DIRECTOR OF THE LAW CLINIC

Job Description

The University of the Witwatersrand Law Clinic is a leading teaching and *pro bono* law clinic based in the School of Law. The Law Clinic has been operating for over 50 years and is presently the largest South African law clinic. The clinic offers a range of legal services to clients who would not normally be able to afford the services of lawyers and is well known for its litigation in private and public law.

The main focus of the law clinic is clinical legal education, where Wits Law students provide legal services to actual clients, under the supervision of admitted legal practitioners.

Applications are sought for the position of Director of the Law Clinic. The successful candidate must provide strategic leadership, manage and develop the Law Clinic and the staff, while ensuring that clinical legal education remains the main focus of the law clinic through providing legal services to the community. The successful candidate must be an admitted practising legal practitioner, have experience as a supervising attorney with research and teaching experience grounded in clinical legal education.

Contract Details

The position is a 5-year fixed period contract, that is renewable.

Requirements

The successful candidate must have an LLM degree or a relevant Masters level qualification, be an admitted practising legal practitioner, with a track record as a competent practitioner and at least ten years post admission experience. A PhD Degree in law and leadership experience will be an added advantage.

Duties

• Provide strategic and organisational leadership;
• Develop and maintain the capacity and profile of the Clinic both locally and internationally;
• Provide leadership in and support for research in the Clinic; including clinical legal education research;
• Convene, deliver and lecture the final year LLB course, Practical Legal Studies, through which the School of Law’s commitment to social justice must be advanced;
• Take leadership in the design and delivery of clinical legal education in the School of Law;
• Supervise students’ client files;
• Be involved in the hiring, training and supervision of candidate legal practitioners;
• Participate in professional development of the Clinic staff, to ensure professional growth;
• Be responsible for the administrative and financial operational management of the Clinic, including all operations and staffing matters;
• Fundraising.

How to Apply

Please register your profile on the Wits I-Recruitment platform located at Vacancies - Wits University and submit a covering letter together with a CV that includes the names of three contactable referees.