Price Professor of Public Interest Law

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What We Do

The Centers for Public Interest Law (CPIL) at the University of San Diego School of Law is a nationally recognized powerhouse for nonpartisan advocacy. Founded in 1980, the Centers teach students to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. We operate at the rare intersection of elite academic scholarship and “boots-on-the-ground” legal action. Our mission is to ensure that government remains ethical, transparent, and accountable to those who lack the leverage to advocate for themselves. CPIL serves as the umbrella for three specialized centers:

Consumer Protection Policy Center (CPPC): Led by the Price Professor of Public Interest Law, CPPC is the state’s leading watchdog over regulatory agencies. It publishes the nation’s only direct reporter on state regulatory activities—written by students and featured on Westlaw—to provide transparency where special interests often operate in the shadows.

Children’s Advocacy Institute (CAI): One of the nation’s premier youth rights organizations, CAI represents children’s interests in all three branches of the state government, including through lobbying, litigating, and consulting on administrative reform. For example, CAI’s areas of special emphasis are improving the child protection and foster care systems and improving outcomes for youth aging out of foster care.

Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC): A research leader in sustainable energy, EPIC develops the legal and policy frameworks necessary for California’s future energy needs.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to the marginalized and unorganized constituencies of California. In a landscape where monied special interests heavily outnumber public advocates, we serve as a vital counterweight. We combine high-impact litigation and legislative testimony with a rigorous clinical program. We don’t just critique the legal system; we actively train the next generation of public interest leaders to master it, ensuring the fight for equity and open government continues for decades to come.

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

The leadership and culture at the USD School of Law reflect a “San Diego vibe,” balancing high-impact legal work with a collegial, welcoming atmosphere. It is an institution on the rise, recruiting accomplished new faculty and expanding the school’s footprint and national reputation. With an outstanding administration to support USD Law faculty and legal clinics, colleagues genuinely collaborate and value a pleasant, fun environment. It is truly an exciting time in the history of USD law, as the bar pass rate is at an all-time high and the school is currently experiencing a surge in rankings and student success, including a remarkable 94% job placement rate for recent graduates.

This full-time, clinical tenured or tenure-track position presents an exceptional opportunity to build upon the groundbreaking work of CPIL founder Robert C. Fellmeth. This combination of professional momentum, a storied legacy, and a supportive community makes USD Law an extraordinary place for a visionary leader to make a lasting impact.

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary – $147,768 – $221,652
  • 403(b) Plan
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, Long-Term Disability Coverage, and Life and AD&D Insurance.
  • Tuition remission at USD and partner institutions for faculty and their immediate family members
  • Free On-Campus Fitness and Recreation Facilities
  • Supplemental Benefits
  • Other professional development resources, including funding for summer research projects, conference attendance, etc.

LOCATION

This is an in-person role with an office located at the USD School of Law – 5998 Alcala Park Way, San Diego, CA 92110.

 

POSITION SUMMARY

Originally endowed by legendary San Diego philanthropist Sol Price, the Price Professor of Public Interest Law is a distinguished full-time, clinical tenured or tenure-track position occupying a unique space at the intersection of elite academia and systemic legal advocacy. This role carries the dual responsibility of advancing academic scholarship as a faculty member while also serving as the Executive Director of the Consumer Protection Policy Center (CPPC), one of the nation’s premier public interest watchdog organizations.

As a nonpartisan voice for those lacking political and financial leverage, the Price Professor and Executive Director oversees CPPC’s mission to monitor state regulatory agencies, ensuring government remains ethical, transparent, and accountable to the public rather than monied special interests. This leadership position involves the direct supervision of CPPC’s professional staff, including the Administrative Director/Senior Staff Attorney and the CPPC Lobbyist, and requires close collaboration with the Children’s Advocacy Institute and the Energy Policy Initiatives Center under the Centers for Public Interest Law umbrella.

This role requires an original thinker with a diverse skillset and experience running programs, initiatives, and/or organizations. With experience in policy and regulatory law, the ideal candidate is passionate about improving government and fighting for consumers. The Price Professor will serve as the public face of CPPC, ensuring the Center remains highly visible and well-connected. This is a very hands-on role, working closely with students as both an advisor and mentor. Core areas of responsibility include advocacy and lobbying, litigation, teaching, writing and research, administration, and fundraising.

The Price Professor of Public Interest Law is an extraordinary opportunity to come to San Diego and work on policy areas that can quite literally change the world. Working in close collaboration with CPIL’s lobbyists in Sacramento and Washington, DC, the Price Professor will lead efforts to position CPPC as a trusted thought partner to the California state legislature. They will have the opportunity to significantly expand their work through strategic partnerships and fundraising.

Lawyers with advocacy, public interest, or public litigation experience are encouraged to apply – prior academic experience, although helpful, is not a prerequisite.

Year One Priorities:

  • Prioritize a deep understanding of the CPPC’s staff, its storied 40-year history, and the USD community. Establish authentic, long-lasting relationships with the internal team and external partners to ensure a seamless leadership transition.
  • Design and launch a concrete, multi-year plan for CPPC’s policy initiatives. This includes defining a clear legislative and regulatory agenda at the state and federal levels that addresses the current landscape of consumer protection and government accountability.
  • Successfully integrate into the faculty by teaching the required annual course load. This includes mentoring students and ensuring high-quality instruction in public interest and regulatory law while maintaining the clinical standards of the center’s student research.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive Leadership & Policy Advocacy

  • Direct CPPC’s mission at the state, local, and federal levels as Executive Director to ensure government adheres to its core mission of citizen protection.
  • Supervise, mentor, and support two key direct reports: the CPPC Administrative Director/Senior Staff Attorney and the CPPC Lobbyist.
  • Supervise and coordinate as Executive Director with contract lobbyists in both Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to advance inclusive policies and challenge special interest influence.
  • Collaborate closely with the Children’s Advocacy Institute and the Energy Policy Initiatives Center to address complex, cross-cutting public interest challenges and strengthen CPIL’s collective impact.
  • Lead ambitious advocacy as the head of CPPC before courts, legislatures, and administrative bodies to protect marginalized and unorganized constituencies, specifically consumers, the poor, and future generations.

Teaching & Mentorship

  • Serve as a core member of the law school faculty with a teaching requirement.
  • Actively mentor and interact with students, training the next generation of public interest lawyers to master and challenge legal and political processes.
  • Direct the production of the nation’s only direct reporter on state regulatory agency activities, which is a unique student-written publication featured on Westlaw.

Academic Scholarship

  • Produce academic scholarship for reputable publications in their areas of focus.
  • Focus scholarship and teaching on vital public interest areas such as regulatory, administrative, antitrust, and consumer rights law.

BACKGROUND PROFILE

  • Juris Doctor (J.D.) and member of the bar strongly preferred.
  • A significant background in practical advocacy, with a demonstrated history of running an organization or major initiative, including budget management.
  • A proven history of high-impact public interest advocacy, with specific experience navigating the legislative, judicial, or regulatory branches of government.
  • Significant experience or demonstrated promise in legal scholarship and teaching, with a particular interest in candidates able to teach in public interest, regulatory, and consumer rights law.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage professional legal and policy staff, including the supervision of lobbyists and senior attorneys.
  • A deep-seated devotion to the principles of democratic accountability, open government, and the representation of groups underrepresented in political processes.

TO APPLY, PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME TO:

Sarah Thompson, Senior Director, Blair Search Partners
1855 1st Ave., Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101
sarah@blairsearchpartners.com