Best Accredited Universities for Doctoral Phd program in Law

The Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is Harvard Law School’s most advanced law degree, designed for aspiring legal academics who wish to pursue sustained independent study, research and writing. In recent years they have created a vibrant intellectual community of young scholars from around the world, most of whom will secure teaching positions in their home countries, the U.S., or third countries. They typically have around 60 S.J.D. candidates (most of whom are in residence) representing 25-30 countries, drawn primarily from among Harvard’s top LL.M. graduates. Ultimately, candidates are expected to produce a dissertation that will constitute a substantial and valuable contribution to legal scholarship.

There are five stages to the S.J.D. program:

1. Completion of a study plan which includes course work

2. Successful completion of an oral examination

3. Two presentations at the S.J.D. Colloquium

4. Submission and acceptance of a doctoral dissertation

5. Successful oral defense of the dissertation

The first two of these requirements—preparation and completion of a study plan, and successful completion of the oral (general) examination—are normally completed during the first year or two of study. The S.J.D. candidate normally completes the remaining requirements—presentations at the S.J.D. colloquium, submission and acceptance of the dissertation, and oral defense of the dissertation—during the three years after completion of the oral examination.

Yale Law School offers a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) degree program for a small number of non-lawyers who seek to obtain a basic familiarity with legal thought and to explore the relation of law to their disciplines. It is a one-year terminal program designed for those who do not desire a professional law degree, but who are interested in a rigorous curriculum and grounding in legal studies.

Candidates in the M.S.L. program are typically experienced scholars with doctorates who have research or teaching objectives in mind, or mid-career journalists seeking an intensive immersion in legal thinking so that they are better able to educate their audiences upon their return to journalism. (Those who have completed a professional law degree are not eligible for the program.)

The Law School offers two graduate degrees beyond the masters level: Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.S.D.), and Doctor of Comparative Law (D.Comp.L.). While most students elect to receive the J.S.D., the D.Comp.L.will be awarded at the student's option if the same degree requirements are met.

In order to earn the J.S.D. degree, a candidate must produce a dissertation which makes a creditable contribution to legal scholarship. The dissertation must be supervised by at least two members of the faculty and must be completed within five years of the candidate's first registration in the J.S.D. Program.

A candidate must spend at least two years (six academic quarters) in residence at the Law School while working on the dissertation. Residence requires living in Chicago.

During the years in residence the candidate will be expected to participate in the academic activities at the Law School on a daily basis. This can include taking classes related to the dissertation, participation in the Junior Scholars Colloquium, regular attendance of faculty workshops and attending the weekly faculty Works in Progress lunches.

The Graduate Studies Committee expects that J.S.D. students will make satisfactory progress on their dissertations. They are also expected to keep in regular contact with their faculty supervisors. The Committee will initiate periodic review of J.S.D. candidates’ progress.

Transfer students may receive up to 39 credit hours towards their JD degree at the Law School (which is equal to what University of Chicago law students complete in their first year). Upon receipt of the transfer student's final official transcript from their previous school, the Office of the Registrar will issue a letter to the transfer student describing both the total number of transfer credits accepted and the transfer student's specific graduation requirements. Transfer students are eligible for graduation with honors based upon academic performance in the second and third years of law school at UChicago.

The Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.), Columbia Law’s most advanced law degree program, prepares students with exceptional academic aptitude for careers in legal scholarship. The program fosters opportunities for distinguished scholarship through advanced seminars and colloquia, facilities for independent research, and guidance from faculty advisers.

Columbia Law J.S.D. students benefit from Columbia University’s abundant resources, world-class faculty, and commitment to cultivating a richly diverse and intellectually curious scholarly community.

Each J.S.D. candidate’s advisory committee will consist of three full-time faculty members, one of whom will be the candidate’s chairperson. As part of the application process, the J.S.D. candidate identifies, communicates with, and obtains the agreement of Columbia Law professors to serve as chair and members of the advisory committee.

Stanford Immigration Human Rights Law Association (SIHRLA).

Even though the Geneva Conventions establish that medical facilities should be protected during armed conflicts, recently, there have been numerous attacks on hospitals operated by Doctors Without Borders Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen.

CU Boulder To Host International Human Rights Hearings At Law School.

Human Rights Watch Mills Legal Clinic of Stanford Law School.

The Doctor of Juridical Science Program (SJD) is the highest law degree offered by the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. The SJD program focuses on research and the production of original scholarship. The degree is granted upon the successful completion and defense of a dissertation.

All SJD candidates are required to be in residence at Penn for the first year of the program. Residency after this period is encouraged as it is highly conducive to completion of the dissertation.

