Faculty & Research

The Visiting Assistant Professor ("VAP") program supports scholars/teachers interested in appointment as tenure-track members of a law faculty. VAPs have the choice of two versus three academic years as a VAP, and they can make that choice during their time as a VAP, with the understanding that they will enter the law school teaching market in the fall of their last year as a VAP. VAPs are in residence at the Law School. They are full members of a robust institutional culture of intellectual engagement and exchange and have many opportunities to develop their research agenda and teaching skills in a program focused on each VAP's individual interests. Duke Law School has a successful record in placing its VAPs in tenure-track academic positions, as detailed below.

The School expects that while at Duke a VAP will produce at least one work of original scholarship with guidance and mentoring from Duke Law faculty members. Each year, the VAP will teach one upper-level course (or two, if the VAP so prefers) of the VAP's choice or design, subject to the Law School's needs. The VAP may teach the same course each year. A VAP is invited to attend all faculty activities open to visiting professors, including faculty workshops and conferences. Each VAP will have at least one opportunity to present a paper in the faculty workshop series. VAPs are also encouraged to propose other opportunities to present their work, including brown-bag sessions with other faculty members, and to engage with colleagues in other schools and departments at Duke University. Each VAP receives an office amidst other members of the faculty as well as administrative and secretarial support. VAPS have no administrative responsibilities.

Compensation

The annual salary for each VAP is $70,000, plus benefits (including health insurance). Each VAP also has a $5,000 faculty account (each year) that can be used for travel to conferences, research, or other academic expenses.

Application Process

The below details the information we typically request as part of the application process. We invite applications from graduates of any law school and any year of graduation. We encourage applications from those with experience in law practice. Candidates will be selected based on their potential to obtain a tenure-track position at a leading law school.

If you would like to be considered for a visiting assistant professor position beginning in the fall of 2026, please upload your completed application materials to this website by January 15, 2026. We will begin reviewing the applications shortly thereafter. 

1. a curriculum vitae
2. a law school transcript
3. at least two academic reference letters (submitted directly through the Academic Jobs Online site)
4. copies of any scholarly legal articles that the candidate has written and would like to have considered, whether published, unpublished, or in draft form
5. a list of law school courses the candidate would be willing to teach (listed in order of preference)
6. a scholarly agenda outline, with particular emphasis on the scholarship contemplated during the professorship period.

Previous VAPs

Below are the previous VAPs at Duke Law, the years they were VAPs, and the institution that hired them directly out of their VAP (some have moved on to other positions).

Interested in Teaching?

Duke Law Students and Alumni interested in teaching may access additional resources below: