Academic Positions

GENERAL INFORMATION ON TEACHING POSITIONS IN NUS FACULTY OF LAW

THE Faculty of Law of the National University of Singapore is the leading law school in Asia and is also widely recognised as one of the leading global law schools. It offers a 4-year undergraduate LLB degree. It also offers a 3-year LLB degree for students who have a first degree when they begin their law studies, as well as post-graduate programmes leading to LLM and Ph.D. degrees. It offers specialised LLM degrees in Chinese Law, Corporate & Financial Services Law, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, and International & Comparative Law. The Faculty is also beginning a new specialist LLM programme in International Business Law in Shanghai in collaboration with the East China University of Law and Politics.  Our first semester begins in early August and our second semester begins early January. Each semester has 13 teaching weeks. The NUS Faculty of Law has more than 50 full-time faculty, more than 800 undergraduate students and more than 150 post-graduate students. The recently expanded and renovated CJ Koh Law Library is a world-class facility with more than 150,000 volumes. Terms and conditions at the NUS Faculty of Law are very competitive.

Professorial Appointments  Full-time appointments are made for outstanding academics from leading law schools with an international reputation as leaders in their fields in both research and teaching.  Visiting professorial appointments may also be made and are normally for one semester, or 3 months. In their letter of interest candidates should indicate their area of expertise, the courses they can teach, and for those applying for a visiting appointment, the semester they are interested in visiting.  The Faculty has also established a Distinguished Visitors programme to bring out eminent persons to teach intensive courses in one month.  Distinguished Visitors come to Singapore at the start of the first semester in August or at the start of the second semester in January.  Distinguished Visitors usually offer an intensive course with 24 student contact hours within a 3 to 4 week period.  Visitors are especially welcome in fields in which we offer specialized LLM degrees such as Corporate & Financial Services Law, Intellectual Property & Technology Law and Chinese Law.  

Mid-Level Appointments Contracts for mid-level appointments are normally for three years (subject to extension) and appointees are placed on the tenure track.  Tenured positions may be possible for exceptional candidates.  Candidates should have a post-graduate degree in law (such as LLM or J.S.D.) from a leading law school or a post-graduate degree in another discipline (such as a Ph.D.).  Candidates without a doctorate should have sufficient published research to demonstrate an equivalence.  Candidates should also be experienced law teachers who are able to provide evidence that they have achieved a standard of excellence in both their research and teaching, and they should be able to teach at least one traditional common law subject.  Presently, most full-time mid-level positions are filled (except in the field of Asian law, see paragraphs below), but applications from outstanding candidates currently teaching in world-class law schools will be considered.

Entry-Level Appointments  Contracts for entry-level appointments are normally for three years (subject to extension) and appointees are placed on the tenure track.  Candidates should be among the top students in their cohort in their law studies and should normally have a post-graduate degree in law (such as LLM or J.S.D.) from a leading law school or a post-graduate degree in another discipline (such as a Ph.D.).  Candidates must also be able to provide evidence of potential for achieving a standard of excellence both as teachers and researchers.   Candidates with a minimum of 2 years of experience in government legal service, legal practice or other relevant work are preferred.

SPECIAL AREAS OF EXPERTISE REQUIRED

Asian Law and Comparative Law  The Faculty established an Asian Law Institute in 2003 together with several leading Asian law schools.  Consequently, the Faculty is interested in receiving applications for both visiting appointments and regular appointments (both entry-level and mid-level) from Asian law specialists.  Candidates should have an expertise in one or more legal systems in East Asia, Southeast Asian or South Asia, or they should be interested in comparative legal developments in Asia.  We are also interested in applicants who also have an expertise in civil law, comparative law or Islamic Law.

Maritime Law The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) made a generous grant of S$4 million to NUS in 2003 to establish an MPA Professorship in Maritime Law.  Consequently, funds are available for visiting positions in Maritime Law.  Positions are available both for MPA Visiting Professors for one semester and for MPA Distinguished Visitors for 3-4 weeks. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

General Procedure Applications should be submitted in English and the completed dossier* should be addressed to:
          The Secretary
            Faculty Search Committee
            Faculty of Law
            National University of Singapore
            Eu Tong Sen Building
            469G Bukit Timah Road
            Singapore 259776

Applications may also be sent by fax to (65) 6779 0979 or by email to lawlsfj@nus.edu.sg. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. Candidates who are short-listed can be expected to attend an interview. 

*Applicant’s dossier should include the following:  

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Applications close on 1 December 2009.