Associate Research Scholar

The Sabin Center is a think-and-do tank housed at Columbia Law School in New York. The Center works to develop legal techniques to fight climate change, trains students and lawyers in their use, and provides the public with up-to-date resources on key topics in climate law and regulation. We work closely with scientists at the Columbia Climate School and elsewhere, and engage with government, NGO, and private sector actors to advance actionable solutions to the climate crisis.

The Sabin Center seeks a number of Associate Research Scholars to contribute to work in the following key areas:

1. Global climate litigation: The Sabin Center maintains two databases tracking U.S. and global climate litigation and produces white papers, academic journal articles, and other publications analyzing trends and developments in the space.

2. Energy transition: The Sabin Center’s Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative (RELDI) tracks and analyzes state and local laws restricting renewable energy development and coordinates the provision of pro bono legal representation for local residents and others who supporting bringing renewable energy projects to their communities.

3. Climate risk and resilience: Through the Initiative on Climate Risk and Resilience Law, the Sabin Center and its partners explore whether and how existing legal frameworks recognize, account for, and effectively manage climate risk and resilience.

Successful performance will require conducting original research and communicating research findings clearly and through a variety of media and formats to a range of audiences in a manner that maximizes impact. In particular, the incumbent’s responsibilities may include:

• conducting independent research and publishing white papers, articles, and other materials on topics related to climate change law, with a particular focus on the subject matter areas listed above;
• tracking and analyzing developments in climate change law and regulation;
• contributing to the conceptualization, management, and implementation of the Sabin Center’s databases and other online resources;
• developing presentations and assisting with the organization of webinars and other events for a variety of audiences;
• the submission of comment letters and supporting legal and scientific research, as well as amicus efforts in relevant judicial proceedings; and 
• identifying pathways for engagement with local governments, private sector actors, and/or other stakeholders.

These are one-year positions, with the possibility of renewal contingent on funding.