FAR Information

The Faculty Appointments Register (FAR) is an online database of applications submitted by individuals who are interested in teaching at law schools. If you participate, you will pay the $290 fee (which covers all AALS Faculty Recruitment Services) at the time you submit your profile to the FAR. If you are experiencing financial hardship and would like to be considered for a fee waiver, see “Hardship Waiver for FAR Fee” below.

How It Works

You will first create an account on the FAR website. You will use this account to access your FAR profile and the Placement Bulletin. We urge you to visit Becoming a Law Teacher for detailed advice on how to fill out your FAR form.

You must complete your payment to successfully register for the FAR. You will receive an email confirmation once you have paid. If you are an applicant outside the United States, please allow for additional time to receive the confirmation.

Distributions

Because the FAR is open on a rolling basis from June through September, applicant information is collated and released to law school hiring teams in two timed batches. These are called “distributions.” On each distribution date, the applicant information from that distribution becomes searchable in the FAR database for the rest of the cycle. This ensures that hiring teams can easily identify new applications submitted after the first deadline while maintaining access to all previous applicant information.

Important Note for Screen Reader Users

Several dropdown menus in the FAR form are not functional for screen readers as of July 23, 2024. Developers are working to fix the issue as quickly as possible as part of AALS ongoing commitment to accessibility. Until then, please contact us at [email protected] if you are a screen reader user and we will make sure you have our full support in completing your form as this issue is resolved. 

Applicant Deadlines and FAR Distributions 2024

The distribution your information is included in depends on when you submit your fee and final FAR form. To ensure that your profile is included in your desired distribution, make sure you submit your FAR payment by the date in the schedule above.

Note: Our records show that the first release is the one most used by law school hiring teams.

How to Complete the FAR

To participate in the FAR, you need to enter data about your qualifications and experience into the platform. Everything you include is entered into a searchable database where interviewers can review your application. The steps to complete the FAR are as follows:

1. Register

Go to the FAR website using the button below and click “Create an Account”. Follow the instructions to register.

2. Complete the Form

There are seven pages in the FAR profile. They do not need to be completed in order, but they should all be completed before submitting your FAR form to AALS. If you are entering information for the first time or making edits to any of the pages, make sure you click the “Save and Continue” button before going to another page.

The form requests:

• Contact Information
• Position Sought
• Demographic Information
• Education
• Teaching Preferences
• Publications
• Employment Experience
• Bar and References
• Uploaded Documents (CV, research agenda, job talk paper, and diversity statement)

For detailed information about how to fill out your FAR form, visit Becoming a Law Teacher.

3. Verify Accuracy

You may continue to edit your FAR form during the interim period after you pay the FAR fee but before the deadline for the distribution passes. After the distribution deadline passes, your contact information and supplemental resume will be the only information accessible to you. It is important to:

• Verify that all information is accurate and complete
• Print a copy of your FAR information for your records

When finished, you may click “Review and Submit” from the main menu to view your form.

4. Submit Your FAR Information and Payment

When you are ready to submit your finalized FAR form, go to the “Review and Submit” page; you will be presented with a form to enter your credit card information. This will also show the details on the FAR distribution in which you will be included. Once you make the payment, your application will be included in that distribution. There is no need for any additional submission. If you miss the deadline for a distribution, your information will not be available for law schools to review until the next distribution.

5. Confirmation

You will receive an email confirming your FAR application was received.

Hardship Waiver for FAR Fee

AALS may waive the fee for applicants who are unable to pay due to financial hardship. Inability to pay the fee must be verified via a fee waiver application. If you want to be considered for a fee waiver, AALS must receive your application by the deadlines below, which correspond with FAR distribution dates. We will confirm whether your waiver application has been approved at least a week before the distribution due date.

Fee Waiver Deadlines