If you are interested in becoming a law teacher, we urge you to familiarize yourself with the information available at our website Becoming a Law Teacher. This first-of-its-kind resource provides a comprehensive guide to:

  • Paths to entry into the profession
  • Qualifications
  • The law faculty hiring process

It also features concrete resources such as:

  • Sample application materials
  • Video guides for interviews and job talks
  • In-depth interviews with VAP and fellowship program directors
  • Personal experiences on the job market from recently-hired faculty members

The majority of entry-level hiring at law schools takes place via AALS Faculty Appointment Services. These services include:

  • The Faculty Appointments Register (FAR), the primary source of information law schools use to identify potential candidates for entry-level positions. It is an online database where you can submit your application information for consideration from hiring teams. AALS manages the database; only you and participating schools have access to your information.
  • The Placement Bulletin, a collated listing of job ads that AALS sends out four times annually. Participating schools advertise their open entry-level, experienced, directorship, and administrative positions.
  • A webinar series in the fall, which expands on the roundtable workshop and AALS Section events for candidates previously held at the Faculty Appointment Conference. The webinar series will include a candidate workshop about the application and interviewing process and informal Q&A sessions where the AALS Sections on Women in Legal Education, Minority Groups, and Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research will offer advice to candidates.

Fee & Payment

The fee to participate in AALS Faculty Appointment Services as a candidate is $290. This includes access to the FAR for one academic year, all four issues of the Placement Bulletin, and registration for the webinar series in the summer.

You are required to submit your payment as part of the FAR application process. You will receive an email confirmation of your FAR registration once you have paid. Candidates outside the United States should allow for additional time. AALS may waive the fee for those unable to pay due to financial hardship; learn more under FAR Information.


Faculty Appointment Timeline

There are many moving parts to the faculty appointment process, but they follow the same general timeline each academic year.

JuneFAR opens to candidatesYou can now submit your information to the database, and the process officially begins.
Early AugustFirst FAR Distribution deadlineIf you want to be included in the first “distribution,” submit your fee and final FAR form by this date.
Mid-AugustPlacement Bulletin postedThe first Placement Bulletin is posted online, so you can now see which schools are hiring.
Mid-AugustFirst FAR Distribution publishedIf you submitted by the first deadline, your information is sent out to participating schools on this day.
Mid-SeptemberSecond FAR Distribution deadlineIf you missed the first deadline and want to be included in the second “distribution,” submit your fee and final FAR form by this date.
Early SeptemberPlacement Bulletin postedThe second Placement Bulletin posted online.
Late SeptemberSecond FAR Distribution publishedIf you submitted after the first distribution deadline and before the second, your information is sent to schools on this day.
Late September to Early OctoberPlacement Bulletin postedThe third Placement Bulletin posted online.
Late January to Early February

Placement Bulletin posted

The fourth Placement Bulletin posted online.