LawAI Paid Summer Fellowships 2027: US Track in Washington, DC and Legal Frontiers Track, Remote-First (US Track $2,000 per Week; Apply by 29 January 2027)

The Institute for Law & AI (LawAI) is an independent think tank that researches and advises on the legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence. It conducts research at the intersection of AI, law and policy and advises governments, international organisations, public institutions and private actors.

LawAI's Seasonal Fellowships offer law students, professionals and academics the opportunity to work at the leading edge of AI, law and policy. Two Summer tracks are currently open: the Summer Fellowship (US), focused on United States law and policy, and the Summer Research Fellowship (Legal Frontiers), whose current research focuses on Law-Following AI and on Automated Governance and the Rule of Law. LawAI says previous fellows have gone on to law and policy roles at the US Department of Commerce, the European AI Office, the UK AI Security Institute, leading AI companies, academia and think tanks.

Each fellow works with an assigned mentor to develop and execute a project tailored to their experience, skills and interests. Some fellows focus on one extended project, such as a report or a law review article; others contribute to a range of research and advisory projects led by LawAI staff. Fellows may also help advise policymakers, government and private sector organisations. Topics should align with LawAI's mission of ensuring that major advances in AI promote safety, security and the rule of law; applicants are asked to review LawAI's Workstreams and Research Directions before applying.

The Legal Frontiers team especially welcomes novel methodological or interdisciplinary approaches, such as originalism, empirical legal studies, law and economics, legal history and comparative legal studies. Candidates who wish to do technical research must find their own qualified technical supervisor.

• Duration: 10 weeks, full-time, from 14 June to 20 August, including a Convening Week in Washington, DC from 21 to 25 June.
• Summer Fellowship (US): in-person participation in Washington, DC is strongly encouraged; remote arrangements are considered case by case for compelling reasons (for example, family commitments).
• Legal Frontiers: remote-first, with opportunities to participate in person at the LawAI office in Cambridge, UK, or in Washington, DC with the US Law & Policy team.
• Fellows attend regular team meetings, give occasional presentations and give feedback on others' work. Adjustments to start or end dates are considered only in exceptional circumstances and must be noted in the application.

• Summer Fellowship (US): weekly subsidy of $2,000. Fellows who relocate to DC receive a $10,000 relocation and housing stipend (treated as taxable income; no receipts required).
• Legal Frontiers: weekly subsidy based on location: $1,800 per week if based in the US, £1,000 per week if based in the EU or UK. Additional stipends may be available for in-person participation where location-specific conditions are met. Admission to the 2027 Workshop on Law-Following AI in Cambridge, UK, with eligible travel expenses covered.
• Candidates with exceptional experience or qualifications may be eligible for higher subsidies.
• Convening Week in Washington, DC with eligible travel expenses covered, including flights, accommodation and meals.
• Close mentorship from research staff and affiliates, Q&A sessions with leading experts, networking and career planning resources, and possible follow-on collaborations, grants, events or job openings with LawAI.
• The official pages list no application fee.

Past fellows have included graduate law students (LLM or JD), PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, professionals moving into AI-focused roles, and legal academics; Legal Frontiers has also taken final-year undergraduate law students (for example, LLB). Prior AI-specific research experience is not required, but an interest in AI law and policy is. Full professional fluency in spoken and written English is required.

• US track: applicants should demonstrate a strong understanding of the legal principles applicable to AI regulation in US law and policy "through formal US legal study (e.g., incoming 1L) or comparable professional experience". Ability to participate in person is a selection factor for law students.
• Legal Frontiers: "Most successful applicants will have a strong legal background"; exceptional candidates from computer science, public policy, economics, history, philosophy or psychology are considered. "Most successful applicants will have a deep demonstrated understanding of the law and public policy of at least one of the jurisdictions most relevant to LawAI: the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. We will consider applicants without expertise in one of these jurisdictions only in exceptional cases."
• On applicants from other countries, LawAI's FAQ states: "We also encourage applications from individuals who have studied or practiced US and EU law, but are now based elsewhere." The official pages set no citizenship requirement, so an Indian applicant with US, EU or UK legal study or professional experience can apply; without such expertise, Legal Frontiers considers applicants only in exceptional cases.
• Visas: LawAI will make every reasonable effort to support visa sponsorship if an offer is made, but participation is contingent on holding valid visa or immigration permissions for the location where the fellow will be based.

You may apply to more than one track, with a separate application for each.

• Step 1: submit the online application form for your track by 11:59 pm ET on 29 January 2027 (10:29 am IST on 30 January 2027). The form takes about 20 minutes. Late applications are not assessed.
• Step 2: asynchronous exploratory interview (about 20 minutes).
• Step 3: project interview (45 minutes, US track) or research interview (30-45 minutes, Legal Frontiers) with a member of the research staff.
• Step 4: decision. LawAI aims to decide by mid-March (US track) or by the end of March (Legal Frontiers). If you need a decision by a particular date, say so on the form.

LawAI does not give individual feedback on applications. Questions about the application process or accommodation requests go to programs@law-ai.org.