Doctor of Laws (SJD)

The Doctor of Laws (SJD) Program is intended for individuals who have demonstrated superior scholarly potential and who are engaged in, or plan to pursue, careers in academia, government service, or the judiciary. In rendering admissions decisions, strong preference is given to the Law School's own LLM graduates, although external candidates' applications are welcome. Candidates accepted into the SJD Program must have the ability to conduct sustained and original academic or professional research at a high intellectual level, culminating in submitting a doctoral dissertation. SJD candidates are expected to spend the first two academic semesters of the Program in residence at the Law School. There is no required coursework apart from the defense of the SJD prospectus during the year in residence.