Opportunity: Research Assistant, Privacy Tools Project

The Privacy Tools Project team at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society is hiring a law student research assistant for the Fall 2023 semester.

Project Summary:

By leveraging advances in computer science, social science, statistics, and law, the Privacy Tools project aims to further the tremendous value that can come from collecting, analyzing, and sharing data while more fully protecting individual privacy. This effort seeks to translate the theoretical promise of new technical measures for privacy and data utility into definitions and measures of privacy and data utility, as well as practical computational, legal, and policy tools for enabling privacy-protective access to sensitive data in a variety of contexts.

The Privacy Tools team at the Berkman Klein Center explores cross-disciplinary approaches to data privacy and devises new privacy frameworks, legal instruments, and policy recommendations that complement privacy-preserving technologies being developed in the project. To support this work, they are looking for a rising second and third-year law student to assist with conducting research and analysis on topics related to privacy law and policy.

More information can be found on the Berkman Klein Center’s website and the Privacy Tools project website.

Research Assistant Responsibilities:

Under the direction of project team leaders, student tasks may include researching and writing short legal memoranda on selected topics in privacy law and policy, drafting data sharing agreements, surveying recent publications in professional journals, contributing to the development of new tools for privacy and data sharing, participating in and presenting at project meetings, and attending lectures and events with privacy experts from a wide range of disciplines. Additional opportunities may arise during the course of the semester.

Eligibility:

Second and third-year students at Harvard Law School will be considered for this position. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in and enthusiasm for technology and privacy-related legal issues and policy, along with excellent research and writing skills and the initiative and energy to see projects to completion in a fast-moving office environment.

Start Date, End Date, Time Commitment:

The position is open now, and an accepted RA may start immediately, and will last until the fall semester concludes. Successful RAs may be invited to continue with the project during the spring semester.

To Apply:

Please send your current CV or resume and a cover letter summarizing your interest and experience including any background or interest in the topical areas described above to Alexandra Wood at awood@cyber.harvard.edu with “Application for Research Assistant for the Privacy Tools Project at the Berkman Klein Center” in the subject line. 

Benefits/Other Information:

• This position is currently hybrid. However, research assistants must conduct their work in Massachusetts.
• As noted above, to be eligible for this position, you must be a currently enrolled second- or third-year student at Harvard Law School.
• The time commitment would not exceed 14 hours per week. Often, individuals work from about five to 10 hours per week.
• Compensation is the standard rate for Harvard students in RA positions of $21/hour.
• We do not have the ability to provide authorization to work in the U.S.
• No other benefits are provided.

About BKC:

Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society is a University-wide research center and one of the largest and most influential conveners and accelerators of scholars, technologists, activists and makers working on cyberspace and related law and public policy matters in the public interest.