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Post-Doctoral Fellow in Rural Criminal Legal Systems
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Position Number: 4477548
Location: Dallas, TX
Position Type: Liberal Arts - Criminal Justice

Post-Doctoral Fellow in Rural Criminal Legal Systems
Dedman School of Law

Location: Dallas, TX
Open Date: Jun 22, 2023

Description:
The Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center at the SMU Dedman School of Law is seeking a full-time Post-Doctoral Fellow in Rural Criminal Legal Systems. The fellow will conduct mixed-methods research into criminal law deserts-areas with a shortage of experienced prosecutors and public defense providers. The fellow will work to define, describe, and categorize these criminal law shortage areas. Their research will include interviews and surveys with law students and legal practitioners, as well as quantitative and spatial analyses of data about rural courts and rural legal practice. The Deason Center will provide the fellow with undergraduate research assistants, opportunities for publication, and support for travel to attend research conferences and present their work.

Working with the Center's faculty, policy attorneys, and research scientists, the fellow will:

Draft a preliminary definition of a Criminal Law Shortage Area

Conduct empirical investigations of criminal law shortage areas using Deason Center data from Texas, Kansas, North Dakota, and New Mexico

Develop tools to recruit and retain rural prosecutors and public defense providers, including:

A law school curriculum for growing and training rural criminal lawyer cohorts

A toolkit for jurisdictions to create rural criminal practice pipelines

Essential Functions:

Plan, organize, and conduct highly independent research under the guidance of the Center's executive and research directors.

Collect, analyze, and interpret data independently, or with little or no supervision.

Develop and test research methods, measures, designs, and protocols.

Analyze data and present findings and conclusions about research questions.

Participate in publications, presentations, and research proposals.

Anticipate and address challenges that may impact research objectives and deadlines.

Follow relevant research and scholarship, incorporating advances into project activity.

Attend and contribute to regular team and staff meetings.

Qualifications:

Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) required. Desirable fields of study include sociology, geography, law, criminology, public policy, public administration, and related fields.

Juris Doctor (J.D.) preferred.

Strong interest in the study of justice and equity, with a passion for matters such as ruralism, spatial inequality, and criminal legal systems.

The Deason Center values diverse experiences in people's educational backgrounds and encourages applications from people who have been directly impacted by criminal legal systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Successful candidates must have:

Experience:

Conducting research projects in topics including criminal justice, criminal courts, spatial analysis of resource scarcity, or related areas; and

Managing quantitative, qualitative, and spatial data

Use of mixed methods approaches to research

Experience using research software tools such as:

Statistical software (e.g., R, SPSS, or STATA);

Qualitative analysis software (e.g., NVivo, MAXQDA); and

Spatial analysis software (e.g., ArcGIS, MapInfo)

Successful candidates must also have excellent skills in:

Written, verbal, and interpersonal communication

Time and project management

Teamwork and problem-solving

Preference will be given to applications that have:

Publications in peer-reviewed journals

Experience working with data visualization software (e.g. Tableau).

Salary: $54,000

Physical and Environmental Demands: Sit for long periods.

Deadline to Apply: Open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning July 7, 2023.

Qualifications:
Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) required. Desirable fields of study include sociology, geography, law, criminology, public policy, public administration, and related fields.
Juris Doctor (J.D.) preferred.
Strong interest in the study of justice and equity, with a passion for matters such as ruralism, spatial inequality, and criminal legal systems.
The Deason Center values diverse experiences in peoples educational backgrounds and encourages applications from people who have been directly impacted by criminal legal systems.

Application Instructions:
To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/127362

CV
Cover letter
Writing sample
Contact information for three references, at least two of whom should be academic references

Southern Methodist University (SMU) will not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, education activity, or admissions on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. SMU's commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX1 Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies, including the prohibition of sex discrimination under Title IX. The Executive Director/Title IX Coordinator may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu. Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX may also be directed to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education.