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Saturday, February 11, 2012
VAPs and Fellowships: Open Thread, 2011-2012
As requested, here is this year's open thread in which comments can be shared regarding news of appointments to VAPs or similar fellowships (for example, the Climenko and Bigelow). (Here is last year's thread.)
Update: We have an aggregator! Below is the spreadsheet, which you can view and download here.
Additionally, this link will always take you to the last page of comments for this thread.
From the aggregator:
The column titles should be self-explanatory. Most columns are populated by dates, each of which may have a descriptor next to it indicating (method of notification) AND/OR [slots filled/total slots].
Dates correspond to the posting date or the date I (VAP Aggregator) received an email directly.
Reports on some programs leave outstanding questions based on the information provided. I have highlighted those in yellow in the hopes folks will provide additional info. (Committees, you are especially encouraged to correct me if I make a mistake!)
Some programs are not running this year (either via their webpage and/or reports). I have marked those rows in gray, but preserved them to help make the spreadsheet reusable next year.
Submit any questions/comments/corrections to vapaggregator (at) gmail (dot) com.
Posted by Sarah Lawsky on February 11, 2012 at 10:57 AM in Getting a Job on the Law Teaching Market | Permalink
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Comments
Thanks for this. I'm very interested to hear which VAP/fellowship programs have been in contact with applicants. I know that Bigelow at Chicago and the Lawyering Program at NYU have done some interviews, but besides that I haven't heard anything. anyone know?
Posted by: anon | Nov 14, 2011 11:08:28 AM
Chicago-Kent is in open application season
Posted by: anon | Nov 14, 2011 12:50:07 PM
Both Illinois and BU said they are looking at applications starting in January.
Posted by: Dream On | Nov 14, 2011 12:59:18 PM
Loyola LA's Tax VAP has been conducting screening interviews.
Posted by: a2 | Nov 14, 2011 1:13:56 PM
Same question as on the other thread... does anyone know the status of Texas's Emerging Scholars Program?
Posted by: anon | Nov 14, 2011 2:03:43 PM
Re: Texas. The program is not running this year. It seems it is down for the count.
Posted by: anon | Nov 14, 2011 3:03:56 PM
Does the VAP application process ever require a jobtalk, or is the app package, recos, and an interview or two usually it?
& Can anyone recommend a good online resource for sample research agendas? Thanks!
Posted by: junior mint | Nov 14, 2011 4:17:12 PM
Where are people finding these VAP postings. Although I know of the list at TaxLawProf, many of those links are outdated. Also, there must be another source, since the link to the Chicago-Kent VAP does not show that they are currently taking applications, it just shows that they weren't taking them last year.
Posted by: anon | Nov 14, 2011 6:55:05 PM
The Stetson Jacob Fellow program did require a job talk. I don't know that very many others do.
Posted by: anon | Nov 14, 2011 7:03:32 PM
Having done the VAP/fellowship hunt the last few years, sadly, I didn't find an up-to-date list of all of them. The Taxprof post was invaluable, but I also found out about others through random blog posts and tweets. Word of mouth was also key, and I found out about three or four fellowships, including the job I'm in now, from law professors I know who forwarded me announcements they thought I might find interesting. The job I'm in now was announced on a lawprof mailing list; a former professor of mine saw the email, knew I was interested in that sort of program, and forwarded it to me urging me to apply. So definitely keep in touch with your former professors and let them know you're interested.
Posted by: Roger | Nov 14, 2011 7:13:38 PM
Has anyone heard from the Climenko program?
Posted by: anon | Nov 15, 2011 9:44:04 AM
Lewis & Clark sent out an email advertising their VAP program.
Posted by: anotherduda | Nov 15, 2011 10:30:20 AM
Would it be possible to repost the Lewis & Clark info here? I can't find it in an obvious place on their website.
Related: I worry that there's an incentive for people applying for VAPs not to share information about open positions, so if any faculty are able to share openings or opportunities at their schools, it would be appreciated!
