Work at Georgia State Law

Georgia State Law has a diverse interview process which may include any combination of videoconferencing, telephone screening interview, and/or personal interview. Some interviews may be conducted at national professional meetings. Invitations for interview may come at various times due to the recruitment committee’s review of candidate materials. An on-campus interview will generally last one or two days and may include meetings with dean’s, faculty, administrators, and other constituent groups. As part of the interview process, Georgia State Law requires each faculty candidate to present a “job talk” to members of our faculty.

The job talk gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to teach and promote your scholarly interests. We do not expect junior faculty candidates to be polished presenters, but we assess whether you have communicated your thesis in a clear, logical way others can easily follow. We’ll also look for your promise as a scholar. In particular, we will consider how effectively you develop your legal position, answer questions on your feet and make connections to broader legal issues.

About the Talk

The job talk will last about one hour. Candidates are expected to speak for 20-30 minutes on the topic of their choice and to leave another 30 minutes for questions from the faculty. Although we allow candidates to have at least 10 uninterrupted minutes at the beginning of the talk, the audience may immediately ask questions. You should prepare for both scenarios.

Choosing a Topic

Choose an issue related to your research or work history, a topic you've written about, or one you plan to explore in the future. Give careful thought to whether you can develop your thesis clearly within a 20- to 30-minute time frame. Most of your audience members won’t be experts in your field, so you’ll need to educate them on the basic legal premises underlying your position.
If you choose a topic that is highly technical or esoteric, you may want to be particularly sensitive to the challenges associated with developing a clear thesis and engaging the faculty in your discussion. You may submit a short description of your thesis before the presentation.

You may use PowerPoint or other technology during your presentation. Slides can add to or detract from discussions, so determine whether yours add meaning or clarity to the discussion.

Best Practices

The best presentations identify a problem in the law, briefly explain how the underlying problem developed and propose a solution in a way that acknowledges the strengths and weaknesses of the position. Our faculty prefers presentations that are balanced and fair to advocacy discussions.
Time is limited. Candidates who clearly convey one or two central ideas during their presentations generally do much better than candidates who try to convey too much information or assume too much pre-existing knowledge.

Q&A

You can expect a wide range of questions during the interactive portion of your presentation, relating to your topic specifically and its connection to law and policy.

These questions reflect faculty interest in your premise. It is almost always best to answer questions directly, even if an answer seemingly undermines your thesis. We don’t expect you to have a definitive answer to every question posed. Ideally, you will have identified the key strengths and weaknesses of your thesis in advance and respond thoughtfully.

Overall, we hope you’ll find your job talk to be an energizing opportunity to discuss your ideas with us. If you have any questions relating to this process, contact a member of the recruiting committee.

Promotion and Reappointment for Lecturers and Academic Professionals

Promotion and Reappointment for Clinical Faculty

Promotion and Reappointment for Law Librarians

Promotion and Tenure for Tenure Track Faculty

Tenure-Track and Non-Tenure-Track Manuals

Tenure-Track Faculty Review Manual

Tenure-Track Faculty Review Manual Compliance Checklist

Non-Tenure Track Faculty Review Manual

Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Review Manual Compliance Checklist

Adopted by the College of Law Faculty on August 19, 2021

Background

The College of Law occasionally receives requests from individuals unaffiliated with the University System of Georgia seeking to pursue research at the College of Law. Sometimes these requests are addressed to individual faculty members, and sometimes they are addressed to administrators. Sometimes these requests are initiated by faculty members who have a relationship with the researchers, and sometimes the requests are unsolicited. Sometimes the research topic is in an area where the College of Law has research expertise, and sometimes the topic is unrelated to any current research at the College of Law. Sometimes the researchers are from the U.S., and sometimes they are from other countries. Typically, the requests are for a formal affiliation with the College of Law, workspace, and access to library resources.

Visiting researchers can bring significant benefits to the College of Law. These include mentoring opportunities for College of Law faculty and research collaboration—both of which can enhance the national and international reputations of individual faculty members and the College. At the same time, visiting researchers also tax College of Law resources as they typically require workspace, assistance with visa applications (for foreign visitors), university ID and keys, office supplies, access to library resources and reference services, and hosting by faculty. A visitor who is not properly supported is unlikely to form a favorable impression of the College.

Who Is Covered by this Policy?

This policy covers individuals otherwise unaffiliated with the University System of Georgia requesting a university appointment to pursue research at the College of Law. It does not cover any appointment that includes instructional responsibilities. It does not preempt or preclude other types of appointments, including but not limited to visiting professorships, adjunct faculty positions, professors of practice, joint appointments, dual appointments, the Provost’s Visiting Scholars Program, or other types of university affiliates.

Individuals covered by this policy will be appointed as university affiliates, an unpaid position that entitles the bearer to campus systems, including parking, basic library privileges, a university ID. Access to specific College of Law resources should be verified with the relevant administrator.

This policy will refer to individuals covered by the policy as Visiting Research Scholars, an honorific title within the College of Law that itself carries no rights or duties beyond the individual’s underlying university appointment.

Policy

1. All Visiting Research Scholars must identify a College of Law faculty member willing to serve as a host. Individuals seeking a position as a Visiting Research Scholar must do so through a College of Law faculty host.
2. Faculty members desiring to host a Visiting Research Scholar at the College of Law should submit a written request via email to the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, who shall circulate the request to the Dean, the Associate Dean of Library and Information Services, the Assistant Dean for Administration and Finance, and the College of Law Human Resources Director, the Director of any relevant College of Law center or initiative, and the administrator of the center or initiative. After consultation with these administrators, the College of Law Dean shall grant or deny the request.
3. A request to host a Visiting Scholar shall include a detailed description of the following:
4. the research project that the visitor proposes to pursue and the expected work product (e.g. completed thesis or dissertation, scholarly publication),
5. the qualifications and credentials of the visitor to pursue the project (e.g. enrollment in a degree-granting program, faculty appointment),
6. the role that the host proposes to play in the research project (e.g. weekly guidance meetings, commenting on drafts, coauthoring),
7. for non-US-citizen visitors, all GSU faculty and staff with whom the host and the visitor plan to work to secure a J-1 visa through the GSU International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) Office (e.g. faculty support staff, human resources staff),
8. any additional resources that the visiting scholar will require from the College of Law, including specifically:
   1. workspace (e.g. shared office, private office),
   2. research support of any kind (e.g. clerical support, library support, electronic access),
   3. human resources support (e.g. obtaining building access, university credentials),
9. non-research-related tasks that the host expects to perform to oversee the visit (e.g. meet at airport, host for meals, check up on personally),
10. any expectations that other faculty will interact with the visiting scholar (e.g. inclusion in faculty workshops, meetings, lunches) and the willingness of other faculty members to do so, and
11. the source, nature, and duration of funding that will otherwise support the visiting scholar.