Intermediary Liability Fellow

The Stanford Law School Center for Internet & Society seeks a full-time Intermediary Liability Fellow with experience in the field of legal protections for the expression and information rights of Internet users under constitutional or human rights frameworks.

CIS’s work in this area ties intermediary liability legal regimes to the fundamental rights of Internet users. Poorly designed intermediary liability laws consistently lead to “over-removal” of legal online speech. Content that is controversial or critical of powerful actors is at particular risk of being targeted for removal, through legal pressure on the private owners of Internet infrastructure and platforms to delete users’ content. Deletion by intermediaries in response to this legal or governmental pressure can effectively serve as censorship by proxy. Well-known legal tools exist to deter false or over-reaching removal demands and to reduce intermediaries’ incentives to remove controversial content – for example, through notice and opportunity for speakers to defend their speech against allegations of illegality. These are rarely well implemented in national laws, however. A core job of the Intermediary Liability Fellow will be to develop and advance arguments for improved intermediary liability protections based on the rights and freedoms of Internet users. The fellow will work under the supervision of CIS’s Director of Intermediary Liability, Daphne Keller.

Duties include:

• With the Intermediary Liability Director, developing strategic projects to advance a user rights-based framework for intermediary liability law and policy. Projects may include developing and drafting legal arguments in the form of legal briefs, policymaker education materials, template materials to support advocates advancing these arguments around the world, or similar efforts.

• Communicating and coordinating with human rights organizations and advocates.

• Maintaining the CIS World Intermediary Liability Map, including technical management, contributing new content, collecting new content from contributing experts in other countries, and expanding the network of contributors.

• Participating in international meetings on Intermediary Liability issues.

• Organizing and running events related to intermediary liability, as well as events for Stanford Law students, including outside speakers and panels.

• Managing the intermediary liability area of the CIS blog, writing blog posts on international developments and coordinating contributions from international experts.

• Developing and publishing your own written work in the field, as part of the strategic projects listed above or as a separate undertaking.

 Qualifications:• JD or equivalent foreign legal degree;

• Work experience in Internet law or public interest – at least three years preferred, but exceptions may be made for exceptional candidates;

• Prior professional or academic work relating to Intermediary Liability;

• Public speaking experience;

• Exceptional writing skills;

• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively;

• Ability to work in a self-directed and entrepreneurial environment;

• Preferred but not required: experience with human rights frameworks and multistakeholder processes, particularly relating to the Internet.

The position is based at Stanford. It starts in the Spring of 2016 and is initially for one year. 

Application Deadline: February 15, 2016 

Application Instructions:

1) To apply, please e-mail a cover letter, a CV, list of three references, and three writing samples, all in PDF format, to cis@law.stanford.edu.

2) Applicants MUST also apply online via the Stanford Careers website at: https://stanfordcareers.stanford.edu/job-search?jobId=69531

The salary is competitive, commensurate with experience, and includes comprehensive Stanford University benefits.

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