Research Assistant, Legal Interpretivism Conference

Internal Applicants Only

Deadline: 18 April 2024

Professor Nicos Stavropoulos is looking for a research assistant to help with the project ‘Interpretivism and Its Critics’.  

The project aims are to arrange for the publication of an edited volume, under contract with Hart, to spotlight recent work on legal interpretivism. Interpretivism holds that law, in its nature, is a moral phenomenon. Previously much attention has been paid to a hybrid version of interpretivism. But it is weak and unstable. Hybrid interpretivism holds that legal rights come about in a two-stage process involving both institutional and moral facts: (i) institutions create law in ways wholly explicable by appeal to social facts; (ii) moral facts are introduced to evaluate and tweak the content of the law, so as to bring it closer to the content law should ideally have. This project focuses on the stronger, pure version of interpretivism. Such a view would keep true to the core interpretivist claim: that how institutional facts ground legal rights is ultimately a moral question.

The Research Assistant will assist with organising and facilitating a conference for the contributors of the edited volume. The conference will take place on the 5-6 June 2024 at Magdalen College, Oxford. The point of the conference will be to discuss drafts of chapters intended to be published in the volume.

The main tasks for the Research Assistant will be:

• Liaising with speakers to administer the communication of draft work and logistical details;
• Liaising with College administrators and the Faculty Finance team regarding raising purchase orders for venue hire, catering and accommodation;
• Collecting expense claims from speakers to be passed on to the Finance team;
• Helping publicise the project and disseminate key research results via project pages on the Faculty website, including writing up project details and News items;
• There may also be some work after the conference is completed with regard to editorial assistance with the production of the volume.

Duration and hours

Working hours: a total of up to 65 hours across the duration of the project, to be agreed with the project supervisor.

Start date: 22 April 2024

Date by which the work must be completed: 15 July 2024, or 12 weeks after start date.

Reporting

The Research Assistant will report to Prof Nicos Stavropoulos.

Requirements

• A high level of attention to detail is essential.
• Good organisational skills are essential.
• Experience with event organisation is desirable.
• A good understanding of legal philosophy, and legal interpretivism in particular, is desirable.

Your normal place of work will be the St Cross Building or the Manor Road Building, Manor Road.  However, provided you have the agreement of your PI/Supervisor, and a suitable space to work (including library access if required), it may be possible to undertake the work remotely. You will be expected to be present at the conference at Magdalen on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th June.  

In all cases the work must be undertaken in the UK. 

Please note that you will be required to complete a Right to Work check before starting work. The Law Faculty HR Team will contact you directly to arrange for the appropriate check to take place. What is a right to work check? | Staff Immigration (ox.ac.uk)

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to current graduate students in the Faculty of Law.

Rate of Pay

The work will be paid at £17.03 per hour, which equates to University Grade 6, point 1, on the basis of completed and approved timesheets, which must be submitted to payroll@law.ox.ac.uk by the last Friday of each calendar month for payment on the last working day of the following month.

In addition, paid annual leave will be assumed to be taken in the month in which it was accrued.

Funding

This opportunity is funded by a Law Faculty Research Support Fund award (RSF2324-27).

How to Apply

A short CV and cover letter (including the name of your supervisor) should be sent by email to nicos.stavropoulos@law.ox.ac.uk by 18 April 2024. Please explain how you meet the requirements for the role, and give details of your availability. Supervisors may be asked for a reference. 

Enquiries about the project are welcome, and may be addressed to Nicos Stavropoulos. General queries, e.g. about the appointment process, or eligibility, may be addressed to research@law.ox.ac.uk.