Posted by: anon2.0 | Nov 15, 2011 11:03:33 AM
Contents of the email I received from Lewis & Clark are copied here:
Greetings!
Lewis & Clark Law School is now accepting applications for a visiting assistant professor position (VAP) for a two-year term for
fall 2012-spring 2014 in its environmental and natural resources law program. For more information go to our website at:
http://law.lclark.edu/programs/environmental_and_natural_resources_law/distinguished_environmental_law_scholar/visiting_assistant_professor/
Posted by: Prawf Hopeful | Nov 15, 2011 1:28:50 PM
Has anyone heard from GW's new program?
Posted by: District denizen | Nov 15, 2011 2:55:21 PM
thanks prawf hopeful!
Posted by: anon2.0 | Nov 15, 2011 3:23:45 PM
A number of VAPs require jobtalks, including the Bigelow, the program at Stetson, and Chicago Kent.
Stetson interivewed people at AALS, but for all I know they may also be doing non-AALS interviews. I can also confirm that Chicago has done at least some screening interviews by phone.
Has anyone heard anything from the Bigelow program after doing the phone interview, or from Stetson after doing the AALS interview?
Posted by: anon | Nov 15, 2011 4:56:14 PM
The idea of doing a job talk as a VAP is confusing. Isn't the main point of VAPs to help one develop things like a job talk? At least, that's the way it used to be.
Posted by: anon | Nov 15, 2011 5:48:36 PM
Thanks for the response, anon @ 4:56. It's a bit confusing when the postings on the schools' websites are so vague. (As anon at 5:48 points out, if I had a job talk, I would have gone to AALS.)
Posted by: junior mint | Nov 15, 2011 5:53:13 PM
As far as I know the Bigelow does not require a job talk. It does require a a day of interviews and questions about the applicant's research agenda.
Posted by: a2 | Nov 15, 2011 6:16:49 PM
This is anon at 4:56. I stand corrected on the Bigelow program. I know they fly you to Chicago for a day of interviews, and I thought I remember hearing there was a job talk, but I don't really remember.
I believe that many of the VAP programs do not require a job talk. The Climenko doesn't (or at least didn't a couple years ago).
The job talk shouldn't really be seen as a huge obstacle. I interviewed with a number of VAP programs a few couple of years ago, and every screening interview had the same basic set up: why do you want to be a VAP? Describe the project you would work on as a VAP. Q&A to follow on the work in progress. Although I have published papers, no one wanted to talk about them---the focus was on what I would write as a VAP. So every interview was really a mini job talk. For an actual job talk, just expand your summary a bit. By the way, for programs that require a job talk, I think expectations are a bit lower than tenure track, and I would guess that an outline would be sufficient.
I hate to say it, but if you don't have any specific ideas for what you would write as a VAP, I think you may have a very hard time on the market (unless maybe you are a SCOTUS clerk or something)
Posted by: anon | Nov 15, 2011 7:56:34 PM
Thanks, that's very interesting. My understanding is that a TT jobtalk really does require a full-length, basically complete and very polished LR article that forms the basis for the talk, and while I do have published pieces and an agenda for future ones, I don't have anything current to speak on. The possibility that a VAP jobtalk might not require that type of written work product (i.e. a candidate can circulate an old article but talk mainly about future ones) makes sense and seems in line with what VAPs are supposedly about.
Posted by: junior mint | Nov 15, 2011 9:24:34 PM
Does anyone have a rough sense of how many candidates compete for these slots, i.e. what size is the applicant pool for GW, Bigelow, Stetson, etc.?
Posted by: vappable | Nov 16, 2011 5:33:01 PM
I don't know how big the applicant pool is, but it seems like a lot of people who are on the AALS tenure-track market are also applying for VAPs as a backup. I could be wrong, I am not one of them, but I know that Harvard and other schools encourage their alums to apply for VAPs in case a tenure-track gig doesn't pan out. This is too bad for us applicants who are applying for VAPs because we still need time to develop some scholarship. As junior mint said, that's what they're supposed to be about.
