Friday, August 1, 2008

The history job market heats up early

"It’s only July, but the blogosphere’s already buzzing about job hunting," reports AHA Today, drawing readers' attention to PhDinHistory, who suggests that some history departments are lining up candidates before the American Historical Association convention, traditionally the focus of much entry-level hiring, and to Claire Potter's always excellent advice, this time for hiring chairs. Inside scoop on the market is at the history jobs wiki. Positions are listed on the AHA website (membership required), and other sites listed on the wiki.

Legal historians looking for jobs in history departments most often apply for positions in broader fields (U.S. history, European history, etc.), but this year there are three legal studies positions posted so far:

The University of Maryland and the New Jersey Institute of Technology are hiring in legal history, and Amherst is hiring in legal theory/global studies.
U.S. Legal/Constitutional
Maryland, College Park, MD
The Department of History, University of Maryland at College Park, seeks to appoint a scholar with a distinguished record of publication and teaching United States legal and/or constitutional history in long 19th-century (ca. 1789-1914) at the associate professor level. Historians with an interest in comparative or transnational legal history and the expansive field of Law and Society are especially encouraged to apply. The University of Maryland is an AA/EOE employer; it encourages applications from women and minorities. Candidates should submit letter of application, c.v. and three letters of recommendation to the attention of Ms. Courtenay Lanier, US History Search Committee, Dept. of History, University of Maryland, 2115 Francis Scott Key Hall, College Park, 20742-7315. For best consideration, applications should be received by October 20, 2008.
Application deadline: October 20, 2008
Related URL 1: http://www.history.umd.edu
Related e-mail: clanier@umd.edu

Law and History NJIT, Newark, NJ
The Federated Department of History at Rutgers University-Newark and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of assistant professor, based at NJIT, to begin September 2009. Applicants should be able to present evidence of scholarly accomplishment and effective teaching and should have a PhD with a primary research field that focuses on the relationship of law and history. Topic, geographical area, and time period are open, but preference will be given to work that is comparative and that contributes to the department's strength in the history of technology, environment, and medicine/health. Applicants should also have an aptitude for program building, as the holder of this position will direct a new interdisciplinary NJIT BA program in Law, Technology and Culture. Send letter of application, c.v., writing sample, sample syllabi, and three letters of recommendation by November 15, 2008, as directed at njit.jobs, use posting # 0600289. NJIT is an EOE M/F/H/V.


Legal Theory/Global Studies
Amherst, Amherst, MA
The Department of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought at Amherst College invites applications for a half-time, tenure-track assistant professor in legal theory and global studies. The department's major focuses upon the cultural, interpretive, institutional, theoretical, historical, and cross-cultural aspects of law. Applicants must be able to teach a survey course and specialized courses in legal theory as well as specialized courses in one or more of the following: law and globalization, human rights, international legal institutions, and changing conceptions of sovereignty, citizenship and identity. Additional interest in one or more of the following is desirable: continental theory, liberal thought, the intersections of legal theory and cultural forms, and rhetorical and literary perspectives. At Amherst College a half-time position entails teaching one course per semester, supervising honors work, advising, and participating in the life of the department and the college. Applications are welcome from persons with a JD only as well as from those holding a PhD in literary or cultural studies, anthropology, history, sociology, political science, religion, or philosophy. Applicants should send a letter describing their background and interest, curriculum vitae, a sample of their scholarship, and three letters of recommendation to Prof. Nasser Hussain c/o Academic Department Coordinator, Dept. of Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought, Amherst College, Amherst, MA. 01002. Applications received by October 15, 2008, will be given full consideration. Amherst College is a private undergraduate liberal arts college for men and women, with 1,600 students and 200 faculty members. Located in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, Amherst participates with Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts in the Five-College Consortium. For all faculty positions, completion of the PhD or appropriate equivalent is expected. Candidates should have a strong commitment to undergraduate and interdisciplinary teaching in a liberal arts context, and a well-articulated plan for sustained research. Amherst College has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socioeconomic, and geographic profile of its student body. The college now aims to enrich the diversity of its faculty, administration, and staff to ensure that full participation and inclusion become desired norms across the culture of the institution. Amherst aspires to become a learning community in which everyone, not just those individuals whom we identify with minority cultures or perspectives, is informed about and responsive to all aspects of diversity.
Application deadline: October 15, 2008
Related e-mail: klunderwood@amherst.edu