Call for Applications: Assistant Prof. of Law, Politics & Public Discourse at UC Berkeley

We have the following call for applications: 

The Department of Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley, invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in Law, Politics, and Public Discourse, with an expected start date of July 1, 2027.

The Department seeks applications from candidates with an active research agenda in the interdisciplinary study of law and/or politics. The position is open to applicants whose research and teaching critically engage with the rhetoric and traditions of politics and political thought, legal thought, legal history, law & humanities, and/or sociolegal studies. The position is open in terms of specialization, historical period, and geographical area. We especially welcome candidates whose research in law and/or politics contributes to the Department’s historical and existing strengths in aesthetics, gender and sexuality, religion, science and technology, and the environment. Applicants should demonstrate evidence of a strong humanistic and/or theoretical research agenda and excellent scholarly potential in areas that complement the interdisciplinary profile of the Department. Responsibilities include teaching graduate seminars and undergraduate courses in the Department's Public Discourse concentration, mentoring graduate students in the Ph.D. program, and participating in departmental and campus life. 

Rhetoric is a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary department distinguished by its ongoing interrogation of existing and emerging fields of knowledge at their boundaries. While the Department is open to all disciplines in the humanities and the humanistic social sciences, it strongly values theoretical approaches that cross conventional disciplinary divisions. For more information about Rhetoric, visit Home | Rhetoric.

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit the Office for Faculty Equity and Welfare

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-- Karen Tani 

Tulane Law Job Announcement

[We have the following announcement.  Note the openness to candidates in all topics, despite the specific emphasis on corporate law and torts.  Tulane would be a terrific place for a legal historian of the civil law world and/or a comparative legal history.  DRE.]

Tulane University Law School invites applications from entry-level and lateral candidates for one or more tenure-track faculty positions. We welcome applications from candidates with teaching and research interests in all topics, but we are particularly interested in candidates who focus on (1) business and corporate law (at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor rank) and (2) tort law (at the Assistant Professor rank). To learn more about the law school, visit our website. 

Please apply at [here].  All inquiries about the positions should be directed to: Sally Richardson, A.D. Freeman, Professor of Civil Law, Tulane University Law School, richardson@tulane.edu.

About Tulane University.  Tulane University is an equal opportunity educator and employer committed to providing an education and employment environment free of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Legally protected demographic classifications (such as a person’s race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, shared ancestry, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws) are not relied upon as an eligibility, selection or participation criteria for Tulane’s employment or educational programs or activities.

Alan Rodger Postgraduate Visiting Researcher

 [We have the following announcement, via H-Law.  DRE]

The University of Glasgow School of Law invites applications from PhD students in Roman law/legal history for the post of Alan Rodger Postgraduate Visiting Researcher, to be held during the 2026/27 academic year. The selected candidate will spend a term in Glasgow and receive a £2,000 award for support, and will be encouraged to speak to students and at research seminars.  The deadline for applications is 26 June 2026.

The post was established in memory of Lord Rodger of Earlsferry (1944-2011), Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and scholar of Roman law and legal history.

Ernest Metzger
Douglas Professor of Civil Law
The School of Law,
Stair Building
5 - 8 The Square
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ
United Kingdom

MPI Seeks a Doctoral Student

[We have the following announcement.  DRE.]

The Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt/Main is a world leading research institute with a staff of more than 150. Its three departments with more than 70 scholars, the unrivalled collections of its specialized library and its numerous national and international co-operations make it the central research hub for a global scientific community investigating the past, present and future of legal regimes.

We are looking to recruit as of 1 November 2026 one Doctoral Student (m/f/d) for the DFG Research
Training Group "Organizing Architectures¨. The DFG Research Training Group "Organising Architectures" (3022), in which the Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, the Technical University of Darmstadt, the University of Kassel and our institute are involved, focuses on architecture as the organized, collective shaping of modern societies through institutions, networks and discourses. This focus is based on the assumption that observation of social orders cannot b e separated from architectural formations and that these, like the respective architectures, arise through specific, complex social negotiation processes. A detailed description of the graduate school and more detailed information on pplications can be found [here].

