Jump to content

Doctor of Juridical Science

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from J.S.D.)

Not to be confused with Juris Doctor, the professional qualifying degree for practicing law.

A Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD; Latin: Scientiae Juridicae Doctor),[1] or a Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD; Latin: Juridicae Scientiae Doctor),[2] is a terminal research doctorate in law that is equivalent to a Ph.D. degree.[3][4][5] In most countries (including the United States), it is the most advanced law degree that can be earned, higher than the Master of Laws (LL.M.), Juris Doctor (J.D.), and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.).

Australia

[edit]

The SJD is offered by the Australian National University,[6] Bond University,[7] La Trobe University,[8] the University of Canberra,[9] the University of New South Wales,[10] the University of Technology Sydney,[11] and the University of Western Australia.[12]

The University of Sydney stopped accepting new applications for an SJD in 2018.[13]

Canada

[edit]

In Canada, the JSD or SJD is offered at University of Toronto Faculty of Law and the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Other law schools in Canada offer a PhD in law, Doctor of Laws or Doctor of Civil Law degree as the terminal degree.

Italy

[edit]

In Italy, the title of Doctor of Juridical Science (dottore in scienze giuridiche) is awarded to holders of a Degree in Juridical Sciences (laurea in scienze giuridiche, EQF level 6), while Magistral Doctor of Juridical Sciences (dottore magistrale in scienze giuridiche) is awarded to holders of a Magistral Degree in Juridical Sciences (laurea magistrale in scienze giuridiche, EQF level 7).

Instead, the terminal degree for law, is the research doctorate (PhD, dottorato di ricerca), awarding the title of Research Doctor (dottore di ricerca).

United States

[edit]

The JSD, or SJD, is a research doctorate, and as such, in contrast to the JD, it is equivalent to the more commonly awarded research doctorate, the PhD.[14] It is the most advanced law degree.

In 1910, Harvard Law School became the first American law school to offer the SJD/JSD.[15][16] The first student to obtain a Doctor of Juridical Science was Eldon Revare James, who entered Harvard in 1911, and obtained his SJD in 1912.[16] Other law schools, including Yale, N.Y.U., Michigan, and Columbia, followed suit. Between 1910 and World War II, most law students who earned the SJD/JSD in the United States were Americans preparing to become law professors. However, after World War II, the SJD/JSD fell out of popularity with American law students, but became increasingly more attractive to foreign students seeking proficiency in American law. For example, in the 1950s, 155 American students earned the SJD/JSD, 110 Americans earned it in the 1960s, and only 65 Americans received the degree in the 1970s. But foreign law students earned two-thirds of the American SJD/JSDs in the 1970s. In the 1980s, only 25% of American SJD/JSDs were awarded to American law students. Today, American scholars rarely earn the SJD/JSD.[17] Most scholars who complete the JSD/SJD at American universities are international students seeking employment in their home countries. Many foreign SJD/JSD students are already lawyers in their home countries, and are seeking to further advance their careers.[18]

Applicants for the program must have outstanding academic credentials.[19] A professional degree in law (such as a JD) is required, as well as an LLM.[20] Exceptions as to the latter condition (i.e., holding an LLM) are seldom—if ever—granted.[21]

The JSD/SJD typically requires three to five years to complete.[21][22] The program begins with a combination of required and elective coursework. Then, upon passage of the oral exam, the student advances to doctoral candidacy. Completion of the program requires a dissertation, which serves as an original contribution to the scholarly field of law.[23]

Notable recipients

[edit]

Notable recipients of the degree of Doctor of Juridical Science include:

See also

[edit]

Notes and references

[edit]
  1. ^ "S.J.D. Program". Harvard Law School. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  2. ^ School, Stanford Law. "Doctor of Science of Law (JSD)". Stanford Law School. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Doctor of Juridical Science – Legal Definition". Yourdictionary.com. 20 August 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.)". Archived from the original on 11 February 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ "LL.M. and S.J.D. Programs, Graduate Studies in Law". Law.virginia.edu. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  6. ^ "Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.), ANU College of Law - ANU". programsandcourses.anu.edu.au. Canberra, Australia: Australian National University. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Doctor of Legal Science (Research)". bond.edu.au. Gold Coast, Australia: Bond University. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Doctor of Juridical Science". latrobe.edu.au. Melbourne, Australia: La Trobe University. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Course - University of Canberra". canberra.edu.au. Canberra, Australia: University of Canberra. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Juridical Science (PrDoc)". legacy.handbook.unsw.edu.au. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  11. ^ "C02027v5 Doctor of Juridical Science". cis.uts.edu.au. Sydney, Australia: University of Technology Sydney. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Doctor of Juridical Science". uwa.edu.au. Perth, Australia: University of Western Australia. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Doctor of Juridical Studies at University of Sydney". Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  14. ^ Glossary at US Dept. of Education
  15. ^ The Centennial History of the Harvard Law School, 1817-1917 (PDF). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Law School Association. 1918. p. 57-58. ISBN 978-1010522843. Retrieved 13 May 2026. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  16. ^ a b Griswold, Erwin (1950). "Graduate Study in Law". Journal of Legal Education. 2 (3): 272–286.
  17. ^ Hupper, Gail (Spring 2015). "Education Ambivalence: The Rise of a Foreign-Student Doctorate in Law". New England Law Review. 49 (3): 319–448. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  18. ^ "What Is a Doctoral Law Degree, and Should You Get One?". American Bar Association. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  19. ^ "S.J.D. Degree". law.duke.edu. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  20. ^ "Doctor of Juridical Science Degree". Law.gwu.edu. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  21. ^ a b "Georgetown Law – Doctor of Juridical Science (Admissions)". Law.georgetown.edu. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  22. ^ "Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) Requirements". Law.duke.edu. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Tulane Law School Prospective Students". Law.tulane.edu. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  24. ^ Harvard Law School. "Lucian A. Bebchuk | Harvard Law School". hls.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  25. ^ "Katherine Franke | Faculty | Columbia Law School". law.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  26. ^ Houston, Charles Hamilton (2012). Charles H. Houston: an interdisciplinary study of civil rights leadership. Lanham [Md.]: Lexington Books. p. 5. ISBN 9780739143582.
  27. ^ Yardley, Jonathan (7 May 1987). "A Woman's Triumphs in a Fight for Justice". Newsday. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  28. ^ "Mr. Paul R. Verkuil". Martindale-Avvo. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doctor_of_Juridical_Science&oldid=1360382585"