Research Fellow, Legal Frontiers

Institute for Law and AI

📍 Remote (Global) 🕔 Full Time
💰€1,200/ week ⏳ 23/02/2025

The Institute for Law & AI’s (LawAI) Research Fellowship (Legal Frontiers) is an 8-12 week program that offers law students, professionals, and academics the opportunity to work at the leading edge of AI, law, and policy, with a focus on AI Agents and the Rule of Law and International Regulatory Institutions.

Our Legal Frontiers team aims to grow new legal and policy paradigms, ensuring that advances in artificial intelligence are beneficial and safe for everyone. The program is designed to foster intellectual and professional growth by offering tailored research mentorship and meaningful opportunities to engage with leaders in the field.

We welcome applicants from all countries and with various skill sets, experience levels, and degrees of knowledge in AI, law, and policy to apply.  If in doubt, we encourage you to review our Legal Frontiers Workstreams and apply.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until February 23, 2025. 

We look forward to reviewing your application!

About LawAI

The Institute for Law & AI (LawAI) is an independent think tank that researches and advises on the legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence. We believe that sound legal analysis will promote security, welfare, and the rule of law. We conduct research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, law, and policy and advise governments, international organizations, public institutions, and private actors. You can review LawAI’s recent publications on our website and learn more about our focus areas in this overview of our Workstreams and Research Directions.

About the Fellowship

As a Research Fellow (Legal Frontiers), you will work with your mentor to develop a research plan tailored to your experience, skills, and interests. Some Fellows may focus on a more extended, singular project, such as drafting a policy report or authoring a law review article, while others might contribute to a range of initiatives, such as conducting legal research that supports various research and advisory projects led by our research staff and affiliates. Fellows may also have opportunities to help advise policymakers, government, and private sector organizations.

As a general matter, Fellows will have considerable discretion over the form of outputs they pursue (e.g., choosing between publishing a law review article vs a policy brief). Topics will align with our Legal Frontiers Workstreams and will be determined in conjunction with your mentor. 

The fellowship is remote-first and lasts 8-12 weeks with a fully-funded in-person workshop, which will most likely occur in late August in Cambridge.

Fellows are expected to commit to at least 8 weeks of full-time work, participate in regular team meetings, give occasional presentations on their research, and provide feedback on other research work within their cohort and the broader LawAI team. 

We are happy to accommodate academic commitments and job interviews during the fellowship. Please let us know if you have specific questions during the application process.

Benefits

• €1,200 weekly

• In-person workshop, which will most likely occur in late August in Cambridge with eligible travel expenses covered, including flights, accommodation, and meals

• Close mentorship from our research staff and affiliates

• Networking & Q&A sessions with leading experts in the field

• Opportunities to explore future collaborations, such as follow-on funding through grants, invitations to upcoming events, and potential project or job openings with LawAI

Eligibility

We welcome applicants from all countries and with various skill sets, experience levels, and degrees of knowledge in AI, law, and policy to apply. While candidates should be prepared to apply their research abilities and legal knowledge to questions in our field, prior experience or expertise in AI-specific research is not required.

• Past fellows have included:

  • Graduate law students (e.g., LLM, MA, or JD), PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers

  • Undergraduate law students in their final year of studies (e.g., BA., LLB, First State Examination, and similar degrees)

  • Professionals transitioning into research at various career stages

  • Legal academics

• Key Requirements:

  • Ability to commit to full-time, remote-based work for at least 8 weeks. Note: We will also consider exceptional candidates who can only join part-time but for an extended period. Students who need to return to classes during the fellowship period may transition to part-time during the semester. We ask that applicants communicate proactively (e.g., in their written application or as soon as feasible) about any scheduling conflicts.

  • Ability to attend the in-person workshop, which will most likely occur in late August in Cambridge

Application Process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early.

• Step 1: Submit application (~15 minutes)

  Submit your academic CV and brief application form here. 

• Step 2: Exploratory interview (30 minutes)

  An opportunity for us to learn more about your interests, values, and approach to the fellowship.

• Step 3: Research Interview (60 minutes)

  Discuss your research interests, goals, and fit for the fellowship with a member of our staff. You’ll also have an opportunity to ask us questions.

• Step 4: Decision

  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If you need a decision by a particular date, please note this on your application form in Step 1.

Diversity & Equal Opportunity

We aim to employ people with many experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who share our mission. We are committed to creating an environment where all employees have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race, religion, disability, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation. 

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability or have questions about the application process, please contact hiring@law-ai.org.