The Rock Center for Corporate Governance hires academic fellows for a 12-month or one academic-year term, with the possibility of renewal for a second year, to pursue their own independent research, as well as work closely with Stanford Law School faculty on a range of projects related to corporate governance, securities regulation, vehicles for public and private investment, and financial market reform. The ideal candidate has excellent academic credentials and at least two years of experience in relevant fields of practice. The position is particularly well suited to a practicing attorney, with either a litigation or transactional background, seeking a transition to academia, or a post-doctoral economics or finance student with interests in corporate governance. The Rock Center is not currently accepting applications for academic fellows. Please check back in the Fall of 2023 when we may be accepting applications for the 2024-2025 academic year.

The Rock Center for Corporate Governance

The Rock Center for Corporate Governance promotes high quality academic research in the area of corporate governance. The Rock Center emphasizes research projects that illuminate current public policy concerns and that assist policy makers, corporate executives, and the judiciary in responding to real-life governance challenges. The Rock Center also conducts conferences and seminars addressing matters of concern to the corporate governance community.

The Position

The academic fellow will be expected to conduct independent research leading to major academic journal or law review publication, and will receive support from faculty in developing and executing those projects. The academic fellow will also engage in a broad mix of research and analysis under the supervision of Stanford Law School and other Rock Center faculty. Potential projects include research in the areas of: executive compensation, proxy voting, rating agencies, securities and corporate litigation, investment vehicle structures, and the transformation of the financial regulatory system. The academic fellow may also also develop law school and/or Rock Center course materials and educational materials for directors of publicly traded corporations, help support research conferences and seminars, and assist in managing content for the Rock Center website. Fellows are encouraged to attend weekly faculty lunch seminars and participate in activities with the other fellows at Stanford Law School to learn more about their scholarship and academic life. The academic fellow will report to the Managing Director of the Rock Center, but will work under the direction of an assigned faculty member. We provide fellows with office space, a competitive stipend, and a generous benefits package.

Qualifications

A successful candidate will have a relevant terminal graduate degree and/or a law degree, a very strong academic record, and at least two years of experience in litigation or transactional matters (for lawyers) or demonstrable research and writing or practical experience related to corporate governance. Demonstrated writing skills through law review or other publication is highly desirable. Training in quantitative analysis is desirable, but not necessary, as is experience in database construction and design. The successful candidate will also have strong presentation, interpersonal, and management skills, and will be able to operate independently with little faculty supervision. A strong entrepreneurial inclination is highly valued.