"Postdoctoral Scholar - Berkeley Center for Private Law Theory - School of Law"

Position Overview

Position title: Postdoctoral Scholar

Salary range: The UC postdoc salary scales set the minimum pay determined by experience level at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/represented-oct-2025-scales/t23.pdf. The current minimum salary range for this position is $69,073-$82,836. Salaries above the minimum may be offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: Fall 2026

Position duration: Two-year term position, with possibility of extension based on performance and funding availability.

Application Window

Open date: January 6, 2026

Next review date: Wednesday, Jan 21, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position Description

Private law structures the legal building blocks that most profoundly affect our social and economic life, notably property, contract, and torts as well as central aspects of family law, trust law, work law, and more. It thus governs our relationships with each other in arguably the most important spheres of our lives: in the market, the workplace, the neighborhood, and intimate relations. Private law theories develop conceptual and normative analyses of these building blocks and critically investigate their meanings, their interrelationships, their varied institutionalizations, and their implications in these and other social settings. The theory of private law has a proud legacy stretching back to antiquity, which has been continually renewed and updated. The need for a new generation of private law theory has become all the more acute given questions and challenges posed by rapid technological change, economic globalization, and the rise of new forms of family and personal relations.

The Berkeley Center for Private Law Theory promotes interdisciplinary research on these themes. We organize a variety of activities designed to stimulate dialogue, to exchange and advance knowledge, and to explore new ideas. The Berkeley Center for Private Law Theory aims to foster insights into the legal building blocks of our social and economic life and contribute to making them fair and just.

The University of California, Berkeley invites applications for the position of Postdoctoral Scholar. The successful candidate will be mentored by Professor Hanoch Dagan and the dynamic and collaborative research team of the Berkeley Center for Private Law Theory.

Responsibilities

• Conduct innovative research in Private Law, contributing to ongoing projects and potentially initiating new lines of inquiry.
• Collaborate with faculty and fellow researchers to expand the debate and dialogue in research areas concerning Private Law.
• Coordinating and participating in workshops to advance conversation in different areas in Private Law.
• Writing, presenting, and preparing for the publication of original inquiries of research.
• Contribute to the academic community by participating in seminars, conferences, and other scholarly activities, as well as to help conceptualize and organize them.

For More Information: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/berkeley-center-for-private-law-theory/

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application): A PhD or SJD/JSD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in a PhD or SJD/JSD (or equivalent international degree) program.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start):

• A PhD or SJD/JSD (or equivalent international degree)
• No more than three years of post-degree research experience.

Preferred qualifications:

• Demonstrated expertise and interest in Contract Law, Property Law, Torts Law or any other related field, such as Trusts, Work Law, or Family Law,
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a diverse and interdisciplinary research environment.

Application Requirements

Document requirements:

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. including a list of publications (if applicable).
• Description of the Research Plan - Up to two pages - this document should state your hypothesis and how it relates to (adds on, criticizes, elaborates) the existing theoretical accounts and also how it is connected to BCPLT's mission
• Summary of your doctoral dissertation - Up to two pages

Reference requirements: 3 required (contact information only)

Job location: Berkeley, CA