We are also offering an online information event where we will present the research concept, the study program and the future working methods of the college, and will of course be available to answer any questions.  Registration is not required. The link to participate can be found on the website mentioned above. 

Your profile.  We welcome applications that demonstrate a serious interest in legal history or in a historical discipline that addresses questions of normativity, as well as a willingness to combine this with the thematic fields ofarchitecture and urban planning.

We expect a qualified, above-average university degree in law or history. Additionally, we expect  a willingness to work in an interdisciplinary manner and ideally initial experience in this, the ability, eagerness and readiness to work in a team, presence at Frankfurt and good German or English skills, as well as the willingness to learn the other language.

Our offer.  You will have unlimited access to our world leading library and a multitude of databases. You will be provided with a work space and will receive extensive academic and administrative support. There are generous grants for research trips to archives and libraries, as well as for attending conferences. A variety of personal and career development opportunities is available, including funding for German language classes. We offer an attractive and international work environment with an unparalleled research infrastructure and a good working atmosphere. The job is a full time position (currently 39 hours per week). While you will be based in Frankfurt/Main. The payment is currently £á3,185.72 per month (gross) in the first year, which equals approximately £á2,163 after taxes in the first year and £á2,301 in the second year, depending on family circumstances, plus a special annual payment.. The position is a fixed-term appointment for three years, with the possibility of renewal for a further year.

We welcome all applications, regardless of nationality, ethnic and social background, religion
 and age. We are striving to increase the proportion of female researchers and staff and therefore particularly encourage women to apply. Severely disabled people with the same abilities and qualifications will be given priority. The college also offers support in balancing family and work; there are generous opportunities for mobile working (at present, up to 40 per cent per month). Due to the collaborative nature of the interdisciplinary group, active participation in the qualification and study programme of the research training group is expected.

Application procedure.  Please submit the following application documents in German or English:

• A cover letter explaining your motivation for pursuing a doctorate in the Research Training Group, stating in which of the participating disciplines you are pursing your doctorate;
• CV with information on your course of study and language skills and your academic certificates (scanned).

Please also submit a separate, anonymized file (max. 1 MB) containing a detailed research expose of a maximum of 3 pages plus a bibliography for a doctoral project taking into account the academic program of the Research Training Group. Please indicate here in which supervisor(s) from among the Principal Investigators of the Research Training Group you prefer. Your application must be submitted online via our application form by the closing date of 7 April 2026. The selection interviews will take place in the beginning of June 2026.

Contact.  Informal enquiries may be directed to PD Dr. Peter Collin (collin@lhlt.mpg.de) or - as far as it generally concerns the activities of the Research Training Group ¡V to the coordinator of the research training group, Friederike Weidner (f.weidner@kunst.uni-frankfurt.de). For questions as to the terms and conditions of employment please contact Anna Heym (jobs@lhlt.mpg.de).

US Legal History VAP at University of Florida

[Via H-Law, we have the following announcement.  DRE] 

The Department of History at the University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, invites applications for a full-time, time-limited, nine-month, non-tenure-accruing position at the rank of Visiting Assistant Professor, beginning August 16, 2026, in United States legal history. 

The successful candidate will teach five courses during the academic year, and should be able to contribute to the Department of History’s intellectual growth and emphasis upon interdisciplinary and collaborative research.  The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, and the compensation includes a full benefits package.  UF offers a strong benefits package for eligible faculty appointments, including health insurance, paid leave (as applicable), and retirement options.... 

Applicants should have completed a Ph.D. in History by August 15, 2026.  We have a preference for candidates whose scholarship and teaching emphasize 19th and/or 20th century US history.  The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching a diverse body of undergraduate and graduate students in Gainesville, Florida.  For full consideration, applications must be submitted online: Details - Visiting Assistant Professor, US Legal History

A complete application includes:

• Letter of application summarizing the applicant's qualifications, interests, and suitability for the position
• A statement on teaching goals
• A complete curriculum vitae
• Names and contact information for three professional references 

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date. Review of applications will begin on March 24, 2026 and will continue until a successful applicant is selected.