Posted by: anon | Nov 17, 2011 7:38:30 AM
ugh, i wonder if that means the harvard vap goes to one of their own alums.
Posted by: pippi | Nov 17, 2011 10:31:29 AM
NYU has been conducting interviews as well.
Posted by: anon | Nov 18, 2011 7:52:22 AM
Stetson has made callbacks.
Posted by: Dream On | Nov 28, 2011 8:30:21 PM
Stanford is doing phone interviews for its Legal Research & Writing fellowship.
Posted by: anon | Nov 30, 2011 6:11:41 PM
Is Brooklyn doing a VAP program this coming year?
Posted by: anon 3.0 | Dec 1, 2011 4:37:18 PM
I emailed Brooklyn about their VAP a few weeks ago. They said they would be looking in the spring after they were finished their tenure track hiring process. So watch the website for updates.
Posted by: anon | Dec 1, 2011 4:48:05 PM
I've noticed a (very) wide spread in timing on the VAP application process. I sent out a few apps in November, and haven't heard back - even confirmations of receipt - yet.
Is that normal? My gut instinct it to assume yes, and that faculties are busy with tenure-track hiring and end-of-semester issues, but want to check and see if anyone finds this odd/worth a follow-up.
Posted by: anon | Dec 5, 2011 11:42:07 PM
A couple of schools very kindly told me that they got my application but they wouldn't be looking at VAP/fellowship applications until January at the earliest-- they're tied up with the tenure track reviews. So I wouldn't be surprised if some of your schools just haven't turned to that part of the process yet. That said, places like Stanford/Chicago (Harvard?) have all done some form of interview, so if you haven't heard from them, you may not be going to.
Posted by: Dream On | Dec 6, 2011 10:51:38 AM
Has anybody actually heard anything from Harvard (as distinct from Stanford/Chicago)?
Posted by: anon 3.0 | Dec 7, 2011 4:21:21 PM
Yes Harvard has done some Climenko interviews.
Posted by: Anon | Dec 7, 2011 9:31:47 PM
has anyone gotten a climenko rejection, or are the choices just a) phone call or b) silence?
Posted by: junior mint | Dec 13, 2011 12:28:39 PM
NYU Lawyering has made some offers.
Posted by: anon | Dec 16, 2011 7:37:18 AM
NYU Lawyering made some offers? I was told by the committee that they would probably not make any decisions until February/March. Did you get an offer from the NYU Lawyering program after getting an offer elsewhere and then contacting the NYU folks, or did your offer come unsolicited?
Posted by: anon | Dec 16, 2011 3:50:13 PM
I didn't personally get an offer, but I'm very sure that they have made some, from knowing other people who are on the VAP market. just trying to share info, however tenuous it may be!
Posted by: anon | Dec 16, 2011 5:46:43 PM
Climenko has also made offers.
Posted by: anon | Dec 16, 2011 7:50:53 PM
Bigelow has also contacted some applicants to ask for additional writing samples.
Posted by: anon | Dec 20, 2011 9:14:05 PM
re Bigelow: Are these pre or post callback requests?
Posted by: a2 | Dec 21, 2011 10:50:23 AM
Re Bigelow, my request was pre-interview. I also received a ding from the GWU program via snail mail last week, so they are starting to make decisions.
Posted by: VAP Hopeful | Dec 21, 2011 1:02:57 PM
Thanks for the update VAP Hopeful.
Posted by: a2 | Dec 21, 2011 8:10:58 PM
Illinois has done some screening interviews for their VAP program
Posted by: anon | Dec 22, 2011 1:54:27 PM
GW is fairly far along in its selection process.
Posted by: anon | Jan 7, 2012 4:29:52 PM
What does "fairly far along" mean? It has made offers, has started to conduct interviews, has rejected lots of people, etc.
Posted by: anon | Jan 7, 2012 5:25:13 PM
I think GW has made some rejections already (see an earlier comment) and is actively reviewing applications now. I get the impression that they've made some preliminary decisions for some, but potentially not all, of their open VAP slots, but that's just a hunch and not on any authority.
