Research Fellowship in AI and the Law

Note: The expected pay range for this position at Stanford Law School is $29.52 to $34.13 per hour. Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs. At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package.

The full-time position is fixed-term for one year, with the intention to renew for a second year, subject to approval. It is expected that the fellow will be physically present in and working from Stanford Law School. 

This full-time research fellowship provides opportunities to assist the Legal Innovation through Frontier Technology Lab (liftlab), jointly led by Professor Julian Nyarko and Dr. Megan Ma, in its research. The Fellow will support the execution and administration of research activities on AI and other legal technological developments; and make recommendations on project development and implementation. The fellowship is aimed at recent graduates who are considering entering a graduate degree program (Ph.D. / JD) in the near future. The first two fellows have gone on to pursue PhDs at MIT and Harvard, respectively, as well as a JD at Stanford.

Examples of Current Projects

• Improving contract drafting practices by identifying litigation-triggering language
• Developing a benchmark to compare rubrics and preference ranks as a method to elicit quality in high-judgment domains
• Developing and experimentally testing LLM-based interventions to improve negotiation outcomes
• LLM personalization to improve downstream outcomes
• Large-scale evaluation of AI tutors for law
• Developing a methodology to predict future innovations in the social sciences
• Auditing and mitigation of bias in LLMs via pruning

Responsibilities

• Designing methods to validate data to ensure high quality output
• Identifying new sources of data and methods to improve data collection, analysis and reporting
• Conceptualization and implementation of statistical models
• Collecting, managing, and structuring quantitative datasets
• Report writing and manuscript preparation
• Using LLM agents for the implementation and execution of research+

Preferred Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Experience with statistics
• Programming experience
• Ability to work under deadlines with general guidance
• Experience and knowledge of the following is highly desirable:

Highly Desirable: 

• A Bachelor’s degree in computer science with a background in NLP, a Bachelor’s degree in (computational) linguistics or in symbolic systems
• A strong, demonstrated interest to conduct academic research in a relevant field
• Interest in legal research
• Interest in causal inference and social science
• Experience with machine learning / deep learning
• Substantial experience with Python
• Substantial experience with R

To be considered, please upload:

• Brief cover letter explaining your interest in the position and which graduate degree(s), if any, you hope to pursue following the fellowship
• Current resume or CV
• Transcript (unofficial version acceptable)

Core Duties:

• Plan and perform research tasks requiring initiative and judgment by applying basic knowledge and understanding of scientific theory when precedents do not provide specific guidance. General instruction provided by the supervisor as needed. May interpret study results in collaboration with supervisor or PI.
• Participate in the development and administration of survey instruments and rating scales requiring judgment in applying non-routine procedures. Analyze and summarize results for review with supervisor. Audit the accuracy and validity of data
• Review and audit case report forms for completion and accuracy with source documents, and ensure compliance with research protocols.
• Identify, select, extract and summarize data and structured information. Present summary of findings to supervisor.
• Conduct literature searches, and write literature summaries and manuscripts, requiring preliminary judgments after the supervisor outlines conceptual approach.
• Build and organize data as requested by principal investigator or supervisor; use common statistical programs requiring the application of job control language in generating and organizing data.
• Adapt new, nonstandard methods outlined by supervisor in designing and evaluating phases of research projects, (i.e., educational materials, questionnaires, strategies for recruitment, data quality control procedures and processes). May follow up with Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure renewals are approved and completed, seeking guidance where necessary.
• Assist with development, communication and design of research findings to internal and external audiences, which may include web updates, social media, and/or white papers, for use in recruitment, educational, or awareness of programs, with guidance from supervisor.
• May orient and train new staff or students.
   

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor of Arts degree in an applicable social science related field, or combination of education and relevant experience in an applicable social science.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• General understanding of scientific theory and methods, typically gained through completion of an undergraduate degree in a related field.
• General computer skills and ability to quickly learn and master computer programs.
• Ability to work under deadlines with general guidance.
• Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to complete detailed work accurately.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work with human study participants.