Law and/or Graduate Student - Part-Time Research Assistant

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS The Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education is seeking a law and/or graduate student research assistant to support a project to create a database cataloguing state immigration policies across the United States from 1989-2026. The RA will work directly with the study PI and a team of RAs to clean and code state legislative data. The RA will specifically work with the PI to read through and code state bills pertaining to immigrants and immigration. This position is for both the fall 2026 and spring 2027 semesters, with the possibility of extension into summer 2027. RESPONSIBILITIES Read state legislation on immigrants/immigration. Systematically code legislation for a series of indicators following an established coding protocol. Enter the coded information into a structured spreadsheet. Assist in cleaning collected state legislative data, checking for accuracy and consistency. Communicate regularly with the PI on progress and participate in regular team meetings. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Interest and/or formal specialization in U.S. immigration law, social/public policy. Interest in gaining familiarity with social science and/or legal/legislative research. General familiarity with Excel and/or Google Sheets. Excellent self-management skills. Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and stay organized with minimal day-to-day supervision. Strong attention to detail and comfort with repetitive, careful data work. Strong written and oral communication skills. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Prior research assistant experience involving data entry/management. Experience with social science and/or legal/legislative research. BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here. EEO IS THE LAW Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact View phone number on click.appcast.io. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission. VALUES AND MISSION Our values are as follows; Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, and Community. We Are Penn State. One Community. Impacting Many. There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our 100,000 students and 40,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom – it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. Our ideals stem from our origins as Pennsylvania’s sole land‑grant institution, which allow us to continue to bring positive impact to humanity through our teaching, research, and engagement mission. And across the world is a community of Penn Staters – more than half a million strong – driven by that same spirit to serve our local and global communities. At Penn State, passion is met with collaboration in an environment that is rooted in shared pride for the accomplishments of our fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Penn Staters cheer each other on to build a culture committed to service and engagement. Our University values represent our core ethical aspirations for all our daily activities and actions as students, faculty, staff, and volunteers at Penn State. Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster PA State Labor Law Poster Penn State Policies Copyright Information Hotlines. #J-18808-Ljbffr