Clinical Fellow Prosecutor Program

Description

The Clinical Fellow in the Prosecutor Program plays a pivotal role in the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of the year-long clinical seminar that supports third-year law students participating in the Program. Working closely with the Program Director, the Fellow contributes to curriculum development, student instruction, assessment, and mentorship. This position blends teaching, coordination, and programmatic support, with increasing responsibility over the course of the academic year.

Key Responsibilities:

Program and Curriculum Development (Summer & Ongoing):

• Collaborate with the Program Director to design annual seminar learning goals, methods of delivery, and assessment strategies.
• Assist Program Director in reviewing, revising, and updating the seminar syllabus and course materials to reflect developments in Massachusetts criminal law and procedure.
• Research and curate updated readings, case studies, hypotheticals, and assignments that reinforce core prosecution skills and ethical awareness.
• Develop new interactive exercises and simulations, with an emphasis on “soft-skills” training such as professional judgment, communication, and case strategy.
• Assist in planning the preliminary Spring seminar calendar, including topic sequencing and scheduling of guest speakers.
• Coordinate with DA office supervisors and other stakeholders to ensure alignment between seminar content and evolving prosecution training needs.
• Contribute to the preparation of student orientation materials.

Instructional Support (Fall Semester):

• Participate in orientation or pre-semester bootcamps for clinical students.
• Attend and assist in teaching weekly seminar sessions as needed.
• Provide feedback on seminar exercises and written student work.
• Assist with assessment of student progress and performance, including grading and evaluations.
• Communicate with supervising attorneys and DA offices to track student field experiences and identify themes to incorporate into the seminar.
• Contribute to mid-year program assessment and Spring planning.

Seminar Instruction and Coordination (Spring Semester):

• Teach some substantive legal topics and lead some interactive, practice-oriented class sessions (e.g., mock hearings, role-plays).
• Assist in integrating “soft-skills” and ethical training into class instruction.
• Help mentor students through individualized feedback and support on performance, development, and professional identity formation.
• Help coordinate, host, and facilitate guest speakers, panels, or special workshops.
• Provide input to Program Director on assessing student work and contribute to final evaluations of student learning and progress.
• Participate in a comprehensive post-semester review and offer recommendations for future improvements.

Qualifications:

• J.D. degree required.
• Significant experience in criminal prosecution required.
• Teaching, training, or mentoring experience preferred.
• Strong commitment to experiential legal education and student development.
• Excellent communication, organization, and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated interest in clinical pedagogy and ethical lawyering.

Suffolk University does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, genetic information, or status as a veteran in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs, activities, or employment.

As an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer, the University is dedicated to the goal of building a diverse and inclusive faculty and staff that reflect the broad range of human experience who contribute to the robust exchange of ideas on campus, and who are committed to teaching and working in a diverse environment. We strongly encourage applications from groups historically marginalized or underrepresented because of race/color, gender, religious creed, disability, national origin, veteran status or LGBTQ status. Suffolk University is especially interested in candidates who, through their training, service and experience, will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the University community.