Posted by: VAPapp | Jan 8, 2012 2:37:34 PM
UW is not hiring a VAP this year.
Posted by: VAPapp | Jan 9, 2012 1:08:38 PM
Neither is Fordham.
Posted by: VAP Hopeful | Jan 9, 2012 3:42:39 PM
What about Brooklyn?
Posted by: anon 3.0 | Jan 11, 2012 5:07:19 PM
Does anyone know if Florida State is hiring VAPs this year? They do appear to have current VAPs and there's been references in past years to their program, but I can't find anything on the web (or taxprofblog's list) about it...
Posted by: anon | Jan 18, 2012 1:51:27 AM
Any word from GW?
Posted by: VAPapp | Jan 18, 2012 3:56:59 PM
I heard that they've made one offer but still have one or two other positions
Posted by: anon | Jan 18, 2012 4:01:04 PM
A reliable source tells me that Stetson's two VAP positions have been filled.
Posted by: anon | Jan 18, 2012 6:17:14 PM
Anyone know if Penn State is running this year? The website still references applying for 2011-2012 positions...
Posted by: anon | Jan 19, 2012 2:28:40 AM
Villanova announced two VAP positions on Monday - here's a link to the post via tax prof blog:
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2012/01/villanova-seeks-to-hire-two-vaps.html
Posted by: anon | Jan 25, 2012 8:55:23 AM
LSU is still accepting applications for its Future Law Teachers Fellowship Program for the 2012-2013 academic year. For more information, please visit http://www.law.lsu.edu/index.cfm?geaux=fellowship.home.
Posted by: Christina Sautter | Jan 27, 2012 9:46:55 AM
The LSU website says that applications will be accepted through October 31. Have they extended the deadline and just forgotten to post the extension on the website?
Posted by: VAPHopeful | Jan 27, 2012 11:05:00 AM
VAPHopeful, I heard they extended the deadline.
Posted by: Anon | Jan 27, 2012 12:38:11 PM
I believe Duke is done hiring.
Posted by: VAPapp | Jan 30, 2012 3:41:13 PM
Is anyone here applying, by any chance for legal history fellowships (e.g., NYU Golieb, Harvard Berger-DeWolfe)? Somewhat curious whether there is any significant overlap between that applicant pool and the regular VAP pool.
Posted by: anon | Jan 30, 2012 8:52:20 PM
VAPapp - re: Duke, that seems quite a rapid turnaround (barely three weeks!), do you have confirmation of this or are we still at the speculation stage?
Posted by: anon | Jan 31, 2012 1:48:10 AM
I do not know whether Duke has hired, but I know they sent out rejection letters to several candidates yesterday.
Posted by: anon | Jan 31, 2012 10:53:50 AM
Are we talking about emailed rejections or hardcopy? I applied to the Duke VAP program and didn't get a email rejection yesterday.
Posted by: anon 3.0 | Jan 31, 2012 3:10:24 PM
Hopefully that only means Duke rejected some portion of the applicant pool before giving the remaining applications more careful consideration...
Posted by: anon | Jan 31, 2012 4:09:42 PM
The Duke rejections were sent via email.
Posted by: anon | Jan 31, 2012 4:11:51 PM
semi-related, did any of the Duke applicants get an acknowledgement of their application? I never did, and am not sure whether to be concerned...
(about half the places I applied never acknowledged it, but I figured I'd ask... about Duke and anywhere else folks have info on acknowledgments, I suppose...)
Posted by: anon | Jan 31, 2012 4:35:47 PM
I got a confirmation from Duke, but probably only because I had previously emailed them to check about my reference letters (they changed the administrator in charge midway through the process, and my letters had gone to the previous address). Silence ever since.
Posted by: anon | Jan 31, 2012 4:41:05 PM
FWIW, I never received a confirmation from Duke (or Northwestern, for that matter). I did, however, send some updated material to Duke on Monday morning. The "response" was a rejection email.
