Visiting Scholar

Overview

The American Bar Foundation invites scholars to join our intellectual community throughout the year on a temporary visiting basis. We encourage national and international scholars on leave or sabbatical to take advantage of our diverse sociolegal research environment and excellent facilities. ABF Visiting Scholars enjoy an office or workspace, opportunities for collegial interaction, and library access. We do not offer a stipend.

Visitors are expected to participate in the intellectual life of the ABF community, and to attend the ABF’s weekly Wednesday speaker series. We prefer visitors who will be in residence full-time at the ABF for all or part of the academic year, although summer visits are possible.

Preference will be given to visitors whose scholarship aligns with the ABF's mission to expand knowledge and advance justice through innovative, interdisciplinary, and rigorous empirical research on law, legal processes, and legal institutions. ABF visitor ships are open to scholars in all social science disciplines, law, and the social science adjacent humanities, regardless of institutional appointment. We seek qualified applicants who can contribute to our community through their scholarship, mentorship, and/or service, and we enthusiastically encourage applicants from historically underrepresented groups and backgrounds in sociolegal research.

Information about past visitors can be found on the Former Visiting Scholars page of the ABF website.

• Participate in the intellectual life of the ABF community and attend the ABF’s weekly Wednesday speaker series.
• Engage with ABF facilities, including office/workspace access and library resources.

• Scholars from national and international backgrounds in social science disciplines, law, or related humanities who are on leave or sabbatical are eligible.
• Commitment to contributing to the ABF community through scholarship, mentorship, and/or service; a preference for scholars aligned with ABF’s mission.
• Encouragement of applicants from historically underrepresented groups and backgrounds in sociolegal research.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but preference is given to applications received by March 1, 2026. Applications should be submitted as a single PDF and include:

• A letter of application, including preferred residence dates and any on-site limitations
• A curriculum vitae
• A brief (no more than 2-page) description of current research and the topic you would pursue as a Visiting Scholar
• A list of three references

For assistance with your application, contact Dianna Garzón, Program Associate,  all other questions, contact Reuben J. Miller, Chair of the Appointments Committee, ase include "ABF Visiting Scholars" in the subject line.

• Employment type:
  
  Temporary
• Job function:
  Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
• Industries:
  Research Services