Assistant Professor of Law & Society

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Assistant Professor of Law & Society (1,0 fte)

The Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance and Society has a vacancy for an Assistant Professor of Law & Society. We are looking for candidates with a strong commitment to the field of law & society whose research has a clear socio-legal signature in terms of methods and theoretical approach; who can teach courses in the field of law & society; and who can act as supervisor of (bachelor and/or master's) theses.

Key responsibilities
Teaching

• Teaching law & society courses in English (and possibly in Dutch) to bachelor and master students of Leiden Law School and Leiden University College (The Hague);
• Co-ordinating and developing existing and new courses;
• Supervising bachelor and master theses;
• Supervising a mentee group (master students enrolled in the Master Law & Society).

PhD- supervision

• Co-supervising PhD-students

Research

• Doing research in the field of law & society;
• Publishing in (international, peer-reviewed) scholarly journals;
• Preparing papers for and presenting them at international conferences;
• Initiating and coordinating the submission of research proposals;
• Organizing activities/events in the field of law & society;
• Performing administrative tasks and participating in administrative bodies within the Institute and the Law Faculty at large (e.g. Board of Examiners, the Master Programme Committee, Diversity Committee, etc.).

Your profile
The department is looking for a motivated and proactive candidate who can function well both individually and as part of a team.

• You have completed a PhD in law or one of the social sciences, but with clearly demonstrable knowledge and expertise in law & society;
• You to have experience in conducting empirical research using qualitative research methods;
• You have experience in teaching bachelor's and/or master's courses and your didactic qualities are reflected in good teaching evaluations;
• You have a broad general knowledge of the field law & society, sociology of law or legal anthropology;
• You have an excellent command of spoken and written English;
• You have a good command of Dutch or the willingness to learn Dutch;
• You hold a Basic Teaching Qualification (UTQ) certificate or you are prepared to obtain it within two years.
  

Our organisation
Leiden Law School is located in Leiden and The Hague. With more than 6500 students and around 1000 staff, it is one of the largest university faculties in the Netherlands. The faculty focuses on innovative multidisciplinary research and educational programmes that are constantly renewed in response to issues in society. Our faculty is large enough to make a difference nationally and internationally, yet small enough to offer personalized education. This is how we contribute to a safe and sustainable world, each and every day. For more information: Leiden Law School - Leiden University.

The Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance and Society
The Van Vollenhoven Institute is a medium-sized department with a strong sense of community, where colleagues know how to find each other both within and outside the context of the work. The employees are young and dynamic and have a national and international profile. The department provides Dutch-language education in the Bachelor's degree programs in Law and Criminology, in the form of the compulsory Sociology of Law course in the second year of the Criminology/Elective Law course. In addition, English-language education is provided at Leiden University College in The Hague and we have our own minor in Law & Development and our own Master's program in Law & Society. Finally, there is a wide range of (largely but not exclusively English-taught) electives and honors college Law courses.

The research of the Van Vollenhoven Institute is diverse in terms of themes, with specific clusters around themes such as land rights, access to justice, policing, (crim)migration, racial profiling, etc. The research within the department is also characterized by a rich geographical spread, in which researchers conduct research in the Global South (e.g. Africa, Indonesia, Mexico) and in the Global North (e.g. Europe and North America). All our research is empirical and large based on qualitative research methods, with a central focus on studying the law in action and in relation with society. Special attention is paid to issues of diversity and (legal) inequality.

Terms and conditions
We offer an – initial – one-year (12 months) position for Assistant Professor with the possibility of turning into a permanent position after this initial period.

Salary range from € 3.974.- to € 5439.- gross per month on a full-time basis (pay scale 11), in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3 %), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. For international spouses we have set up a dual career programme. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. More at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions .

Leiden University requires teaching staff to obtain the University Teaching Qualification. If the successful applicant does not already possess this qualification or its equivalent, he/ she must be willing to obtain this Qualification within two years.

Within our policy framework on quality, almost all academic staff at the Faculty of Law have obtained a PhD degree and have met the requirements for the advanced research qualification. In addition, they make a significant contribution to the faculty research program. More information on the advanced research qualification and research programs of the Graduate School of Legal Studies can be found on: law.leiden.edu/research-leiden-law-school/graduate-school-of-legal-studies.html .

Diversity and inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are core values of Leiden University. Leiden University is committed to becoming an inclusive community which enables all students and staff to feel valued and respected and to develop their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High quality teaching and research is inclusive.
Information
Further information about this vacancy can be requested by sending an email to Adriaan Bednera.w.bedner@law.leidenuniv.nl .
More information about the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Law and the Van Vollenhoven Institute can be found here: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/law/institute-for-the-interdisciplinary-study-of-the-law/van-vollenhoven-institute .

Applications
Please submit online your application no later than 11June 2023 via the blue button in our application system.
You can address your application to Prof. Adriaan Bedner. Please attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation in which you describe how your skills and expertise match the job requirements;
• A one-page research memo in which you outline the research you would like to do during the coming years;
• A CV;
• Copies of your academic certificates;
• Your dissertation and/or examples of published articles;
• Names and contact details (e-mail addresses) of three academic references – including your PhD supervisor(s) - who know you and your work well.

We plan to have our interviews in the week of 26th of June.

Enquiries from agencies are not appreciated

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