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 research doctorate degree in law that is equivalent to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. [3] [4] [5]
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 SJD is no longer offered at Sydney Law School and currently only offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Law). [13]
In Canada, the JSD or SJD is only offered at University 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 the research 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 the JD, it is equivalent to the more commonly awarded research 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 a JD) is required, as well as an LLM. [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. The American 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 for tenure-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.
Notable recipients of the degree of Doctor of Juridical Science include:
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: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other jurisdictions, such as Australia, Canada, and Hong Kong, offer both the postgraduate JD degree as well as the undergraduate LL.B., BCL, or other qualifying law degree depending on the requirements of the jurisdiction where the person will practice law.
A doctorate or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism licentia docendi.
Legal education is the education of individuals in the principles, practices, and theory of law. It may be undertaken for several reasons, including to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for admission to legal practice in a particular jurisdiction, to provide a greater breadth of knowledge to those working in other professions such as politics or business, to provide current lawyers with advanced training or greater specialisation, or to update lawyers on recent developments in the law.
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law is the law school of the University of Toronto. Maclean's has consistently assessed the Faculty as the highest ranked common law school in Canada and the highest ranked in terms of faculty journal citations. The Faculty offers the JD, LLM, SJD, MSL, and GPLLM degrees in law.
A Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subjects and jurisprudence to provide a comprehensive understanding of the legal system and its function. The LLB curriculum is designed to impart a thorough knowledge of legal principles, legal research skills, and a sound understanding of the roles and responsibilities of lawyers within society. This degree is often a prerequisite for taking bar exams or qualifying as a practising lawyer, depending on the jurisdiction. Additionally, the LLB program also serves as a foundation for further legal education, such as a Master of Laws (LLM) or other postgraduate studies in law.
A Doctor of Science is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world.
A Master of Laws is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In most jurisdictions, the LL.M. is the advanced professional degree for those usually already admitted into legal practice.
A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law.
Legum Doctor (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law and civil law, with the double “L” itself indicating the plural, although Cambridge now gives the degree the name Doctor of Law in English. This contrasts with the practice of the University of Oxford, where the degree that survived from the Middle Ages is the DCL or Doctor of Civil Law (only).
A terminal degree is the highest-level university degree that can be achieved and awarded in an academic discipline or professional field. In other cases, it is a degree that is awarded because a doctoral-level degree is not available or appropriate. The two main types of terminal degrees are academic or professional.
Henry G. Manne was an American writer and academic, considered a founder of the law and economics discipline. He was Dean Emeritus of the George Mason University School of Law.
Sydney Law School is the law school at the University of Sydney, Australia's oldest university. Sydney Law School began a full program of legal instruction in 1890 following the appointment of its first dean, having offered legal examinations since 1855.
A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditation. Professional degrees may be either graduate or undergraduate entry, depending on the profession concerned and the country, and may be classified as bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees. For a variety of reasons, professional degrees may bear the name of a different level of qualification from their classification in qualifications, e.g., some UK professional degrees are named bachelor's but are at master's level, while some Australian and Canadian professional degrees have the name "doctor" but are classified as master's or bachelor's degrees.
A Doctor of Law is a doctorate in legal studies.
The School of Law of City University of Hong Kong was founded in 1987, as the second law school in Hong Kong.
Rosemary Jessamyn Howell is an Australian lawyer and academic. She specialises in the fields of negotiation and conflict resolution, and lectures at the University of New South Wales and the University of Melbourne. From 1980 to 1983 she was Secretary-General of the Law Council of Australia.
James Kraska is an internationally acclaimed American scholar and a distinguished professor of public international maritime law specializing in the international law of the sea and the law of maritime operations, and naval warfare. He is the current Chairman and Charles H. Stockton Professor of International Maritime Law at Stockton Center for International Law, United States Naval War College. He is also a Visiting Professor of Law and John Harvey Gregory Lecturer on World Organization at Harvard Law School.
Raymond Akongburo Atuguba is a Ghanaian lawyer and academic. He has been professor of general jurisprudence and dean of the University of Ghana School of Law from 2019 to 2024, where he has been a faculty member since 2002. He served as a Visiting Professor of Law and the Henry J. Steiner Visiting Professor of Human Rights at Harvard Law School from 2018 to 2019. In Spring 2024, he held the position of Bok Visiting International Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.