Constitutional Law Center – Fellowship, Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School seeks to hire the best talent and to promote a safe and secure environment for all members of the university community and its property. To that end, new staff hires must successfully pass a background check prior to starting work at Stanford University.

 

The Goal:

This fellowship is intended for individuals who are seeking an academic career working on constitutional law. Affiliates of the Center have gone on to obtain desirable academic positions at numerous law schools including Georgetown, Chicago, UCLA, George Washington, Texas, Notre Dame, Hastings, Penn State, Georgia, and Richmond, among others.

 

The Fellowship:

The Constitutional Law Center Fellowship is a residential fellowship that provides an opportunity to conduct research in the dynamic environment of Stanford Law School.  The fellowship is for one year, with the possibility of being extended to a second year. The maximum possible duration of the fellowship is three years. Any decision to extend the fellowship beyond one year and for the maximum duration is at the discretion of the Center leadership to determine and based on fellowship contribution and performance. 

 

The fellowship is designed to allow participants to complete a significant body of independent scholarship.  We expect fellows to dedicate most of their time to pursuing their proposed research projects, while dedicating a small amount of time to attending Center activities, including our annual conference, our monthly speaker series, and paper workshops.  Fellows may also occasionally be called on to help coordinate Center activities in cooperation with the Center’s executive director. 

 

Fellows are encouraged to become part of a lively law-school-wide community of individuals with an interest in legal academia by attending weekly faculty lunch seminars and participating in activities with the other fellows at Stanford Law School. We will provide fellows with work space, a competitive salary, and a generous benefits package.  Fellows will report to the executive director of the Constitutional Law Center. 

Applicants should have a JD or doctoral level degree (PhD) in a relevant area. Successful applicants typically also have experience in a federal appellate clerkship, and a demonstrated aptitude for original research in constitutional law, typically in the form of past publications or student notes. 

 

The Center:

The Constitutional Law Center, directed by Michael W. McConnell, grows out of the long and distinguished tradition of constitutional law scholarship at Stanford Law School. The Center has no politics and takes no sides on controversial cases—but it is committed to the rule of law and the idea that the Constitution can be studied and interpreted objectively in light of its text, history, and purposes. It advances this mission through events and activities that foster scholarship, generate public discussion, and provide opportunities for students and scholars to engage in analysis of the Constitution across the ideological spectrum.

For more information, visit our website at https://law.stanford.edu/stanford-constitutional-law-center/

 

The Application Process:

Applicants should submit a document containing:

CV with contact information for three references, 

a writing sample, 

and a research proposal (2000 words or less) to the Stanford Career website: https://careersearch.stanford.edu/.

 

Application Deadline: October 1, 2026, at 5:00 PM Pacific time. We will choose the fellow based on demonstrated academic merit and potential, and on the intellectual strength of their research proposals.

 

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.

 

The expected base pay range for this position is $71,000-$75,000 per annum. 

Stanford University has provided a pay range representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for the position. The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the qualifications of the selected candidate, budget availability, and internal equity.

 

Stanford Law School seeks to hire the best talent and to promote a safe and secure environment for all members of the university community and its property. To that end, new staff hires must successfully pass a background check prior to starting work at Stanford University.

 

Note: The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.