All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.

The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States require evaluation by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found [here].

Contact Information: Professor Ben Wise, benwise@ufl.edu

Weekend Roundup

• Via H-Net: a University of Chicago job posting for an "Instructional Professor in Law, Letters, and Society."  

• Daniel Kuehn discusses a paper W. E. B. Du Bois wrote when he was a Harvard graduate student that, Kuehn argues, anticipated important insights in marginalist wage theory (AEA).

• The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia has opened a new gallery, titled “America’s Founding.” Per local reporting, it "provides attendees with an interactive experience on the early conflicts leading up to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, including early protests, the American Revolution and the adoption of the Bill of Rights." 

• The National Constitution Center has announced the appointment of Jon Meacham as its Semiquincentennial Scholar, "a one-year appointment designed to anchor the Center’s intellectual and civic programming celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary" (NCC).

• In related news, the ARC Justice Clinic at Penn Carey Law, representing the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition and The Black Journey, has filed an amicus brief in City of Philadelphia v. Burgum, et al. As the Clinic's website explains, "[t]he case concerns the removal of educational exhibits about slavery from the President’s House Site near Independence Hall, where President George Washington enslaved nine people in the late eighteenth century." Read the brief here. 

• From In Custodia Legis: an invitation to "watch a recording of a Kluge Center Event 'Testing for Witches in 16th Century Germany.'"  

• Rory Cox on Hittite Laws of War, summarizing a chapter in the fourth volume of Laws of Yesterday’s Wars (Brill), edited by Samuel White.   

• Alexandra Natapoff, Harvard Law School, has launched Rule of Law 101, a free, ten-part video series, which "features world-class legal experts from top law schools around the nation explaining and analyzing important decisions by the Supreme Court" (Harvard Law Today).  

• Jud Campbell, Jonathan Gienapp, and Orin Kerr discuss originalism before Stanford Law students in a recording appearing in the Institute for Justice's Short Circuit Podcast. 

•  On April 14, 2026 at 10:00am (EDT), the Modern Criminal Law Review will hold a book forum live on YouTube on  David Garland’s Law and Order Leviathan: America’s Extraordinary Regime of Policing and Punishment (Princeton 2025).  In addition to Professor Garland, the panelists include Amna Akbar, University of Minnesota, Law; Patricia Faraldo Cabana and José Ángel Brandariz García, University of A Coruña, Law; Katja Franko, University of Oslo, Criminology, Rocío Lorca, University of Chile, Law; and Sara Wakefield, Rutgers University, Criminal Justice.  Register here.

• ICYMI: Six Black Legal Trailblazers (Solove Law).  Trailblazing Black Ohio Lawyers (CNO).  The descendants of Plessy and of Ferguson at Tulane Law.   

Weekend Roundup is a weekly feature compiled by all the Legal History bloggers.

Weekend Roundup

• A historian's' amicus brief, sponsored by the Brennan Center for Justice, has been filed in United States v. Hemani, "a constitutional challenge to a federal statute prohibiting any individual who 'is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance' from possessing a firearm." The signatories are Holly Brewer, Saul Cornell, Brian DeLay, Randolph Roth, Simon Stern, Stephen Taylor, and William Treanor.  

• The life and legacy of John Hope Franklin, an episode of the radio program, Black America (KUT).

• A recording of that Federalist Society panel on originalism and birthright citizenship, including Kurt Lash, Amanda Frost, and Keith Whittington, is here.   

• The John Carter Brown Library, Brown University, seeks a research associate to "undertake directed research and produce public-facing and scholarly work on histories and legacies of religions and freedom in the early Americas with an emphasis on the eighteenth century." 

• Jessica Lake will discuss her book, Special Damage: The Slander of Women and the Gendered History of Defamation Law at UVA Law on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, from 5-6 p.m.  

