Winter Research Fellowship (Legal Frontiers)

Applications are now open.

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Overview

LawAI’s Winter Research Fellowship (Legal Frontiers) is a paid program that offers law students, professionals, and academics the opportunity to work at the leading edge of AI, law, and policy.

The Legal Frontiers team aims to grow new legal and policy paradigms to ensure that advances in artificial intelligence are beneficial and safe for everyone. The Legal Frontiers team currently conducts research primarily on 1) AI Agents and the Rule of Law and 2) International Regulatory Institutions. The team also recently published a list of future research directions, and would be especially excited to support researchers who can apply novel methodological or interdisciplinary approaches to the intersection of law and AI, such as originalism, empirical legal studies, law and economics, legal history, and comparative legal studies.

The Winter Research Fellowship is designed to support intellectual and professional development, combining tailored research mentorship with career planning and opportunities to engage with policymakers, researchers, and other leaders in the field. While this is the first iteration of our Winter Research Fellowship, previous Summer Research Fellows have gone on to take law and policy roles in the US Commerce Department, UK AI Safety Institute, EU AI Office, leading AI labs, academia, and think tanks, including LawAI itself.

Applications close on October 12, 2025.

We look forward to reviewing your application!

About LawAI

The Institute for Law & AI (LawAI) is an independent think tank that researches and advises on the legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence. We believe that sound legal analysis will promote security, welfare, and the rule of law. We conduct research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, law, and policy and advise governments, international organizations, public institutions, and private actors. You can review LawAI’s recent publications on our website and learn more about our focus areas in this overview of our Workstreams and Research Directions.

About the Winter Research Fellowship (Legal Frontiers)

As a Winter Research Fellow, you will work with your mentor to develop and execute on a research project tailored to your experience, skills, and interests. Some Winter Research Fellows may focus on a more extended, singular project, such as drafting a report or authoring a law review article, while others might contribute to a range of initiatives, such as conducting legal research that supports various research and advisory projects led by LawAI staff. Winter Research Fellows may also have opportunities to help advise policymakers, government, and private sector organizations.

As a general matter, Winter Research Fellows will have considerable discretion over the form of outputs they pursue (e.g., choosing between publishing a law review article vs a policy brief). Topic selection will be determined in conjunction with your mentor. Projects should generally align with LawAI’s mission to ensure that major advances in AI are beneficial and safe for the public. It may also help to review LawAI’s current Legal Frontiers Workstream and Research Direction (and the accompanying Appendix), which will give you a sense of the subject matter appropriate for Winter Research Fellows.

We welcome suggestions for other topics that have a clear connection to our research priorities.

Winter Research Fellowship (Legal Frontiers) start and end dates:

The Winter Research Fellowship will run from January 26, 2026, to May 8, 2026.
Winter Research Fellows may elect to start their fellowship late or end it early, provided they can work with us for at least eight consecutive weeks.

Winter Research Fellows are expected to work full-time, participate in regular team meetings, give occasional presentations on their research, and provide feedback on other research work within their cohort and the broader LawAI team.

We are happy to accommodate academic or professional commitments during the fellowship period on a case-by-case basis. Please let us know if you have questions during the application process.

Benefits

Winter Research Fellows will receive weekly compensation based on their work location, comparable to our other tracks ($1,500 per week for Winter Research Fellows based in the US and €1,000 per week for Winter Research Fellows based in the EU Law). We highly encourage Winter Research Fellows to work in person from our Cambridge office, with an additional €1,000 per week available for living costs. Candidates with exceptional experience or qualifications may be eligible for higher compensation.
Close mentorship from our research staff and affiliates.
Q&A sessions with leading experts in the field.
Law and policy networking opportunities and career planning resources.
Opportunities to explore future collaborations, such as follow-on funding through grants, invitations to upcoming events, and potential projects or job openings with LawAI.

Eligibility

For the Legal Frontiers stream, applicants may have legal experience, but it is not required. We especially welcome those with backgrounds in fields such as computer science, public policy, economics, history, psychology, or physics, and encourage applications from all jurisdictions.
While candidates should have an interest in AI law and policy and be prepared to apply their research abilities and legal knowledge to questions in our field, prior experience or expertise in AI-specific research is not required.
Past Summer Research Fellows have included:
- Graduate law students (e.g., LLM or JD), PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers
- Undergraduate law students in their final year of studies (e.g., LLB, First State Examination, and similar degrees)
- Professionals transitioning into research at various career stages
- Legal academics
- See our Summer Research Fellows for more examples.
Ability to commit to full-time work for at least eight weeks within the dates above. We ask that applicants communicate proactively about any scheduling conflicts.

If you’re not sure about applying because you don’t know if you’re qualified or the right fit, we encourage you to apply anyway — we often find that some of the most promising candidates underrate their fit for programs like this.

Application process

Step 1: Submit your application form by 11:59 pm on October 12, 2025 (~20 minutes)

Step 2: Asynchronous exploratory interview (~30 minutes)

This interview aims to help us gain a deeper understanding of your perspective on AI development and its implications for society, law, and policy.

Step 3: Research interview (40-50 minutes)

You will speak with a member of our research staff to discuss your research interests, goals, and fit for our program. You’ll also have an opportunity to ask us questions.

Step 4: Decision

We aim to provide all applicants with a final decision by the end of November. If you need a decision by a particular date, please note this on your application form.

Diversity and equal opportunity: We aim to employ people with many experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who share our mission. We are committed to creating an environment where all employees have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race, religion, disability, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, or if you have any questions about the application process, please contact programs@law-ai.org.