Position Details
Position Information
Working Position Title Assistant Professor for Part-Time J.D. Program - Naperville Campus - 2 Positions Classification Title Assistant Professor Position Number 00029419 Posting Date 07/17/2026 Closing Date Priority Review Date 09/18/2026 Business Unit Description Faculty Full-Time/Part Time Full-Time FTE 1.00 Position Status Regular FLSA Exempt Job Code 2000 Union Representation Non-Union Union Code N/A Unit/Department College of Law Faculty College/Unit College of Law Dean Division Academic Division Location NAPERVILLE Link to Department Website or Custom Search Page College of Law
Position Summary, Requirements, and Qualifications
Position Summary, Requirements, and Qualifications
Overview
Northern Illinois University College of Law ("NIU Law") invites applications for two entry-level tenure-track faculty positions to serve its newly launched Part-Time J.D. Program ("PTJD Program" or "Program"). The Program will be based at the NIU Naperville campus, which is approximately 45 minutes from NIU Law's full-time program on the university's main campus in DeKalb. The positions begin August 2027.
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join a growing program from the ground up and help shape legal education for a new generation of working professionals in the dynamic suburban Chicago legal market. The successful candidate will teach in the PTJD Program's first-year-equivalent curriculum, upper division electives in the PTJD Program, and may also teach at the DeKalb campus (especially in the first few years of the PTJD program).
Priority teaching areas are the core first-year equivalent courses (e.g., Torts; Civil Procedure; Criminal Law; Property; Contracts and Constitutional Law) though the College has wide-ranging curricular needs as the new program grows. Candidates with the range and flexibility to teach across multiple doctrinal areas are strongly encouraged to apply.
About NIU Law
As the oldest public law school in northern Illinois, NIU Law has been named a top law school nationally for diversity, value, and careers in public interest/government service. NIU Law provides unique opportunities for its students, beginning with its highly accomplished faculty who are personally invested in the success of every student throughout their professional lives. Although many alumni serve as public interest attorneys, prosecutors, defenders, elected officials, and judges, they are equally prepared for careers as solo practitioners or lawyers in multinational firms. NIU Law is at the heart of a diverse and active university campus of over 16,000 students in DeKalb, Illinois, located near the western suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area.
About the NIU Law Part-Time J.D. Program
NIU Law's new Part-Time J.D. Program (PTJD) will welcome its first class in Fall 2027. The Program is designed for working professionals, career changers, and community-rooted individuals who are ready to earn a rigorous, ABA-accredited law degree without putting their lives on hold. Students in the Naperville PTJD Program earn the same J.D. degree as students in NIU Law's full-time program but over four years.
Position Summary
This position is located at the NIU Law Naperville campus and will primarily focus on teaching in the Part-Time J.D. Program.
Two Campuses, One Law School
Although the PTJD Program will be located in Naperville, it will operate as one law school along with NIU Law's DeKalb location.
Faculty at the PTJD Program are full members of the NIU Law community and will have service commitments that integrate with faculty in DeKalb. Travel to DeKalb for some service commitments, such as attending faculty meetings, is required.
Teaching Responsibilities and Schedule
The PTJD Program's class schedule is built around its students' professional lives. Class formats include:
Professors will be expected to engage in and master in-person, online synchronous, and online asynchronous teaching methods.
In the first few years after hire, this faculty member should expect to carry a blended teaching load. This may include in-person teaching at the Naperville PTJD Program, in-person teaching at NIU Law's full-time J.D. program in DeKalb, or online courses delivered remotely to students at either campus. This arrangement reflects the program's growth trajectory and offers new faculty the opportunity to become fully integrated into the NIU Law community across both campuses.
As the Program grows, teaching loads will shift to focus primarily on the Naperville PTJD Program as course offerings expand. This faculty member will teach four courses per academic year, which is the same teaching load as in the full-time program.
Faculty teaching in the PTJD Program are expected to be physically present on the Naperville campus on at least three days per week during the academic year. This is not a remote position.
NIU Law values faculty members who understand and embrace the distinctive needs of non-traditional law students. Teaching effectiveness, accessibility to students, and a commitment to in-person engagement are central expectations of this role.
In addition to teaching in Naperville, faculty members are expected to attend institutional events and contribute to the broader NIU Law community, which includes Fall Orientation, Spring Commencement in DeKalb, and other key law school events.
Distance Education and Technology
Candidates should have a demonstrated experience with or express a willingness to master synchronous and asynchronous online legal instruction. Professors should also have a commitment to staying current on distance education best practices and emerging instructional technologies.
Preferred candidates will have either a demonstrated capacity for or expressed willingness to master the following:
The ability and willingness to remain proficient and up to date on best practices in distance education is an ongoing expectation of this position, not merely a hiring preference.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be expected to:
Minimum Required Qualifications
Additional Requirements
N/A
Preferred Qualifications
Physical Demands Summary
For physical demands and requirements please see human resources policies and protocols.
Appointment and Compensation Details
Appointment and Compensation Details
Anticipated Appointment Start Date August 16, 2027 Anticipated Appointment End Date Percent of Staff Year 0.75 Standard Hours Per Week 37.50 Salary Commensurate with experience and qualifications, starting at $95,000; NIU offers a robust benefits package. Hourly or Semi-monthly Pay Rate/Range Commensurate with experience and qualifications, starting at $95,000; NIU offers a robust benefits package. Earn Type Salary
Application Procedure
Application Procedure
Application Procedure
To be officially considered, applicants must visit Assistant Professor for the Part-Time J.D. Program - Naperville to create an application profile and submit the following materials by September 18, 2026:
Preference will be given to applications received by September 18, 2026, though applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.
For questions or to express interest, please contact Professor David Rosenfeld, Chair of the Appointments Committee, at niucol@niu.edu
Special Instructions Quick Link to Applicant https://employment.niu.edu/postings/93999 Is Background Check Required Yes EEO Statement Summary
In accordance with applicable statutes and regulations, NIU is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, age, disability (physical and mental), marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (identity and expression), political affiliation, or any other factor unrelated to professional qualifications, and will comply with all applicable federal and state statutes, regulations and orders pertaining to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action.
The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
Ethics and Compliance Officer, Title IX Coordinator
Health Services Building Room 230
TitleIXCoordinator@niu.edu
815-753-5560
Visa Policy
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.
ADA Accommodation
NIU remains committed to ensuring that its recruitment and application procedures include full opportunities for applicants with disabilities. Employment opportunities will not be denied to anyone because of the need to make accommodations for a person's disability during either the application or interview process. An applicant who believes they require an accommodation to participate in the employment process due to a disability may request that accommodation through the Accommodation Request Form. For further assistance, please contact the office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (AAEO) at ada@niu.edu.
Safety Information
NIU provides annual reports on campus security and fire safety.
Read the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
Contact the Ethics and Compliance Office at 815-753-9364 for a hard copy.
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
Optional Documents
Supplemental Questions
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