Admission to the program is based upon the evaluation of a candidate’s past record and future promise as a legal scholar. Consideration is given to an applicant’s proposed research project, writing sample, academic record, professional experience, recommendations, personal statement, and English-language ability.

In keeping with its mission of training future legal academics and global leaders, Penn Carey Law provides fellowships for eligible SJD candidates that include full tuition, health insurance, and a stipend. Fellowships will cover three years of residence at Penn Carey Law.

Designed for law students who are interested in increasing their knowledge of the United States or international law. Optional certificate programs allow specialization.

WashULaw ofrece programas de LLM (Maestrias en Derecho) para abogados internacionales o profesionales que han culminado un primer programa en derecho.

A two-year graduate degree program designed to provide intensive support in Legal English combined with law classes and immersion into the local legal community.

Law allows students to study introductory and advanced intellectual property and technology law and to scrutinize the politics affecting those areas of the law under the guidance of leading scholars in the field.

US-Trained LLM, Concentration in Negotiation Dispute Resolution.

The customized LLM offers students the opportunity to earn an advanced law degree with a focus of their own choosing.

Students in the MLS Program have the opportunity to pursue a certificate in a specialty area as part of the MLS degree program.

Graduates will be prepared to assist individuals and organizations in all major areas of tax.

Graduates will be prepared to practice law on a global landscape.

The NDR LLM program at WU prepared me for a variety of career paths both here in the US and overseas. as a result of my added degree.

The Copyright and Trademark Practice classes were amazing. I learned the ins-and-outs of IP law from successful practicing attorneys!

The Doctor of Science of Law degree is intended for students who want to become legal scholars and to pursue original investigations into the function, administration, history, and progress of law.

The minimum residence requirement is two full terms; the program normally requires at least three to four terms. Candidates ordinarily concentrate on one legal field and do a substantial amount of work in at least one other field.

The Field of Law expects J.S.D. candidates to conduct original research into specific legal topics of individual interest while deepening their understanding of American domestic law, international law, and/or comparative law, particularly in areas in which Cornell’s faculty is world renowned.

The Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.) program is designed especially for people who wish to pursue an academic career in law and who seek additional education beyond the LL.M. degree level. The J.S.D. involves two years of residency and requires that individuals admitted to the program demonstrate substantial potential for writing a thesis of publishable quality that will be a significant scholarly contribution to the field in which it is written. Historically, the program has focused on international human rights law. While we continue this focus, we now accept J.S.D. candidates in any field of legal studies.

Tuition for the first year of residency is the same as the J.D. and LL.M. tuition rate. (This rate changes each year.) Tuition for the academic year is $65,436. In addition to tuition, there are fees of approximately $500 for the year. After the first year of residency, J.S.D. candidates must enroll each semester for one unit of credit, for which they will receive a grade of “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” from their advisor. This one unit course is $500 per semester. After completing two years of residency, J.S.D. candidates may remain at Notre Dame to complete researching and writing their dissertation, or they may work at their home institution or another place that provides the research materials most useful to them. It typically takes three to five years to complete our J.S.D. degree requirements. In additional to tuition and fees, the University estimates that an unmarried student requires $21,510 to cover basic living expenses — i.e., housing, food, books, supplies, health insurance, and personal expenses — during the year.

Completion of the J.S.D. degree requirements ordinarily takes three to five years. J.S.D. candidates are required to spend their first two years in residence at Notre Dame. During the first year, students must successfully complete at least 12 credit hours of course work. After the first year, J.S.D. candidates are expected to devote their time to progressing on their dissertation and must enroll each semester for one unit of credit, for which they will receive a grade of “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” from their advisor. After the required two years of residency, candidates continue to work on their dissertation under the direction of a member of the Law School faculty, either in residence at Notre Dame or elsewhere.

Vanderbilt Law School's national reputation has its basis in the rigorous academic program, which is developed and delivered by the faculty of top legal scholars. A Vanderbilt legal education prepares you for the complete spectrum of career opportunities available to lawyers — and also equips you to adapt, throughout your career, to the rapid pace of change that characterizes modern legal practice.

The J.D. program starts with the required first-year curriculum. Second- and third-year students then choose from a broad range of electives, including clinical courses focusing on civil, criminal, international and other areas of legal practice. All students also have the opportunity to focus on specific areas of law and practice through the academic programs.

Each candidate for the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) must pursue full-time (enrolled for a minimum of 10 credit hours each semester), resident study at Vanderbilt Law School for a period of six semesters (or, in the case of students requiring more than six semesters, the equivalent), and complete, with a grade point average of 2.0 or above, 88 semester hours of credit.