If you are particularly interested in Duke and haven't yet heard from them, then it might be worth contacting them to ask for a status report.
Posted by: VAPapp | Jan 31, 2012 5:06:16 PM
Any one heard from GW?
Posted by: Optimism Anyone? | Jan 31, 2012 7:41:51 PM
Georgetown will supposedly make decisions the first week of February. If anyone hears from them, please post. Thank you in advance.
Posted by: anon | Feb 1, 2012 10:28:36 AM
GW has already extended some (but not all?) offers and they intend to have all their slots filled within the next few weeks.
Anyone hear any news from Penn or Northwestern?
Posted by: VAPapp | Feb 1, 2012 11:58:51 AM
Duke has sent out interview invitations.
Posted by: anon | Feb 1, 2012 12:34:28 PM
I am the appointments chair at ASU. Our VAP program accepts applications until March 1. We are particularly interested in tax scholars. I'm happy to chat more about the program.
Posted by: Zak Kramer | Feb 2, 2012 12:31:12 PM
Anyone heard anything on the BU VAP program? Perhaps know who is actually the faculty contact for the program this year? Thanks!
Posted by: CuriousAnon | Feb 7, 2012 10:05:09 AM
curiousanon-- i don't have any info but i noted from last year's prawfs chain that people didn't seem to hear from BU for several months after it began accepting applications. (that could mean they interviewed and selected quickly but didn't send rejections til march/april, but i just wanted to point it out.) i'd be interested to know who is the faculty contact as well if anyone has that info!
Posted by: junior mint | Feb 7, 2012 12:28:32 PM
RE BU, for what it's worth:
Back in October, their website said that applications should be emailed to Prof. Farnsworth, rather than the VAP committee. I sent one in and he responded to my email to tell me they wouldn't look at applications until after the new year. So he's likely a faculty contact. I haven't heard anything either way since, though.
Posted by: Anon | Feb 7, 2012 3:13:40 PM
the person to whom the site now says to address apps appears to be farnsworth's assistant, so that makes sense, anon! thanks =)
Posted by: junior mint | Feb 7, 2012 5:14:05 PM
Anybody know if any VAP positions have multiple rounds of interviews (e.g. brief phone interviewed followed by flyouts)? Or do most positions have just one round of interviews?
Posted by: anon | Feb 9, 2012 9:10:55 PM
I've had brief phone interviews followed by Skype interviews, but never flyouts.
Posted by: VAPapp | Feb 9, 2012 10:07:30 PM
I've had phone interviews followed by flyouts for VAP positions.
Posted by: NewProf | Feb 9, 2012 10:28:56 PM
(In lieu of a spreadsheet...)
What places have people had/know for certain have conducted interviews? Also what places have filled their positions?
Interviews: Duke, GW, Harvard, Chicago, Stetson
Offers: Stetson, GW (maybe?)
Posted by: anon | Feb 9, 2012 11:40:26 PM
Not VAPs exactly, but the Stanford Ethics in Society postdoc & the UCLA Law & Philosophy postdoc have also both been filled.
Posted by: anon | Feb 10, 2012 12:04:49 AM
NYU, Harvard and Stanford Legal Writing have all had interviews and offers.
Posted by: anon | Feb 10, 2012 7:54:04 AM
Interviews: Chicago, Duke, GW, Harvard, NYU, Stanford (LW, Ethics & Soc), Stetson, UCLA (Law & Phil)
Offers: GW, Stanford (LW, Ethics & Soc), Stetson, UCLA (Law & Phil)
Filled: Stanford (Ethics & Soc), Stetson, UCLA (Law & Phil)
Posted by: wannabe aggregator | Feb 10, 2012 12:27:36 PM
wannabe aggregator, harvard has also made one or more offers for the climenko, although i believe some slots remain.
