Paid Empirical Research Fellowship at Stanford Law School, Stanford, California, 2027 (Salary USD 65,312 to 72,800 per year)

Stanford Law School is inviting applications for its Empirical Research Fellowship, a full-time pre-doctoral research position starting in Summer 2027. Fellows assist Stanford Law School faculty, including the economist Dr. John J. Donohue, in conducting policy-relevant empirical social science research. The fellowship is designed for graduating seniors and recent college or master’s programme graduates who are considering graduate school, law school or business school in the future.

The appointment lasts one year, with the opportunity to renew for a second year based on performance and the mutual agreement of the professor and the fellow. Some applicants who are available to start earlier will also be considered. The position is posted on Stanford’s career site as “Research Fellow, Stanford Law School” (job number 200728), a multi-job posting based in Stanford, California, with a hybrid workplace type.

According to the fellowship FAQ, Stanford Law School is a leading research institution in empirical law and economics and empirical legal studies. Fellows take on critical responsibilities in core research projects across areas such as criminal justice, anti-discrimination, public health, employment, public finance, voter turnout, judicial behaviour and environmental regulation.

Earlier fellows have studied the impact of right-to-carry laws on crime, carried out research that led to legislative and constitutional reconsideration of capital punishment in Connecticut, explored predictive analytics to improve federal mining safety regulation, and worked on policy reports on California disability policy. In the past five years, fellows have gone on to PhD programmes at Berkeley, Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Northwestern, Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and to law school at Stanford and Yale.

Responsibilities vary, but cover every stage of the research process:

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

• A bachelor’s degree, preferably in the social sciences or another relevant field (the application form accepts candidates whose highest degree by Summer 2027 is a bachelor’s or a master’s).
• Experience in a quantitative discipline such as economics, political science, computer science, statistics or applied mathematics.
• Training in causal inference and/or machine learning methods.
• Outstanding academic credentials and intellectual creativity, with exceptional research and analytical writing skills.
• Initiative, strong time management and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Programming experience in R, Python, Stata or other languages is strongly preferred. Prior research experience and coursework in the empirical social sciences is preferred but not required.

The FAQ notes that some past fellows started with only minimal programming experience but exceptional enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.

The FAQ states that applicants with Optional Practical Training (OPT) are eligible, and that, depending on the circumstances, Stanford may sponsor J-1 visas for this position. Indian applicants should read the Bechtel International Center’s visa information page linked below before applying.

The budgeted salary range, as a full-time Stanford University employee, is USD 31.40 to 35.00 per hour, which Stanford annualises (at 2,080 hours a year) as USD 65,312 to 72,800 per year. The offer depends on factors including the scope of the position, the selected candidate’s qualifications, departmental budget, internal equity and market pay.

Fellows may elect a benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance, access to campus athletic and academic facilities, paid vacation and professional development funds. They may audit Stanford courses and attend on-campus lectures and seminars free of charge, and may take one course per quarter (up to 5 units, paid for by the department) with their faculty supervisor’s approval. There is no application fee.

There is a dual application process:

• Submit your resume and cover letter through Stanford’s career site, quoting job number 200728.
• Complete the online application form on the fellowship webpage, uploading a brief cover letter addressed to John J. Donohue (explaining your interest and which graduate degrees, if any, you hope to pursue afterwards), a current resume, a transcript (an unofficial version is acceptable; candidates from universities outside the US should add a transcript guide if available), a short academic writing sample (preferably empirical or social science work of which you are the sole or main author), and contact details for at least two academic references.

Letters of recommendation are not required. If available, they must be signed and sent by the recommender to fellows@law.stanford.edu.

There are two rounds of application review. The first-round deadline is 7:00 AM Pacific time on Friday, 23 October 2026. All applications received before then are guaranteed to be read while a spot is open. Applications will still be accepted after that date for as long as the application link is open, but first-round applications get preference. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis, so applying early is encouraged.