ABF Access to Justice Research Initiative Early-Career Workshop
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The American Bar Foundation's Access to Justice Research Initiative is a dynamic hub for innovative empirical research and programs that bridge the divide between access to civil justice scholarship, policy, and practice in the United States and around the world. The Research Initiative aims to develop and raise the profile of access to civil justice research, support empirical scholarship that informs fundamental understanding of civil justice, and serve as a resource for researchers, policy makers, and practitioners as they seek to respond to the legal needs of the public today.
The Access to Justice Research Initiative Early-Career Workshop, generously supported by the JPB Foundation, invites early-stage researchers interested in developing their scholarship in access to civil justice to apply for the Workshop. Program participants will join the ABF/JPB Access to Justice community of scholars, where they will receive opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and scholarly feedback from a community of engaged peers.
Participants will take part in monthly virtual meetings with fellow members of their cohort, focused on providing feedback on work shared by members of the group and conversations about relevant professional development topics.
Participants will also attend a two-day in-person pre-conference and present at the Annual Meetings of the Law and Society Association in Chicago in June 2025.
By the end of the program term, each participant will produce an original empirical research product. This includes journal articles to be submitted to peer-reviewed outlets, dissertation or book chapters, and other types of products subject to rigorous forms of peer evaluation.
Participation in the Workshop is open to PhD students and early-career scholars in a range of social science disciplines — including anthropology, sociology, economics, law, political science, psychology, public policy, and related fields.
Proposed research projects must:
Each scholar selected for the program will receive travel support to Chicago for the in-person workshop and the Law and Society Association (LSA) Annual Meeting (flight, hotel, transportation and incidentals) as well as a research stipend of $750.
Applicants must include: