PhD Position in Empirical Legal Research on the Rule of Law & Judicial Politics

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM); Netherlands; On-site; EUR 30.000 - 45.000; Full time

Job summary

A distinguished European university is seeking a PhD researcher in Law, Politics, and Public Choice for a full-time position. This four-year role involves empirical research on critical democratic challenges, particularly focusing on the rule of law and judicial politics. As part of the European Doctorate in Law and Economics programme, the researcher will gain invaluable international experience through mandatory research stays. Applicants should have a keen interest in law and the ability to engage with leading scholars in the field.

Qualifications

• Strong interest in Law, Politics, and Public Choice.
• Empirical research skills are crucial.
• Ability to engage with international scholars.

Responsibilities

• Employ an empirical approach to examine challenges related to the rule of law.
• Study courts' responses to judicial pressure and public trust in judicial institutions.
• Contribute to the European Doctorate in Law and Economics programme.

Job description

PhD researcher in Law, Politics and Public Choice

The Rotterdam Institute of Law and Economics (RILE), Department of Law & Business, Erasmus School of Law (ESL), is seeking applications for a full-time, four-year position as PhD researcher in Law, Politics and Public Choice. This position supports ESL’s ambition to strengthen its position as a leading European research institute and contributes to the Erasmus University Rotterdam’s impact domain “Resilience and robustness of our society”.

PhD Position in Empirical Legal Research on the Rule of Law & Judicial Politics

The PhD project should employ an empirical approach to examine pressing challenges facing democratic societies, particularly related to the rule of law, public trust in courts, judicial independence, judicial decision making, or court-curbing. This may involve, for example, studying how courts respond to judicial pressure, how citizens form trust in judicial institutions, how legal institutions can safeguard democratic governance or how governments attempt to weaken judicial oversight.

This PhD position will be integrated into the European Doctorate in Law and Economics (EDLE), which is one of the largest doctorate programmes in the field. It is a joint doctoral programme by four European universities: the Universities of Bologna, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Rennes. A mandatory mobility period during the first year will include research stays in Bologna and Hamburg, offering the PhD researcher a unique opportunity to engage with leading scholars and build a strong international academic network.

Supervisors: Prof. Louis Visscher (first supervisor) and Dr. Aylin Aydin-Çakır (co-supervisor)