Program Overview

SJD Degree

The SJD program at Duke Law School is designed for students with outstanding academic credentials who intend to pursue an academic career. To be eligible for the program, applicants must hold a first degree in law, such as a JD, LLB, or the equivalent, from an accredited or comparably recognized law school or law faculty program. Additionally, candidates must have completed an LLM degree at an accredited American law school. In exceptional cases, consideration will be given to applicants who have completed LLM programs of study in common law countries.

Each SJD candidate will be assigned a primary faculty supervisor with expertise in the student's research area and at least two additional faculty members who form the student's doctoral committee. Duke SJD graduates hold academic positions in many countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Greece, India, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United States.

Degree Overview

The SJD program normally takes a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years. The program requires one to two semesters of course work, as recommended by the faculty supervisor, completed in residence at Duke Law School. The student must successfully pass written and oral examinations in the general field of study before formal admission to candidacy. The student will be asked to prepare a research proposal, which must be accepted before research on the dissertation begins. The SJD student's faculty committee will assess the student's progress, make recommendations, and hold an oral examination on the final draft of the dissertation.

Application Requirements

• The application deadline for the SJD program is March 1.
• The application should include transcripts from all previously attended academic institutions.
• A minimum of three recommendation letters are required, including at least one recommendation from a faculty member well acquainted with the applicant's performance in an LLM degree program.
• A substantial sample of the applicant's writing should be submitted as well as a brief research proposal (approximately 2-5 pages) describing the applicant's research interest.

Example of SJD Course of Study

A student with a professional civil service background is accepted into the SJD program to research adaptive regulation. Based on her previous work and future professional interest, her research will examine the use of adaptive regulation principles in areas of law related to the environment and climate change. Her previous LLM concentrated on Environmental Law. Twenty-four credits from this LLM program count toward the total SJD credit requirement of forty-eight credits. In her first SJD year, she enrolls in courses totaling a minimum of twelve credits related to risk regulation, energy, and quantitative research. She also develops a reading list and prepares for her qualifying exam, to be administered in the following academic year. Once she passes the qualifying exam, she will submit a detailed dissertation proposal and then research and write her dissertation, earning an additional twelve SJD dissertation research and writing credits.

Program Details

• The SJD program is designed for students who intend to pursue an academic career.
• The program requires a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years to complete.
• The program includes one to two semesters of course work, as recommended by the faculty supervisor.
• The student must pass written and oral examinations in the general field of study before formal admission to candidacy.
• The student must prepare a research proposal, which must be accepted before research on the dissertation begins.
• The SJD student's faculty committee will assess the student's progress, make recommendations, and hold an oral examination on the final draft of the dissertation.