Hiring guide · Education & Childcare
How to Hire a Law Professor
Pay benchmarks, qualifications, sourcing, screening and interview questions for hiring law professors, plus a plan to get them productive fast.
Write a clear job description, offer competitive pay (the national median is $128,500), recruit through college education programs and student-teaching placements, verify J.D. where applicable, run a structured interview with a practical skills check, and onboard with a 30-60-90 day plan.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
The hiring market for law professors
There are about 25,800 law professors employed in the U.S., with roughly 1,800 openings each year. Employment is projected to change +2.6% from 2025–35 (about as fast as average). Most openings come from replacing workers who retire or change careers, so a steady pipeline matters.
Pay benchmarks for offers
| Candidate level | Annual | Hourly* |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th–25th percentile) | $64,250–$88,700 | $30.89–$42.64 |
| Typical / mid-career (median) | $128,500 | $61.78 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $176,490 | $84.85 |
| Top of market (90th percentile) | $287,900 | $138.41 |
*Annual ÷ 2,080 hours. National BLS data; adjust for your state and metro area. Many states and cities now require pay ranges in job postings.
What to look for
Must-haves
- Doctoral or professional degree (typical entry level)
- Licensing or certification required in your state
- Legal expertise
- Public speaking
Nice-to-haves
- J.D.
- Bar admission
- Judicial clerkship
- Experience with westlaw and Lexis
Where to find law professors
- College education programs and student-teaching placements
- Alternative certification and residency programs
- Substitute and paraprofessional pools
- Community colleges with early childhood (CDA) programs
- Job postings that use common alternate titles: Law School Faculty, Legal Educator, Clinical Law Professor, Legal Writing Professor
Screening checklist
- State license or certification verification where required
- Fingerprint background checks and child abuse registry clearances
- CPR and first aid certification for childcare roles
- A sample lesson or classroom observation
Follow federal, state and local rules on background checks, drug testing and fair-chance hiring, and apply screening consistently to all candidates for the role.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions and score answers on a structured scorecard.
1. “Describe your scholarship.”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
2. “What courses can you teach?”
What a strong answer includes: List.
3. “How do you teach?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
4. “Describe your practice experience.”
What a strong answer includes: Share.
5. “How do you mentor?”
What a strong answer includes: Share.
Practical skills checks
A short demonstration beats a perfect resume. Ask candidates to talk you through, or perform under supervision, tasks such as:
- Teach with the Socratic Method (see the steps)
- Supervise a Legal Clinic Case (see the steps)
- Write a Law Review Article (see the steps)
Red flags
- Can’t describe basic safety practices for the role
- Vague or inconsistent work history with no explanation
- Unfamiliar with core terms such as Socratic method, J.D., Law review
- Negative talk about every past employer or coworker
Onboard for retention
The first 90 days decide whether a new hire stays. Use our Law Professor 30-60-90 day onboarding plan and give every new hire the same foundation with Law Professor training. Show them the path forward: Fellow or Visiting Professor → Assistant Professor → Associate Professor → Professor or Dean.
Hiring law professors: FAQ
How much should I pay a law professor?
The U.S. median wage for law professors is $128,500 per year, according to BLS May 2025 data. Entry-level offers often fall near the 25th percentile ($88,700), while experienced hires command closer to the 75th percentile ($176,490). Adjust for your local market.
What qualifications should a law professor have?
BLS lists “doctoral or professional degree” as the typical entry-level education. Look for J.D. and Bar admission where relevant, plus skills such as legal expertise, socratic teaching, and legal writing.
How long does it take to train a new law professor?
Becoming qualified typically takes 7+ years after high school plus experience. After hire, plan for a structured 30-60-90 day onboarding period; BLS classifies on-the-job training for this occupation as “none.”