• The schedule has been announced for that symposium at Boston College on February 20 to honor the life and work of the late  Ken Kersch.   

• In memoriam: Daniel Walker Howe (UCLA).

• Lady Margaret Hall's notice of the ASLH and Cromwell Foundations award of its William Nelson Cromwell Article Prize to Grace Mallon.

• The January 2026 newsletter of the Historical Society of the District of Columbia Circuit is here. 

• 
  The Merced County [CA] Historical Society has released its book, Old Courthouse: 150 Years, 150 Stories (Merced Sun-Star). 

• "Talbot Publishing, an imprint of The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., is pleased to announce the publication of M.H. Hoeflich and John Moreland’s Little Law Books."

• Alex Wellerstein discusses his new book, The Most Awful Responsibility: Truman and the Secret Struggle for Control of the Atomic Age (LGM Podcast). 

• The finalists for the African American Intellectual History Society's Pauli Murray Book Prize in Black Intellectual History (Black Perspectives).

• Gregory P. Downs and Kate Masur on "Jan. 6 and the Long Shadow of Civil War- and Reconstruction-Era Political Violence" (Talking Points Memo).

• ICYMI: Jack Rakove on what’s wrong with The American Revolution by Ken Burns (Washington Monthly).  Anna O. Law on birthright citizenship, in an interview heralding her book (The Redoubt).  Max Skjönsberg on Maitland, Smith, and Laissez-Faire (Law and Liberty).  Ilya Somin on Chief Justice Roberts on the Declaration of Independence (Volokh Conspiracy). A Timeline of Divorce in America (History).

Weekend Roundup is a weekly feature compiled by all the Legal History bloggers.

Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Centre for Legal History of India

[We have the following announcement.  DRE]

The newly established Centre for Legal History of India (CLHI) at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt, Germany, has just advertised three PhD positions and a postdoc position in the field of Indian legal history, all of which are fully funded. 

[The CLHI] is dedicated to advancing research and academic collaboration in the field of Indian legal history. Its primary objective is to strengthen and professionalize the discipline by providing training, mentorship, and resources to doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, equipping them to produce high-quality scholarship.

The Centre seeks to foster a collaborative environment where scholars can engage in critical dialogue about both the current state and future scope of research and pedagogy in this diverse field. Building on a multilateral network connecting institutions and researchers within India and internationally, the Centre showcases the richness and breadth of Indian legal history, identifying areas of common ground while highlighting the diversity of legal traditions and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Indian legal history has long been a significant focus in the Department of European and Comparative Legal History, especially in the context of the study of legal transfers within the common law world. Given the central role of the Indian subcontinent in the history of the British Empire and the deep and varied legal traditions therein, the Centre aims to contribute towards developing legal history in India as a distinct and valuable field of study that merits dedicated resources and sustained scholarly attention.

The Centre maintains formal collaborations with leading Indian law schools NLSIU Bangalore and NALSAR. It is supported by a Centre Advisory Council and has a dedicated visitors’ programme.

Weekend Roundup

• Caitlin Tully, a Ph.D. candidate in History at Princeton University, has published an essay in The Atlantic: "The Court has an Easy Answer on the Fed."  

• From Time's "Made by History": Douglas Boin (Saint Louis University) on "How Patriarchy Undermined the Roman Republic."   

• Malick W. Ghachem, MIT, discusses his book The Company and the Colony: Haiti after the Mississippi Bubble with Gerald Horne on the “Freedom Now” program on KPFK radio.

• Jill Hasday, Minnesota Law, discussed her book We the Men: How Forgetting Women’s Struggles for Equality Perpetuates Inequality with Kate Shaw on the Strict Scrutiny podcast.

• Allen Boyer reviews Kathryn Schumaker's Tangled Fortunes (Mississippi Books Page).   

• We've spotted an advertisement for a predoc university assistantship with Prof. Dr. Lena Foljanty, Chair for Globalisation and Legal Pluralism, at the Department of Legal and Constitutional History at the University of Vienna. 

• Lawbook Exchange's November 2025 catalogue on Scholarly Law and Legal History (Part 1; Part 2).

• ICYMI:  A Very Short History of Freedom of Speech by Oliver Bramley (Constitution Society). How Germany's Nuremberg trial for Nazi crimes transformed international law (rfi).

Weekend Roundup is a weekly feature compiled by all the Legal History bloggers.

ABF Seeks Executive Director

[We have the following announcement from the search firm Isaacson, Miller.  DRE]

The American Bar Foundation (ABF), a cornerstone and wellspring of the global socio-legal research community, seeks a committed, curious, and strategic leader to propel this historic institution forward as its next Executive Director (ED). As the nation’s premier independent, non-partisan research institute operating at the intersection of law and society, the ABF produces deeply resourced, inquiry-driven scholarship of the highest quality to inform and guide the legal profession, the academy, and the public conversation on matters of law and its influence in the United States and internationally. The ABF’s next ED will eagerly invest in the ABF’s dedicated community of researchers, staff, and partners and will champion the institution’s commitment to expanding knowledge and advancing justice.

The ABF’s commitment to academic freedom and staunchly independent and interdisciplinary approach yields scholarly and actionable research that individuals and institutions use to shape laws, inform policy, and influence society. The ABF’s intellectual community is robust and comprises full- and part-time research professors, visiting scholars, and affiliated researchers who explore legal education, access to justice, legal practice, and the design, implementation, and impact of laws. The institution also benefits from a 16,000-plus-member honors society of licensed attorneys – the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation – who gain valuable insights from the ABF’s scholarly findings, provide material support to the ABF, and generously donate their time and expertise as renowned practitioners and scholars.

The ABF is governed by a 25-member board of directors. Its FY2025 operating budget totaled $9.1 million, most of which was derived from support from the American Bar Endowment (ABE) and the ABF Fellows. It also benefits from an institutional endowment of $35.5 million. The ABF maintains a faculty of 19 full-time and jointly appointed researchers and 39 full-time and part-time staff members.

Reporting to the board, the Executive Director ensures that the ABF’s research, operations, communications, and development strategies work harmoniously to sustain and grow its impact and visibility. The next ED will embrace their role as an intellectual leader, facilitating research and mentoring junior research faculty, and will be an effective external representative, enriching the ABF’s scholarly community, expanding its resources, and bolstering its operations and capacities. They will uphold the highest standards of integrity, independence, and scholarly rigor while articulating and championing the practical applications and outcomes of the ABF’s research with the ABE, the ABF Fellows, donors, and others. The ED will be an attentive administrative leader and an effective liaison among ABF faculty, staff, and the board, and will promote a culture of inclusivity, teamwork, and respect.

Salary and Benefits.  The anticipated salary range for this position is $290,000-$320,000. Full-time benefits currently include medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid sick leave; paid vacation; paid holidays (including a week-long winter holiday recess); paid family/medical leave after one year of employment; FSA or HSA; 403(b) retirement plan with employer match and nonelective contribution; transit and parking benefits, including discounted parking; employee assistance program; and more.

Location and Commitment.  The ED must reside within a daily commutable distance of the ABF’s offices in Chicago, IL. This role requires a consistent presence in the office, as well as regular travel.

All applications, inquiries, and nominations should be submitted electronically and in confidence below. Screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until the search process is completed.  Vijay Saraswat and Gale Merseth are leading this search with Tatiana Oberkoetter and Elizabeth Arvanitis.

The ABF is firmly committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons. All decisions regarding the terms, privileges, and/or conditions of employment, including but not limited to hiring, classification, grading, recruitment, discharge, discipline, compensation, selection for training or apprenticeship, placement, promotion, transfer, renewal of employment, tenure or terms, and benefits, will be made without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, disability, military status, unfavorable discharge from the military, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, housing status, parental status, source of income, certain arrest or criminal history records, genetic information, protected activity (such as opposition to or reporting of prohibited discrimination or harassment), or any other status or classification protected by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. The ABF prohibits discrimination, retaliation, and harassment of individuals on any of the bases listed above and any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, and/or local law.

