Media Law and Policy Fellow

The UNC School of Law seeks to hire a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work as the Media Law and Policy Fellow (Fellow) in the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy. This is a two-year position with a possible renewal for a third year. The salary is $47,476 annually and is accompanied by the standard University benefits package and health care insurance for postdoctoral research scholars.

The UNC Center for Media Law and Policy (Center) is an interdisciplinary research center run jointly by the UNC School of Law and UNC School of Media and Journalism. The Center serves as a forum for study and debate about the broad array of media law and policy issues facing North Carolina, the nation, and the world. The Center's work ranges from the legal and policy issues affecting traditional media organizations to the challenges posed by new communication technologies, including social media, the Internet, and mobile technology. For more on the Center, please visit http://medialaw.unc.edu.

The Fellow will play an important role in supporting a major research initiative at the Center focused on examining various legal and policy issues related to improving government transparency, including the impact government transparency can have on privacy, cybersecurity, equality, and other important interests. The Fellow may also work with the UNC Law Library on privacy issues associated with the digitization of court records. You can download a PDF version of this posting here.

The Fellow will assist in conducting non-partisan, interdisciplinary research on these and other topics, as well as organize conferences and events. Working alongside the Center's faculty co-directors, the Fellow will:

• Conduct research and analysis to determine the most salient issues and propose programs and research initiatives to address them;
• Oversee the production of research papers and the preparation of policy-relevant research summaries;
• Plan, manage, and write content for the Center's website, blog, events calendar, and social media accounts;
• Plan and coordinate logistics for symposia, roundtables, and lectures;
• Represent the Center at national and regional policy forums;
• Identify potential funders and draft fundraising proposals; and
• Perform other, relevant duties as assigned by the Center's faculty directors.

Applicants must hold a J.D. or a Ph.D. in related areas. Applicants should show interest and promise in conducting research and writing. We will give preference to applicants with demonstrated interest in the Center's areas of focus, including journalism, First Amendment, government transparency, and privacy. Applicants should also have experience working with students, organizing events, and managing complex projects.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A J.D. and Ph.D.;
• Knowledge of and interest in the Center's work;
• Excellent research, writing, editing, and analytical skills, including empirical legal research experience;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Experience with program planning, administration, and fundraising; and
• Experience with website, blog, and social media design and content creation.

Applications will be reviewed beginning immediately and will continue until the position is filled. The successful candidate should be prepared to start no later than July 1, 2017, with a potential commencement date as early as January 1, 2017.  

Applications must be submitted through the position posting on the University of North Carolina's Job Board. Questions about the position should be directed to medialaw[at]unc.edu.