The Doctor of Juridical Science in law (JSD/PhD) program is the most advanced law degree that is available at law schools today. The degree is equivalent to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. It is designed for students who would like to engage in research, scholarly work, and desire to contribute to their legal communities in an outstanding legal way. Students who possess a Master of Law (LLM) degree or a Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degree are eligible to enroll. It is a research program and is designed to be completed in 2 ½ -3 years. Students are required to work with their faculty mentors while they are pursuing their doctoral program. Students are required to conduct research and investigate broad original ideas from abstract or vacant perspective to a specific scope of reality. The length of the dissertation is at least 50,500 and 80,000 words (excluding excitations). Defend of dissertation is required. The Doctor of Juridical Science degree Program is available in the following specialization:
• International Business Law
• Compliance and Wealth Management
• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
• Inter-Cultural and Human Rights
• International Dispute Resolution and Arbitration
• International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
• International Estate Planning
• International Finance and Financial Law
• International Law Studies
• International Trade Relations and Investment Law
• International Tax and Financial Services
Note: Requirements for the dissertation are listed below:
A successful completion of program requires a submission and defending of a dissertation. Students also must pass an oral examination, engage in independent research and seminars that will be guided by the students’ advisers. The program requires 66 credits for successful completion. See additional courses in JSD course list.
DOC 9150 Research Proposal 3
The course has been designed keeping in mind the importance of a good research project in completion of a course. As a part of the curriculum the students will create a research proposal with proper review of literature, methodology, results as well as discussion sections for their study. Depending upon their choice the students can opt to go for a topic of their interest. A thorough time is devoted to the practical as well as theoretical aspects of the topic, with special emphasis on time-to-time presentations of the work being done as a part of the project.
DOC 9160 Dissertation 9
Students for JSD are required to write a dissertation between 50,500 and 80,000 words with a minimum of 75 independent sources and 150 footnotes, under faculty supervision. The thesis or the dissertation topic is chosen by the student, subject to approval by the professor. JSD students must also defend the dissertation which the University shall coordinate for time and platform. The student is encouraged to publish the thesis or dissertation after completing the course. The thesis/dissertation tests the student's ability to independently identify the issue, address a research methodology for the issue, create an outline, think laterally but improve on the relevant, as well as to produce an article of professional quality. During the course, students will learn advanced research techniques and participate in workshops in which they receive feedback both from the instructor and from other students, including doctoral candidates.
Some courses for the JSD/LLM/MLS concentration are listed in the course description.