Academics Degree Programs

J.S.D. Program

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J.S.D. candidates conduct original research into specific legal topics of individual interest while deepening their understanding of American domestic law, international law, and comparative law, particularly in areas in which Cornell’s faculty is world renowned.

Why Cornell Law

Cornell Law School offers a particularly rigorous and rewarding J.S.D. program.

In the first year, doctoral students are required to take the Cornell Graduate Colloquium, which focuses on effective research design and provides students with a solid methodological base for their research. Students are then actively encouraged to take graduate-level methodological courses in adjacent disciplines, such as history, political science, anthropology, economics, international relations, sociology, and the like. As a result, Cornell J.S.D. students are uniquely prepared to perform high-level academic work.

Unlike other law school programs, Cornell Law’s J.S.D. is conferred by Cornell University, not the Law School, and is comparable to a Ph.D. This makes the degree more rigorous as the J.S.D. program is run in accordance with Cornell’s Graduate School policies and typically provides J.S.D. candidates with full funding for three years.

Review the J.S.D. Field of Law Handbook for additional details.

As a J.S.D. student, you will be integrated into the academic life of the Law School and have the option of attending the weekly faculty speakers' series and other academic events.

During your first year in residence, you must take an active part in one required course, the Cornell Graduate Colloquium, in which you will present your research in progress. In addition, you may be required by your Special Committee to take specific courses. Beyond this, no specific courses are required. However, you must meet certain requirements by the end of your first year of the J.S.D. program to be admitted to candidacy for the degree. A minimum of two semesters of residency at the Law School are required, though completion of the degree normally requires six to eight semesters (not necessarily all in residence).
You will work under the direction of a Special Committee of your choosing. Your committee chair and at least one other member must be members of both the Cornell Law School faculty and the Graduate School faculty in the field of law. At least three members must be members of the graduate faculty. Learn more about choosing your Special Committee here.

During your first year, your Special Committee chair may require that you successfully audit or complete specific courses or seminars deemed useful for your development as a scholar.
You must successfully submit and orally defend a dissertation prospectus before your Special Committee or Special Committee chair and at least one other member of the Graduate School faculty in the field of law. The prospectus, which must be completed before the end of the third semester, outlines in detail the structure, content, and methodology of your proposed dissertation.
To earn a J.S.D., you must pursue and complete with distinction the program of study and investigation as set forth in the prospectus, producing a dissertation that constitutes a significant contribution to legal scholarship. Following submission of the dissertation to your Special Committee, you must pass a final examination (usually on the subject matter of the dissertation) and any other examinations that the Special Committee requests. Following the examination and the Special Committee’s approval of the dissertation, you must submit the dissertation to the Graduate School of Cornell University.

Contact us to learn more or request a copy of our J.S.D. Field Handbook.

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J.S.D. Program

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