Research Fellowship in AI and the Law
Location: Stanford, CA, United States · Reference: 200510
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
Responsibilities
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.
