Law & AI Academic Fellowship 2026 at Institute for Law & AI (Remote, $130,000/year)

The Institute for Law & AI (LawAI) is an independent think tank that researches and advises on the legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence. It is seeking aspiring legal scholars who intend to go on the US academic job market to produce legal scholarship on the law of transformative AI as part of its inaugural Law & AI Academic Fellowship.

The Law & AI Academic Fellowship is a full-time, two-year role intended as an alternative to university-sponsored Visiting Assistant Professor or law fellow positions for legal scholars wishing to pursue a career in US legal academia. Fellows spend the majority of the fellowship researching and writing articles for publication in law journals, with the goal of building a strong academic application package.

• Salary: US$130,000 per year.
• Duration: two years (a third year may be possible, contingent on strong performance and funding).
• Teaching is not required.
• Each fellow is paired with an academic mentor from LawAI's network of affiliated academics.

Fellows are selected in part based on the alignment of their research interests with the law and policy of transformative AI. LawAI welcomes a variety of methodologies and (inter)disciplinary approaches, including law and economics, law and history, legal philosophy, law and computer science, empirical legal studies, comparative legal studies, conservative legal thought, and critical legal studies. Fellows retain full discretion over their own research questions, methodologies, and conclusions.

You might be a good fit if you:

• Plan to pursue a career in US legal academia and understand the basic career path for legal academics in the US.
• Have a combination of strong academic performance and additional experience (e.g. a clerkship, private-sector legal practice, public service, advocacy or policy work, or service on a law review).
• Understand legal scholarship deeply and can autonomously formulate research questions and deliver excellent written work.
• Can travel frequently and spend at least one month per year working in person with the LawAI team in Cambridge, UK or Washington, DC.

Prior publications are not required, but applicants should be able to demonstrate an ability to produce excellent written work.

This is a full-time, two-year position with flexible working hours and location. Most fellows are expected to work from the US, as the position targets individuals planning to apply for faculty positions at US law schools. Fellows must spend at least one month per year (preferably in summer) working in person with the LawAI team in either Washington, DC or Cambridge, UK. LawAI will help cover associated travel, housing, and childcare costs. Fellows are also required to travel 2-3 times per year for team retreats and conferences.

• Salary of US$130,000 per year.
• An annual reimbursement fund of US$5,000 for productivity and professional development (encouraged for travel to academic conferences, workshops and job talks); described as a floor, not a ceiling.
• Flexible working hours, with the option to work from the Cambridge, UK office.
• 5 weeks of recommended PTO per year, plus public holidays.
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Employer pension or matching 401(k) contribution up to 4% of salary.
• Health insurance for employees residing in countries without nationalized healthcare.

Applications close on 31 July 2026. Interested candidates should apply through the official LawAI application form (Airtable). Those seeking a different position may instead review LawAI's open positions or submit an expression of interest. For queries, contact LawAI at hello@law-ai.org.