Research Fellow, Stanford Law School

Full-time, starting Summer 2027. Some applicants available to start earlier will also be considered. Fellowships last for one year, with the opportunity to renew for a second year based on performance and mutual agreement of the professor and fellow.

Assist Stanford Law School faculty, including economist Dr. John J. Donohue, in conducting policy-relevant empirical social science research. Designed for graduating seniors or recent college or master’s program graduates, the fellowship provides a unique opportunity for those considering graduate school, law school, and/or business school in the future.

Over the past 5 years, research fellows have matriculated in PhD programs at:
Berkeley (Economics), Columbia (Economics), Harvard (Sociology), MIT (Economics), Northwestern (Economics), Penn State (Economics), University of Pennsylvania (Economics), University of Wisconsin-Madison (Economics). In the past 5 years, fellows have also matriculated in law school at Stanford Law School and Yale Law School.

The budgeted salary range for this position at Stanford Law School, as a full-time Stanford University employee, is: $31.40 to $35.00 per hour. If these hourly rates were annualized based on working 2,080 hours/year, the range is equivalent to: $65,312 to $72,800 per year. This represents a good faith estimate of what Stanford University expects to offer as compensation. 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.

Participation in this fellowship opportunity allows you to take and audit Stanford courses and attend on-campus lectures and seminars free of charge. In addition, incumbents in this fellowship will be eligible to take one course per quarter, not to exceed a maximum of 5 units (paid for by the department), with approval from your faculty supervisor. Additional restrictions may apply, such as a limit on the total number of courses you may take during the entirety of your fellowship.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process. You will be eligible to elect a benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, access to campus athletic and academic facilities, paid vacation time, professional development funds, and the capacity to audit Stanford courses and attend on-campus lectures and seminars free of charge.

• Collecting, managing, and structuring quantitative datasets
• Conceptualization of suitable empirical methodologies and models
• Statistical analyses of complex datasets and interpretation of results
• Communication with government officials, industry stakeholders, and research collaborators
• Report writing and manuscript preparation

• Experience in a quantitative discipline, such as economics, political science, computer science, statistics, or applied math
• Training in causal inference and/or machine learning methods
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in the social sciences or another relevant field
• Outstanding academic credentials and intellectual creativity
• Eagerness to take initiative and solve intricate problems
• Excellent time-management skills and ability to work effectively with minimal supervision
• Exceptional research and analytical writing skills
• Programming experience in R, Python, Stata, and/or other languages is strongly preferred
• Prior research experience and coursework in the empirical social sciences is preferred, but not required