Court Executive Manages Research Portfolio for NJ Judiciary

Name: Will Young (he/him)

PhD: Political Science, Rutgers University, 2019

What was your main area of research?

I studied public law and how law impacts human behavior cross-nationally.

What is your current job?

I am a Court Executive - Judiciary Research Manager for New Jersey Judiciary in Trenton, New Jersey.

I manage the research portfolio of the Quantitative Research Unit, spanning work in criminal, civil, and family practice.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I love that I get the chance to see my work make an impact nearly immediately.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

A strong foundation in research design and statistics.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

Lots of coursework in research design and statistics and working in applied research throughout most of my grad school career.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

Online job search

PhD graduate ➡️ public opinion polling ➡️ survey methodologist in academic research center ➡️ Judiciary Research Manager

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Get hands-on experience working with real-world, preferably court, data.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

I prioritized location over staying in academia. I am also better suited to the pace of the non-academic world. It was not a very difficult decision to leave.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Prioritize getting applied/non-academic experience during grad school.