StudyDesk Scholarships
About the fellowship
The Summer Research Fellowship is the flagship talent program of the Institute for Law & AI (LawAI), the research institute working on the legal foundations of AI safety and governance. For ten weeks each summer it gathers a cohort of lawyers, researchers and policy-minded professionals to do real, publishable research at the point where law meets frontier AI: liability for autonomous systems, the legal architecture of AI governance, safety regulation, and the rule-of-law questions raised by powerful AI.
The 2027 fellowship runs 14 June to 20 August 2027. Fellows work with a mentor on a project matched to their experience and interests, join Q&A sessions with leading experts, build a US law-and-policy network, and get career-planning support. The whole cohort comes together for a Convening Week in Washington, DC from 21 to 25 June 2027, with flights, accommodation and meals covered. For strong collaborators, the fellowship also opens doors afterwards: follow-on grant funding, event invitations and possible openings at LawAI itself.
Eligibility
- Be a law student (JD or LLM, including incoming 1Ls), a PhD candidate, a postdoctoral researcher, a professional, or a legal academic.
- Have a strong grasp of US legal principles as applied to AI regulation — from formal legal study or comparable professional experience. Prior AI-specific research is welcome but not required.
- Show genuine interest in AI law and policy and readiness to apply legal research skills to open questions.
- Be able to participate full-time from 14 June to 20 August 2027 and attend the Convening Week in Washington, DC (21–25 June 2027).
- Hold valid visa or immigration permissions for the place of participation; LawAI gives best-effort visa sponsorship support to offer holders.
- Expect to participate in person in Washington, DC — this is the default, and for law students it is a selection factor. Remote arrangements are considered only for candidates with compelling reasons, case by case.
Benefits
- $2,000 per week fellowship subsidy for the 10-week program (higher for exceptional candidates).
- $10,000 relocation and housing stipend for fellows who move to Washington, DC for the summer.
- Convening Week in Washington, DC (21–25 June 2027) with eligible travel, accommodation and meals covered.
- Close mentorship from LawAI research staff and affiliates, matched to your interests.
- Q&A sessions with leading experts, US law-and-policy networking, and career-planning resources.
- Pathways after the fellowship: follow-on grant funding, event invitations and possible openings at LawAI.
Documents required
- The official 2027 notification does not publish a document list — the application is an online form that takes about 20 minutes. (The previous cycle asked for an academic CV in PDF and the most recent transcript in PDF, with a LinkedIn profile and a writing sample in English from the past two years as optional extras, per third-party guides — confirm against the live form before applying.)
- If you are selected, expect follow-up paperwork around visa/immigration permissions and any decision deadline you noted on the form.
How to apply
- Check you can attend the full summerThe fellowship runs 14 June to 20 August 2027 with a mandatory Convening Week in Washington, DC from 21 to 25 June. If you cannot be in DC, weigh whether your case for remote participation is genuinely compelling.
- Submit the online application by 29 January 2027, 11:59 pm ETThe form takes about 20 minutes. Late applications are not assessed, so do not rely on a deadline extension.
- Complete the asynchronous exploratory interviewShortlisted candidates record about 20 minutes on their perspectives about AI development, law and society — on their own schedule.
- Attend the project interviewA roughly 45-minute conversation with a member of LawAI research staff on your interests, goals and fit with available projects.
- Watch for the decision by mid-MarchDecisions are aimed for mid-March 2027. If you need an answer earlier for another commitment, note that deadline on the application form so the team can try to accommodate it.
- Ask for help if you need itQuestions and disability-accommodation requests go to programs@law-ai.org.
FAQs
It is designed for law students, professionals and academics who want to work on AI governance. Past cohorts have included JD and LLM students, PhD candidates, postdocs, mid-career professionals moving into AI-focused roles, and legal academics.
No. You need a solid understanding of the legal principles that govern AI regulation in US law and policy, which can come from formal legal study or comparable professional experience. Curiosity and research ability matter more than an AI publication record.
The default is in person in Washington, DC for the summer, and fellows who relocate there receive the $10,000 relocation and housing stipend. Remote participation is possible only for candidates with compelling reasons, assessed case by case.
You work with a mentor to develop and run a project matched to your experience and interests. Some fellows produce one extended piece such as a report or law review article; others support several advisory or research projects. Outputs are chosen with your mentor and should connect to AI safety, security and the rule of law.
Alumni have moved into law and policy roles at the US Department of Commerce, leading AI companies, universities and think tanks, including LawAI itself. The fellowship advertises follow-on grants, event invitations and possible job openings for strong collaborators.
Verified 23 Oct 2026: law-ai.org/summer-fellowship-us (official, crawled 23 Oct 2026) — 2027 program dates 14 Jun–20 Aug 2027, Convening Week 21–25 Jun 2027 in Washington DC, $2,000/week subsidy, $10,000 relocation/housing stipend, deadline 29 Jan 2027 11:59 pm ET, ~20-min form, async exploratory interview + 45-min project interview, decisions aimed mid-March, programs@law-ai.org, best-effort visa sponsorship; opportunities247.org + scholarshipbob.com (previous cycle) — CV and transcript PDFs previously required, LinkedIn and English writing sample optional. Document list for 2027 not published in the official notification.
