Summer Fellowship (US)

As a Summer Fellow, you will collaborate with your mentor to develop and execute a project tailored to your experience, skills, and interests. Some Summer 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. Summer Fellows may also have opportunities to help advise policymakers, government, and private sector organizations.

As a general matter, Summer 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 align with LawAI’s mission of ensuring that major advances in AI promote safety, security, and the rule of law. It may also help to review LawAI’s current United States Law and Policy Workstream and Research Directions, which will give you a sense of the subject matter appropriate for Summer Fellows.

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

Summer Fellowship (US) start and end dates

The fellowship lasts 10 weeks from June 14 to August 20, and includes a Convening Week in Washington, DC, June 21–25. We strongly encourage in-person participation in Washington, DC, as much of the value of this fellowship comes from being embedded within the team and the broader DC policy community. That said, we recognize that circumstances vary, and we’re open to considering remote arrangements on a case-by-case basis for candidates with compelling reasons to participate remotely (e.g., family commitments).

We expect Summer Fellows to participate full-time, attend regular team meetings, give occasional presentations on their projects, and provide feedback on other projects within their cohort and the broader LawAI team.

In exceptional circumstances, we may consider adjustments to the fellowship start or end dates; however, our strong preference is for full participation. Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To be considered, please note this on your application.

• Ability to participate in-person is a factor in our selection criteria for law students.
• 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.
• 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 Fellows have included:
  • Graduate law students (e.g., LLM or JD), PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers
  • Professionals at various career stages looking to transition into AI-focused roles in research, academia, government, or industry
  • Legal academics
• Ability to commit to full-time participation from June 14 to August 20. In exceptional circumstances, we may consider adjustments to the fellowship start or end dates; however, our strong preference is for full participation. Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
• Ability to attend the Convening Week in Washington, DC, from June 21–25, with eligible travel expenses covered, including flights, accommodation, and meals.
• If you receive an offer, we will make every reasonable effort to support visa sponsorship. However, our ability to do so depends on the candidate and their location, and the relevant authorities ultimately determine eligibility. Participation is contingent on holding valid visa or immigration permissions for the location in which you will be based.