Law, S.J.D.

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The Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is the most advanced degree conferred by the University of Virginia School of Law. It is designed for highly qualified, independent students who wish to pursue an extended program of research under the supervision of a faculty member, leading to the submission of a dissertation that makes an original and substantial contribution to legal scholarship. The School of Law’s S.J.D. program is intended primarily for aspiring legal academics. Graduates have joined the faculty of law schools and universities in many countries, including Canada, China, Egypt, Ghana, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Others have pursued careers in international organizations, governments and private practice worldwide.

Program Requirements

All students enrolled in the S.J.D. program are required to design and complete an individualized first year study plan approved by their faculty supervisor and the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee, consisting of a combination of reading lists, course audits, independent research and/or other training designed to prepare the candidate to write his or her dissertation.

Candidates for the S.J.D. degree must satisfy the below requirements to earn their degrees.

Degree Requirements and Coursework

Required Credits

Students must successfully earn a minimum of 30 degree credits.

These credits are earned through completion of the student’s first year study plan, dissertation work in residence, and attendance at the S.J.D. colloquium. Please note that S.J.D. students who pay tuition at the research rate may not enroll in classes for credit, but may internally audit up to two classes with the instructor’s permission. The School of Law does not accept transfer credits from outside institutions for candidates in the S.J.D. degree program.

Academic Requirements

Students must complete a dissertation approved by the Graduate Committee and successfully defend the dissertation in an oral examination.

In order for the student to proceed to the dissertation stage:

Their supervisor must certify successful completion of the first-year program of study;
The student must also submit a revised dissertation proposal at the end of the year, approved by the supervisor and the Graduate Studies Committee;
The student must deposit the final version of the dissertation with the Law Library. The dissertation must make an original contribution to legal literature and demonstrate mastery of the principles of scholarly research and critical analysis. It is expected that the dissertation will be publishable as a book or a series of law review articles.

The oral examination is conducted by a committee consisting of the dissertation supervisor and two other faculty members. After the examination, the committee will report to the faculty its opinion of the candidate’s work and fitness for the degree.

The dissertation may be submitted and the oral exam held at any time within five years of the student’s admission to the S.J.D. program. This period may be extended if the student shows good cause submitted in writing to the Graduate Studies Committee.

Residency

Students are expected to remain in residence in Charlottesville for at least one additional academic year after completing their first year program.

Conduct

All SJD students must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Law School’s academic and non-academic student conduct requirements.

More Information

For program and admission details, contact the Office of Graduate Studies, University of Virginia School of Law, 580 Massie Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, or visit www.law.virginia.edu/graduatestudies.