MercorPaid studies
Public Defenders: Paid Research Study
$100/hr
About this role, in Mercor's words
We are recruiting 100 current or former public defenders for a remote research study through Project Mercator. We want to understand the work you personally did, not an ideal job description.
A closer look
More context, when you need it.
Full job descriptionThe original posting, in Mercor's words
Posted by Mercor, reproduced here so you can judge the role before clicking. Original posting ↗
Help map public defenders' work
We are recruiting 100 current or former public defenders for a remote research study through Project Mercator. We want to understand the work you personally did, not an ideal job description.
What you will do
In the first survey, describe your primary responsibilities, tasks, smaller pieces of work, and which tasks need outputs from other tasks. You can also describe different versions of the same task. Written instructions and help from the study coordinator are provided. No outside research or real work product is required.
Wave 1 pays $100 per hour of reviewed survey time, up to 90 minutes ($150 maximum). If you need more time, contact the coordinator before continuing beyond the cap.
A later survey will ask selected participants to review a combined task tree and add details. Its scope and compensation will be confirmed separately before you begin.
Who should apply
• Current or former public defenders with hands-on experience representing indigent clients in the United States.
• Able to describe the work you personally performed and the jurisdiction and period in which you practiced.
• Prior Mercor project experience is welcome but not required.
Experience solely as a prosecutor, law student, legal-content annotator, or lawyer without public-defense experience is not sufficient for this study. If your work was court-appointed or contract public defense, explain that arrangement so we can review the fit.
How to participate
Apply with your resume and a short description of your public-defense experience and availability. We review applications before sending personal survey links. Applying does not automatically enroll you or start the paid survey.
Use your own professional experience, not AI-generated answers. Do not include client names, case numbers, identifying facts, confidential information, or privileged material. We do not need any documents from real cases.
Working with MercorPay, getting started and work, from Mercor's own pages
What the platform publishes in general. These are not extra terms confirmed for this particular role.
- Getting paid
- Hourly work is paid every Wednesday for the previous week, through Stripe Connect or Wise, whichever Mercor assigns to your region. Stripe holds the first payout for 7 days. talent.docs.mercor.com/how-to/payments, talent.docs.mercor.com/policies/contracts
- Before your first paid task
- An AI interview of about 20 minutes, reused for other roles that need it, then any assessments the role asks for. Before logging hours: ID verification through Persona, a tax form, the contract documents, the Insightful time tracker, and a background check the onboarding guide says usually takes one to two weeks. talent.docs.mercor.com/support/ai-interview, talent.docs.mercor.com/how-to/apply, talent.docs.mercor.com/policies/contracts, talent.docs.mercor.com/how-to/id-verification, talent.docs.mercor.com/working/project-onboarding
- How much work
- Hearing back after the AI interview usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. When a project ends you are not moved to a new one automatically. talent.docs.mercor.com/support/ai-interview, talent.docs.mercor.com/support/project
- Contract
- Independent contractor with Mercor.io Corporation of San Francisco, which deducts no taxes. talent.docs.mercor.com/policies/taxes-work-authorization, talent.docs.mercor.com/support/legal
Read on the pages linked above on 23 Sep 2026. Platforms change these terms, so check the linked page before you rely on one.
Alex's experience on MercorA personal account, not a promise about your project
Alexruns this site and has worked on Mercor himself. Written 31 Aug 2026.
- Every interview I took used an AI interviewer. They always checked my microphone and camera and asked me to share my screen, and some included a timed exercise of around 25 minutes.
- Many later applications needed no new interview from me. With the required assessments complete and no other outstanding steps, applying could be close to one click.
- The application I checked did not ask for a rate. My offer matched my minimum in Work Preferences. That does not establish that Mercor always caps higher offers at your preference.
- Onboarding and setup came to about 4 hours, with more security and tool setup. Of the three platforms I worked on, it was the most complicated for me. That is an estimate from my projects, not a platform average.
- Mercor required the Insightful tracker on my project. I observed app and website usage monitoring, and I am unsure which screenshot settings applied, so check the configuration.
- I was paid for hours logged, once every 14 days, and I have not experienced late or incorrect payments. That was my arrangement. Mercor's current documentation describes weekly payout cycles, so check your own offer.
One person's applications, not a promise about yours.
What happens after you apply, first-handHow does the pay compare?Across Paid studies roles, not this role alone
From our own daily reads of every open listing on the platforms we follow, not from Mercor's posting. How we count.
Pay across the field: Paid studies
Across 6 roles in this field with a stated hourly rate in US dollars, on 5 platforms, the middle half pays $40 to $100 an hour at the top of the range, and the median is $80. This role's top rate, $100, is in the top quarter. Of the 6 distinct rates we count, 4 are lower and 1 are higher.
| Platform | Roles | Top of range, per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Mercor (this platform) | 2 | $60 to $110 |
| Terac | 1 | $100 |
| Alignerr | 1 | $80 |
| Handshake AI | 1 | $40 |
| Meridial (Invisible) | 1 | $20 |
Sources and listing historyWhere this information comes from
This listing's history
- First seen here on 14 Sep 2026, and still on Mercor's list when we last read it on 13 Oct 2026.
- The listed pay has not changed since then.
- Posted by Mercor
- First seen by AIPayList
- Last seen live
- Listing ID
- list_AAABoKFxrfgCCKpkF81C8rGq
Pay as the source states it: “100 USD HOUR”.
Platforms sometimes change a rate after posting. Every listing here is re-read at least once a day and corrected when its source moves, so a difference you see on the platform is usually a change made since the last read. How freshness works.
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