be submitted online at: https://dal.peopleadmin.ca/postings/9720.
Dalhousie University is committed to fostering a collegial culture grounded in diversity and inclusiveness. The University encourages applications from Aboriginal people, persons with a disability, racially visible persons, women, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
http://law.dal.ca