Tulane's Ashton Phelps Chair in Constitutional Law

[We have the following announcement.  DRE.]

Ashton Phelps Chair in Constitutional Law

Tulane University Law School invites nominations and applications for the Ashton Phelps Chair in Constitutional Law. We seek an academic leader with a record of distinguished scholarship, excellence in teaching, and the demonstrated capacity to direct a well-established program in their respective fields. The appointment will be made at the level of tenured, full professor. 

The responsibilities of the chair holder include scholarly research and publication; classroom teaching; and participation in faculty governance. The chair holder is also expected to be actively engaged with faculty both within the Law School and throughout the University, providing leadership for integrative research activities and significant engagement with academic institutions and professional organizations in their respective fields. The chair holder is expected to provide leadership in terms of research, curriculum, and public engagement. Tulane Law School, with world-leading strength in environmental, energy, maritime, as well as international and comparative law, provides the chair holder with the unique opportunity and support to lead and expand an already prominent program in these areas. Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

Qualifications.  The qualifications required for the chair are:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) and/or Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) in Law
• Broad recognition for scholarly distinction
• Established publication record
• Clearly developed long term research agenda
• Extensive teaching experience 
• Demonstrated capacity for programmatic leadership 

Application Instructions.  Please apply using this Interfolio link and be prepared to submit your C.V., writing sample, teaching evaluations, and a transcript as part of your application. 

All inquiries about the positions should be directed to:
Stephen M. Griffin
W.R. Irby Chair in Law
Tulane University Law School
sgriffin@tulane.edu

Environmental Legal History Job at Texas A&M

[Via H-Law, we have the following job announcement.  But see this.  DRE]

The Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University invites applications for a full-time tenured Associate Professor of Environmental History, with an emphasis on questions of law, justice, or governance, to begin in the fall of 2026. We encourage applications from scholars whose work addresses any time period or place, but successful applicants will extend and expand department strengths in multiple research areas and be willing to engage in intellectual exchange connected to borderlands studies. For more on the department’s exceptional research, see our faculty listing. The successful candidate will maintain an ambitious, productive research agenda, teach two courses per semester, recruit and train outstanding students, and participate in university and professional affairs.

This position is part of a cluster hire made possible by the generous support of the Mellon Foundation. Hired faculty are appointed, and undergo review and promotion, in their home departments. Hired faculty are also expected to contribute to the interdisciplinary environmental undergraduate program, which is advancing environmental humanities curriculum. Hired faculty will be affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences’ Environmental and Sustainability Initiative and the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute (RESI). In addition to the title of Associate Professor with tenure, for their first three years hired faculty will be identified as “Mellon-RESI Scholar,” leveraging their expertise to engage with, and contribute to, the scope of the Mellon-funded LatinTX  environmental humanities initiative. This initiative seeks to build a collaborative community of scholars from across the humanities converging to advance transformative conversations toward better responses to everyday environmental issues in borderland communities in Texas and beyond. Additional resources are earmarked to support the cluster hire faculty both individually and in their collaborative efforts.

Texas A&M University is a Top 20 public research institution and among the largest universities in the United States. It is a land, sea, and space grant institution that holds the distinction of classification as an R1 Doctoral University (Highest Research Activity), and faculty benefit from the resources and support associated with this designation. Texas A&M is also federally designated as a Hispanic-serving Institution.

Our department is committed to broadening participation in higher education and has a policy of being responsive to the needs of dual-career couples. The department is interested in candidates who, through their research, teaching, and/or service, will contribute to the breadth and excellence of the academic community, as well as the educational needs of the population of Texas and the global community.

Located in College Station, the university is 90 miles from Houston, 100 miles from Austin, and 165 miles from Dallas. The Bryan-College Station metropolitan area has over 160,000 residents and is experiencing rapid job growth.

Qualifications.  The successful candidate must have a PhD in history or a related field.

