Of course. The role of an adjunct law professor while actively practicing law is a common and highly respected career path. It's often described as the best of both worlds, but it comes with its own set of challenges and rewards.

Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of what this dual role entails.

The "Why": Motivations and Benefits

Practicing attorneys take on adjunct roles for several compelling reasons:

• Intellectual Fulfillment & Giving Back: After years in practice, many lawyers want to share their hard-won knowledge with the next generation. Teaching forces you to re-engage with foundational principles and can rekindle your passion for the law.


• Professional Prestige and Credibility: Holding a faculty position, even as an adjunct, enhances your professional profile. It positions you as an expert in your field and can be a powerful marketing tool for your practice.


• Networking: You gain access to the law school's network—other faculty, students (who are future lawyers), and alumni. This can lead to referrals, new clients, or even lateral career moves.


• Staying Current: Teaching a subject requires you to stay on top of the latest cases, statutes, and trends in your area of law, which directly benefits your practice.


• Recruitment Pipeline: For attorneys at firms, teaching is an excellent way to identify and recruit top talent. You get a semester-long "interview" with your best students.


• Supplementary Income: While usually not a primary motivator (the pay is often a modest honorarium), it is a factor.

The "What": Typical Roles and Courses

Adjuncts are practitioners who teach, not full-time academics. Their value is their real-world experience.

• Core Skills Courses: Legal Writing & Research, Trial Advocacy, Appellate Advocacy, Negotiation, and Client Counseling. These are the most common roles for adjuncts.


• Specialized Electives: Courses in niche practice areas where the professor is a recognized expert (e.g., Securities Regulation, Intellectual Property Licensing, White-Collar Crime, Bankruptcy, Immigration Law).


• Clinical Supervision: Supervising law students in a clinic, often run in partnership with the professor's firm or practice.


• Seminars: Leading small, discussion-based seminars on cutting-edge legal topics.

The "How": Juggling Practice and Teaching

This is the central challenge. Success requires meticulous organization and clear boundaries.

• Time Management is Everything:


• Block Scheduling: Dedicate specific, non-negotiable blocks of time for class preparation, grading, and student meetings. Treat it like a client meeting.


• Leverage Your Practice: Your cases often provide perfect, timely examples for class, which saves prep time.


• Set Expectations: Be upfront with your law partners, associates, and clients about your teaching commitments (e.g., "I am unavailable on Tuesday afternoons for class.").


• Managing the Workload:


• Start with One Course: Don't overcommit. Begin with a single class to see how it fits with your practice.


• Choose the Right Course: Teach what you know deeply. Your expertise will make preparation more efficient.


• Use Teaching Assistants: If possible, a top student from a previous year can help with grading and administrative tasks.

The Challenges and Pitfalls

• Time Drain: The initial time commitment is almost always underestimated. Creating a syllabus, preparing for 2-3 hours of class per week, and grading (especially for writing-based courses) can consume 10-20 hours per week.


• Conflicts of Interest: You must be hyper-vigilant. You cannot discuss your active cases in class in a way that breaches client confidentiality. You must also avoid any situation where a student might be involved in a matter adverse to your client.


• Client & Firm Demands: A litigation crisis, a big deal closing, or a demanding client can suddenly conflict with your class or grading deadlines. You need a backup plan.


• The "Two Worlds" Problem: Shifting mindsets from the practical, often rushed, problem-solving of a law firm to the theoretical, Socratic environment of a classroom can be mentally taxing.


• Compensation: The pay is generally low relative to your billable hour rate. You are not doing it for the money.

How to Become an Adjunct Professor

• Establish Your Practice: You need a solid reputation and several years of substantive experience in a teachable area.


• Develop a Connection:


• Guest Lecture: Offer to give a guest lecture at your alma mater or a local law school.


• Network with Faculty: Get to know the dean, the associate dean for academic affairs, or the director of a relevant program (e.g., the Center for Intellectual Property).


• Supervise Externs: Hire law students as externs or clerks from the school.


• The Proposal: Propose a course that fills a gap in the curriculum and aligns with your expertise. Draft a detailed syllabus to demonstrate you are serious and prepared.


• Formal Application: Apply through the law school's official channels when an opening arises or your proposal is accepted.

Is It Right for You?

Ask yourself:

• Do I enjoy mentoring and teaching? (This is different from knowing the law.)


• Is my practice stable enough to accommodate a significant, recurring time commitment?


• Can I be highly disciplined with my time?


• Am I passionate about my area of law and eager to explore its theoretical underpinnings?