PhD Student in Law

Job description

As part of the SNSF-funded project “Responsible AI for the Swiss Judiciary”, we work on real-world applications of artificial intelligence for the Swiss judiciary in close collaboration with courts and partners across Switzerland. We are looking for a PhD Student in Law. This doctoral position is part of the SNSF-funded project “Responsible AI for the Swiss Judiciary” at ETH Zurich. The project provides a unique opportunity to study judicial decision-making in a real-world institutional setting, combining legal analysis with experimental and empirical methods.

The doctoral researcher will focus on the role of AI in judicial decision-making, with an emphasis on legal reasoning, behavioral responses, and institutional implications.

Core responsibilities include:

• Studying judicial decision-making and legal reasoning in the presence of AI tools
• Contributing to the development of experimental designs and evaluation frameworks for AI-assisted decision-making
• Collaborating with the technical team to study the interaction between AI systems and legal users
• Publishing research findings in leading journals and presenting at international conferences
• The position is designed for a cumulative PhD at the intersection of law, computer science, and empirical social science
• Our offices are located in downtown Zurich, and the working languages are German and English

Profile

We are looking for candidates who:

• Hold an excellent bachelor’s and master’s degree in law from a Swiss university
• Have a strong interest in judicial decision-making and legal reasoning
• Are interested in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of law, AI, and social science
• Are motivated to work with quantitative empirical methods and are willing to acquire skills in experimental and quantitative research
• Have an excellent command of English; German and/or French language skills are a plus

We offer

• Your job with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society
• You can expect numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits