Research Opportunities

The Program in Islamic Law regularly invites Harvard Law School students to apply for research assistantships for general research related to Islamic law, and projects at the Program in Islamic Law. As research assistants, students participate in the SHARIAsource Lab, which brings together scholars, students, and data scientists to explore the intersection of Islamic law and data science. Students spend a semester doing a deep dive into a research topic or tool for Islamic law, meeting biweekly in working sessions among student researchers, computer science students and developers, and research or data science fellows; the sessions are designed to create new avenues for research and experimental combinations of islamic legal sources with digital/online tools. Lab members work together to develop and employ for research use  a suite of digital Islamic law tools designed to expand access to sources and research.

Research assistantships are open to HLS or Harvard graduate students only. They may be for the Fall term (through December 31) or full year (through May 31). Visit our Jobs, Grants, and CFPs page for more information on current calls for applications. 

Travel Grants

UPDATE: The Program in Islamic Law is not currently taking applications for travel grants. 

The Program in Islamic Law invites Harvard Law School students to submit travel grant proposals to secure funding for proposed research trips related to work on or the study of Islamic law. All projects associated with Islamic law or with legal systems that entail a component of Islamic law qualify, internships included. The Program distributes a limited number of awards on a competitive basis, up to a maximum of $1,000 per student. Selected grantees may use PIL travel grants to supplement an award from another source. 

Travel grants are open to JD, LLM, and SJD students for the Winter Term in January (J-Term) and for LLM and SJD thesis research. JD students should secure approval of their independent study application from their faculty advisor through the Winter Term Clinical Committee or the Winter Term Writing Course. LLM and SJD student applications should relate to their approved thesis research.

Past Recipients

 2015-2016
Sarah Abraham (JD ’17) and Lauren Blodgett (JD ’17), Statelessness and the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Jordan; Mariam Boxwala (JD ’16), legal aid internship and research on women and minorities, Pakistan; Ari Schriber (PhD candidate, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences),  The Evolution of Sharia in Early Protectorate Morocco, France
2014-2015
Akhila Kolisetty (JD ’15), legal rights of Muslim women in the Mewat district of Haryana state, India; Paul Lee (JD ’15), Islamic securities regulation, Dubai; Matthew Steele (PhD candidate, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences), history of Islamic juridical scholarship, Mauritania
2013
Anna Gressel (JD student) research Moroccan criminal procedure, Morocco; Daniel McMann, internship at the Supreme Court of Pakistan

 

Harvard Opportunities

The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study is currently offering myriad student opportunities, including accepting applications for grant stipends; Law, Education, and Justice Student Working Groups; the Radcliffe Student Advisory Board; and, student-only events. Please see the Radcliffe website for further details. Contact Kristen Kraveet with any questions.