Dear all,

Happy New Year! I hope you are doing well.
I’m writing to share an exciting opening at Duke Law School.
I would be happy to talk further about the role,  the work we do at Duke Law, and living in Durham and the Research Triangle Area in general, if you are interested.
Please do feel free to reach out, and I will be glad to connect.
Best,
Alex



Duke University, School of Law
Position ID:
Duke-Law-DATASCI25 [#31465, 50009449]
Position Title:
Computational Legal Scientist
Position Type:
Administration
Position Location:
Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States of America [map<http://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.9998809,-78.9453525>] [sort by distance] <https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo?joblist-------40-l-g3435>
Subject Area:
Law<https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/Law> / Legal Research<https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/Law/Legal%20Research>
Appl Deadline:
none (posted 2025/12/30)
Position Description:



Introduction
The Duke Law Library’s Data Lab is seeking a talented Computational Legal Scientist to support the empirical research needs of Duke Law School faculty, students, and staff. This role strengthens the Data Lab’s ability to create, manage, and share research-ready data and analytical resources that empower scholars across the Law School. You will guide faculty and students on research design, data preparation, and computational methods while contributing to Duke Law’s mission of promoting data literacy within legal scholarship.

Minimum Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, applied social science, data science, or related field. 4+ years of progressive experience in computational social science, including data capture, cleaning, analysis, machine learning, NLP, and database administration. OR equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications
PhD in computer/data science/statistics or an applied social science OR JD with sufficient technical training.
Experience with empirical research and statistical analysis in legal, social science, or scientific contexts.
Applied NLP and machine-learning experience.
Experience teaching, advising, or consulting on AI or data topics.
Experience with both quantitative and qualitative analytical methods.

Other Requirements
Proficiency in Python and/or R.
Skills in survey development, machine learning, NLP, statistical analysis, and LLM integration.
Experience with web scraping, HTML/JavaScript, and electronic document parsing.
Proficiency with Linux-based environments.
Experience working with virtual machines and metadata standards.
Strong communication, teamwork, and independent learning skills.

Position Type
Hybrid – A combination of on-site and remote work.

Be Bold.

Essential Job Duties
Guide faculty and students in research design, methodology, and empirical project best practices.
Support AI-assisted legal and policy research.
Coordinate and implement workflows to prepare datasets for research use.
Extract, clean, and organize raw data from websites, social media, and PDFs.
Build automated data workflows using programmatic tools.
Use and develop AI-powered research tools including ML, NLP, and LLM techniques.
Support grant and IRB applications.
Track and manage Data Lab projects and reporting.
Recruit and supervise student research assistants.
Ensure data management standards for privacy, security, and auditability.
Advise on data management, AI, and ML concepts across the Law School.
Engage with the broader Duke and Research Triangle data community.

Choose Duke.
Why Work at Duke?
Duke Law fosters a collaborative and intellectually vibrant environment where interdisciplinary work is encouraged and supported. The Data Lab plays a key role in advancing empirical legal scholarship, offering opportunities to work with leading faculty, innovative research centers, and emerging AI technologies.


Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Please apply at https://careers.duke.edu/job-invite/264577/.

Contact: Bonny Gentry, 919-613-7005
Email: [email address]
Postal Mail:

210 Science Drive
Suite 1015, Duke Box 90362
Durham, NC 27708-0362
Web Page: law.duke.edu<http://law.duke.edu/>





--

Alex Zhang

Archibald C. and Frances Fulk Rufty Research Professor of Law

Associate Dean of Information Services

Director, J. Michael Goodson Law Library ​

Duke Law School

210 Science Dr., Durham NC 27708

Tel: 919-613-7115

Email: [log in to unmask]

Zoom: https://duke.zoom.us/j/9840963722