The American Bar Foundation (ABF) invites applications for its William H. Neukom Fellows Research Chair in Diversity and Law. This is a one-year visiting position.
We seek outstanding scholars with distinguished records of empirical research on diversity and law, broadly conceived. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, diversity in the legal profession and other institutions of justice; the impact of diversity on legal processes, legal institutions, and public policy; the roles of race, gender, disability, and sexuality in legal institutions and legal processes; and the interaction between legal processes and inequalities of race, gender, disability, and sexuality. We welcome applicants from all social science disciplines, law, and the social science-adjacent humanities, regardless of home appointment.
The Neukom Chair carries no formal teaching or service responsibilities; however, the successful candidate is expected to participate actively in the ABF intellectual community and spend a substantial amount of time in residence at the ABF offices on Northwestern University's downtown Chicago campus; to participate in the ABF’s expanding program of research and dialogue on diversity and law; and to make at least one formal research presentation to the ABF community. Along with office space, opportunities for collegial interaction, and library access, the Neukom Chair also receives a modest research allowance and a stipend of up to $100,000 to compensate for foregone salary (subject to adjustment based on the candidate's access to sabbatical pay and/or third-party funding).
The ABF is an independent, scholarly research institute committed to social science research on law, legal institutions, and legal processes. Its faculty consists of leading scholars in the fields of sociology, psychology, political science, economics, history, anthropology, and law. We seek qualified applicants who can contribute to our community through their scholarship, mentorship, and/or service, and we enthusiastically encourage applicants from historically underrepresented groups and backgrounds in sociolegal research.
Application Process:
Review of applications will begin on March 1, 2026, but the search will be ongoing until the position is filled. We ask that applicants submit the following:
- A curriculum vitae
- A letter of application
- A brief (no more than 2-page) description of current research and the topic on which you would be working as Neukom Chair
- A list of three references
Applications should be submitted via Breezy. Queries about the application process can be directed to ops(at)abfn.org. Please include 'ABF Neukom Chair' in the subject line.