Research Scholar

New York University; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 128,000 - 173,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work options

Excellent benefits

Job summary

New York University’s Center for Law and Public Trust seeks a Fellow to advance accountability and anti-corruption initiatives. The role involves rigorous legal research, writing, and project management, collaborating with senior scholars, and coordinating with partners across NYU and external organizations.

The successful candidate will contribute to scholarly outputs, policy templates, and public-facing reports, while guiding student researchers and engaging with allied practitioners.

Qualifications

• Excellent research and writing skills described in the posting.
• Commitment to the Center's mission and goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills to work with diverse teams.
• Experience working in coalitions or with partner organizations.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and able to take initiative.

Responsibilities

• Conducting research on Center projects and initiatives.
• Coordinate outreach, meetings, and convenings with experts and partners.
• Generate scholarship and write internal memos, reports, and public-facing materials.
• Build tools, templates, and deliverables for Center projects.
• Manage lines of effort and provide logistical support to meet milestones.
• Advise leadership and supervise student researchers as needed.
• Represent the Center at coalition meetings and public events.
• Foster relationships with senior practitioners and academics across the University.

Skills

Research writing

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Coalition experience

Self-motivated

Education

J.D.

Job description

New York University: NYU - NY: School of Law

Location

New York

Open Date

Sep 22, 2026

Description

Trust in American institutions—government, courts, and even civil society—has steadily eroded and now stands at historic lows. In October 2025, Vanita Gupta launched the Center for Law and Public Trust at NYU School of Law to confront this crisis in confidence and reimagine US institutions so they are more effective and accountable to the American people, more resilient to corruption and abuse, and therefore more deserving of public trust.

The Center works to rebuild trust and advance effectiveness in government and other institutions by: developing issue briefs, roadmaps, and concrete blueprints for institutional reform and reconstruction; designing structures, processes, and policies that are more responsive to community needs, efficient, resilient, and accountable to the public; and training the next generation of lawyers to lead in public service, armed with the skills to deploy the levers of government and leadership, advance justice, and deliver results for the American people.

Position Summary:
The Fellow will work closely with the Center’s Director, Deputy Director, Senior Fellows, and Distinguished Scholars in Residence to contribute to rigorous, high-impact legal work in the public interest. For this particular position, the Center is seeking someone who will work on our accountability and anti-corruption portfolio. The Center is therefore particularly interested in candidates with a background in these areas.

The Fellow will perform a wide range of research, writing, and project management tasks, including, but not limited to:

• Conducting research on matters relevant to the Center’s projects and initiatives
• Supporting and coordinating outreach, meetings and convenings with subject matter experts and partner organizations
• Generating scholarship around the Center’s areas of expertise
• Writing all types of materials, from internal research memos and talking points to public-facing reports
• Building tools and templates, analyzing and synthesizing inputs and information, and helping to create and refine key deliverables for Center projects.
• Managing lines of effort and providing logistical support to various projects to ensure milestones are met and deliverables are completed on time.
• Advising Center leadership, staff, and fellows and acting as a thought partner based on the scholar’s expertise and experience.
• As needed, supervising student researchers to produce deliverables and complete tasks, ensuring quality and timeliness.
• Representing the Center at coalition meetings, conferences, convenings, and other public events, as appropriate
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with senior practitioners, academics, experts, and counterparts across the University and at partner organizations.

Salary and Benefits
In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary is $150,000. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. You will be an employee of New York University, with access to an excellent, comprehensive benefits package including generous paid time off and retirement contributions.
The Center has physical office space at NYU School of Law in New York, but also offers hybrid or remote work arrangements from within the US.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• JD
• 5 - 10 years post-graduate work experience
• Prior experience working on accountability is a strong plus but not required. This could include experience as a prosecutor, investigator, on an oversight committee, at an organization that works to promote accountability, or as a participant or member of a government or community-led initiative or commission focused on truth, transparency or accountability for prior harms.
• Familiarity or experience with issues relating to corruption, public integrity, or ethics is a strong plus but not required.

Required Skills:

• Excellent research and writing skills, including the ability to express precise, complex information in a way that is clear and compelling
• A commitment to the mission of the Center
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including a demonstrated ability to work well with different types of individuals and teams to achieve results
• Experience working successfully in coalition or collaborative spaces with partners
• Strong project management skills and a proven track record of executing complex tasks in a timely fashion
• Highly self-motivated and able to take initiative

NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. All interested persons are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.

Sustainability Statement

NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more atnyu.edu/sustainability