Contact Information. For queries about the position please contact historydept@tamu.edu. All application materials must be submitted through or uploaded to Interfolio https://apply.interfolio.com/173967. To apply please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, personal statement to include philosophy and plans for research, teaching, and service, and names and contact information of three references. 

Review of applications will begin on October 31, 2025.  Closing Date: November 1, 2025.

JSCH: Call for an Editor

[We have the following call from the Supreme Court Historical Society for an Editor and Chair of Board of Editors for the Journal of Supreme Court History.  DRE]

The Supreme Court Historical Society invites applications for an Editor to Chair the Board of Editors of its flagship publication:  Journal of Supreme Court History. The Journal, published three times a year in print by Johns Hopkins University Press, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Previous Editors were Melvin I. Urofsky, Timothy S. Huebner and Ross E. Davies. The Journal’s readership includes scholars in a variety of fields, as well as judges, practicing attorneys, and students. Because it seeks to engage and inform scholars and non-scholars alike, the Journal of Supreme Court History values clear narrative prose and original historical research. The Journal uses photographs, cartoons, documents, engravings, and oil portraits to compellingly illustrate articles. 

The Editor will work under the guidance of the Executive Editor, Clare Cushman of the Supreme Court Historical Society (SCHS), which funds the publication. Helen Knowles-Gardner is the Managing Editor responsible for the daily management of the publication and its editing and production. The SCHS is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to preserving, collecting, and disseminating the history of the Supreme Court of the United States.

While this is a non-paid position, travel expenses to attend relevant conferences, such as the American Society for Legal History, will be subsidized.  Interested scholars should send an electronic version of their current c.v. and a statement of why they are interested in the position by November 19, 2025, to Clare Cushman: ccushman@supremecourthistory.org. 

The Chair of the Board of Editors of the Journal of Supreme Court History carries out the following duties:

• Recruits authors to write for the Journal.  Recruiting articles involves reaching out to potential authors via email or phone, attending the American Society for Legal History annual meeting and other relevant conferences, and consulting with Board members about possible submissions.  Frequent follow up messages to potential authors ensures that the Journal continues to receive a steady stream of potential articles. 

• Reviews articles in consultation with the Associate Editor and the Managing Editor of the Journal.  This is the most frequent duty—keeping up with articles as they come in.  Normally, both the Editor and Associate Editor send written comments on each article to the Managing Editor, who edits and synthesizes them before sending them to the author.  The Journal prides itself on its quick turnaround—notifying authors of a decision within six weeks of submission.

• Writes an Introduction (approximately 1,000 words) for each issue of the Journal.  The Introduction usually offers some remarks on the content of the Journal, including all articles and book reviews, and must be written by the deadline given by the Managing Editor. 

• Engages in final review of articles and book review(s) prior to publication.  While writing the Introduction, the Editor should engage in a final review of the articles and any book reviews and notify the Managing Editor of any mistakes. 

• Schedules, presides over, and sends out summaries of regular meetings of the Board of Editors.  Regular Board meetings are critical to the smooth operation of the Journal and are held in summer and winter, every six months.  The Editor and the Executive Editor usually work on an agenda together, which typically includes any updates from the Supreme Court Historical Society and any matters pertinent to the publication of the Journal.  

• Oversees the issuing of the three awards given by the Journal.  These include the Hughes Gossett Award (given annually for the best article published in the Journal), and the Hughes Gossett Student Award (given for the best student article submitted).  The Editor notifies the Board in the spring of each year which articles are eligible for the Hughes Gossett Award, and all Board members (including the Editor) communicate their votes to the Managing Editor.  The Editor and the previous year’s winner of the Hughes Gossett Award decide the winner of the Hughes Gossett Student Award.   

• Interviews an article author from each issue of the Journal, to be posted on the Supreme Court Historical Society’s YouTube Channel.  This series is called “Breaking History” and is posted three times a year, just after the publication of each issue.  Interviews are 20 minutes in length. 

Job Alert: Constitutional Law and Legal History

[We note the following advertisement for an Assistant Professor of U.S. Constitutional Law and Legal History in the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  DRE.]

The Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri invites applications for an
interdisciplinary, assistant professor tenure-track job in U.S. Constitutional Law and Legal History. Candidates from history, political science, and joint JD/PhDs are encouraged to apply, though all applicants should have PhD in hand by 1 August 2026. Depending on their expertise, the holder of this position will have an academic home in either the Department of History or the Truman School of Government and Public Affairs. The search committee is looking for candidates whose research and teaching focuses on the constitutional development, public law, and legal history of the United States in the chronological period

Minimum Qualifications: Ph.D. in History or Political Science by time of appointment.

Candidates should have an established research trajectory, commensurate with career stage, as well as college-level teaching experience. 

Application Materials.  Use the online application and be prepared to upload your cover letter, CV, list of three reference contacts, and chapter or article length writing sample. The cover letter should include statements on both your research and teaching. 

Applicants may contact the Chair of the Search Committee, Kinder Institute Associate Director Dr. Billy Coleman (colemanw@missouri.edu) with any questions about the job duties. Contact Andrew Longley (Andrew.longley@umsystem.edu) for any questions about the application process. Deadline for applications is October 22; the position will remain open until filled.
Benefit Eligibility

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses.  For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website. 

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.

Job Posting: Berkeley Law's Jurisprudence & Social Policy Program Seeks Applications for an Assistant Professor of Law and History

 We have the following job posting:

The Jurisprudence and Social Policy (JSP) PhD Program in the School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley invites entry-level and early-career lateral applicants for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position focused on law and history. We seek applications from scholars whose primary research focus is law and history in the United States, and also from those engaged in comparative analysis in which American law and history is a component. We seek a scholar versed in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods and theories, and ready to enter into the intellectual life of a unique multidisciplinary PhD Program. Within the broad ambit of law and history our search is open as to the field and/or period of specialization. However, we are particularly interested in candidates whose research relates to race and inequality.

The JSP Program attracts a diverse student body with a variety of experiences before graduate school. The JSP Program is committed to methodological pluralism and encourages scholars who are willing and able to mentor graduate and undergraduate students whose research uses a range of methods. JSP faculty members also teach in Berkeley’s interdisciplinary undergraduate Legal Studies major, which operates under the auspices of JSP.

The JSP Program is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty.

The law school strives to educate responsible, effective, and forward-thinking advocates who serve the public through legal practice, public policy, academic scholarship, and related fields. In doing so, the school addresses some of society’s most pressing challenges by leveraging its strengths in teaching and research to improve law, policy, and public institutions. At the heart of Berkeley Law’s public mission is a commitment to access, affordability, and empowering students from all backgrounds to pursue impactful careers across a wide range of professional paths. For more information, please visit: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/public-mission/.

Read on here.

-- Karen Tani

Brennan Center's Polan Fellowship in Constitutional Law and History

 [We have the following announcement.  DRE.]

The Brennan Center [for Justice] is inviting applications for the 2025-26 class of the Steven M. Polan Fellowship in Constitutional Law and History, a fellowship program aimed at enhancing public understanding and appreciation of the meaning and promise of the United States Constitution. The Fellowship is open to outstanding individuals from an array of professional backgrounds – including historians and other experts in constitutional law and history – working on projects to spur urgently needed debate over the proper understanding of our Constitution at this crucial moment, when new approaches to constitutional interpretation including originalism, incubated by the conservative legal movement over the past half century, have gained traction in the courts. These projects may include conducting legal and historical research, publishing original writing, crafting amicus briefs, organizing symposia and public events, spearheading public education projects, and other activities as appropriate.

Proposals are due by February 15, 2025. These nonresident, part-time fellowships will be one year in duration. Fellows will be awarded compensation in the form of a $40,000 stipend. The Fellowship is open both to experienced individuals with a proven track record of achievement and expertise and to people at earlier stages of their careers who demonstrate the potential to develop into leaders in their field. We’re looking for visionaries who are animated by the challenge of reclaiming our Constitution as an enduring plan of government suited to the needs of a changing country.