Not to be confused withJuris Doctor, the professional qualifying degree for practicing law.
ADoctor of Juridical Science (SJD;Latin:Scientiae Juridicae Doctor),[1] or aDoctor of the Science of Law (JSD;Latin:Juridicae Scientiae Doctor),[2] is aterminalresearch doctorate degree in law that is equivalent to aPh.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 both aJuris Doctor (J.D.) and aBachelor of Laws (LL.B.).
In Canada, the JSD or SJD is only offered atUniversity of Toronto Faculty of Law. Other law schools in Canada still offer a PhD in law as the terminal degree.
In Italy, the title of Doctor of Juridical Science (dottore in scienze giuridiche) is awarded to holders of a Degree in Juridical Sciences (laureain 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 theresearch doctorate (PhD,dottorato di ricerca), awarding the title of Research Doctor (dottore di ricerca).
The JSD, or SJD, is a research doctorate, and as such, in contrast to theJD, it is equivalent to the more commonly awardedresearch doctorate, the PhD.[14] It is the most advanced law degree.
Applicants for the program must have outstanding academic credentials.[15] A professional degree in law (such as aJD) is required, as well as anLLM.[16] Exceptions as to the latter condition (i.e., holding an LLM) are seldom—if ever—granted.[17]
The JSD/SJD typically requires three to five years to complete.[17][18] 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.[19]
The JSD/SJD is rarely earned by American scholars. TheAmerican Bar Association considers the JD a sufficient academic credential for the instruction of the law. This has been adopted by virtually all American law schools, though outstanding academic performance and an extensive record of legal publications are usually required fortenure-track employment at most universities. Most scholars who complete the JSD/SJD at American universities are either international students seeking academic employment in their home countries (where a research doctorate may be required) or American scholars already employed, and who wish to further their legal education at the highest level.
Christos Rozakis (University of Illinois, 1973) (President of the Administrative Tribunal of the Council of Europe and former vice-president of the European Court of Human Rights)
Ma Ying-jeou (Harvard, 1980), former President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Katherine Franke (Yale Law School, 1998), Sulzbacher Professor of Law, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Columbia University; Director, Center for Gender and Sexuality Law at Columbia Law School; Faculty Director, The Law, Rights, and Religion Project at Columbia Law School[22]
Lucian Bebchuk (Harvard, 1984), William J. Friedman and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor of Law, Economics, and Finance Director, Program on Corporate Governance, Harvard Law School.[23]
^Houston, Charles Hamilton (2012).Charles H. Houston: an interdisciplinary study of civil rights leadership. Lanham [Md.]: Lexington Books. p. 5.ISBN9780739143582.