Posted by: junior mint | Feb 10, 2012 1:48:27 PM
A more complete list:
Interviews: Chicago, Duke, GW, Harvard (Climenko), NYU (lawyering), Stanford (LW, Ethics & Soc), Stetson, UCLA (Law & Phil)
Offers: GW, Harvard (Climenko), NYU (lawyering), Stanford (LW, Ethics & Soc), Stetson, UCLA (Law & Phil)
Filled: Stanford (Ethics & Soc), Stetson, UCLA (Law & Phil)
Posted by: aggregator 2.0 | Feb 10, 2012 1:59:54 PM
If the NYU offers referred to a different program from the lawyering APs, please correct me.
Posted by: aggregator 2.0 | Feb 10, 2012 2:01:58 PM
Georgetown is rejecting people via email--the wording of the letter makes it sound like they've made some offers already.
Posted by: anon | Feb 10, 2012 3:28:00 PM
aggregator 2.0 - suggest you email Sarah Lawsky and ask her to set you up to aggregate this thread. It's awesome that you're taking this on!
Posted by: the aggregator | Feb 10, 2012 4:30:25 PM
I wonder if we could ask the blog administrators to bump this thread up from time to time...
Posted by: anon | Feb 10, 2012 5:10:08 PM
Hi guys--I set up a blank spreadsheet. Person who wants to aggregate, just email me so I can give you access to edit it (to make it really easy, email me with your gmail address, if you have one), and then I will embed it above.
Posted by: Sarah Lawsky | Feb 10, 2012 5:35:31 PM
Good luck to VAP candidates and those going on the market soon. It's a great job to have. Lots of great VAP programs out there. Does anyone know of Brooklyn Law ever hiring a minority VAP? It seems like an unofficial (white) visiting assistant professor program.
I've had friends at the programs mentioned above. They are all great launching pads.
Good luck!
Posted by: 2nd yr Prawf | Feb 10, 2012 6:14:04 PM
Question: Will schools sometimes allow the visiting professor to also work part time, either as of counsel for a firm, or on the visiting profs own legal matters?
Posted by: Anon | Feb 12, 2012 1:52:03 PM
I don't know if it's a matter of schools letting you work on other stuff or not. Between teaching classes for the first time (which eats up a thousand times more time than you could ever imagine) and trying to publish, I'm not sure how much spare time you would have for firm work (unless it is very limited and sporadic). So, if I were you, I would work my butt off billing now and/or sell a kidney to finance my year or two as a VAP at a significantly reduced salary.
Posted by: VAP alum | Feb 12, 2012 3:40:02 PM
VAP alum: Thanks for the insight. The issue for me is whether to wait to go on the market in Fall 2012, for a position in Fall 2013, or to try to find a VAP starting this Fall, but try to supplement my income during the year until I can get my family's financial situation ready for the pay cut.
Posted by: Anon | Feb 12, 2012 4:33:48 PM
I think it would defeat the purpose of the VAP if you devoted substantial time to outside matters. A VAP is suppose to give you the time to focus an ungodly amount of attention on getting ready for the meat market. And if you do a VAP, you'll probably expected to be a little bit more refined that coming striaght from practice. So if you get a VAP but don't use it for scholarly matters, schools may view you as someone who wasn't productive even when you had the time.
In other words, hop into academia -- whether as a VAP or in another capacity -- when you are ready.
Posted by: AnotherFormerVAP | Feb 12, 2012 5:51:18 PM
1.) How valuable is a VAP for someone with a preexisting publication record? Assume a couple of mainline law review publications in the 50-75 range in the past few years.
2.) What if the particular candidate is applying out of a clerkship after practicing for a bit? So practice (publishing a thing or two) -> clerkship (same) -> on the market.
Posted by: I'm probably totally outing myself | Feb 12, 2012 10:51:21 PM
Don't do outside work during a VAP. It will look terrible.
Posted by: ANON ANON A NON ANON | Feb 12, 2012 11:18:29 PM
Anybody know if Duke has made offers yet?
Posted by: another non anon | Feb 13, 2012 12:18:39 PM
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