PhD or SJD ( JSd?)


Stagista11

you've not to convince me. I already knew that. This is exactly why, as JD(equivalent) and LLM holder, I sought and luckily gained admission to a US PhD program...

you've not to convince me. I already knew that. This is exactly why, as JD(equivalent) and LLM holder, I sought and luckily gained admission to a US PhD program...
quote
idodee

Congratulations, and all the best.

Congratulations, and all the best.
quote
Interalia

Honestly, if you're going back to your home country, it doesn't matter if its a SJD or PhD. I have lots of friends with SJDs who are teaching.

If you plan to remain in America, remember that the usual way of being a law professor is JD+Federal Clerkship + experience.
Getting hired as a professor even with a PhD is less common.

Honestly, if you're going back to your home country, it doesn't matter if its a SJD or PhD. I have lots of friends with SJDs who are teaching.

If you plan to remain in America, remember that the usual way of being a law professor is JD+Federal Clerkship + experience.
Getting hired as a professor even with a PhD is less common.
quote
Stagista11

I agree, but the idea is to teach here in the US. Let's see whether I'll deserve that opportunity. In practical terms, I aim to get a 2-year VAP. Some top schools have programs for "emerging" or young scholars...

I agree, but the idea is to teach here in the US. Let's see whether I'll deserve that opportunity. In practical terms, I aim to get a 2-year VAP. Some top schools have programs for "emerging" or young scholars...
quote

for your information, a SJD is supposedly 2-year long, the first of which is normally a LLM... which means that you have 12 months to carry out your research, defend your prospectus and then your dissertation. The SJD is not a PhD, and that's not something that varies from one employer to another. A PhD program in the US is 5-year long, with 2 full years of classes after which you may be awarded a master of arts (MA). Then you have your comprehensive exams, your prospectus defense and finally your dissertation defense... Call it the way you prefer, a SJD is not a PhD


Are you kidding me? Excuse my French, but what you just said is complete bullshit. There is no JSD/SJD program in the US that lasts 2 year from which the first year is an LLM. NO such program. You are welcome to provide a name of the law school that has such program, but I will save you the time - there is no such program.

Second, even if the program lasts 2 years, in fact, I doubt that anyone has ever finished an SJD in 2 years. Some programs have minimum of 2 years in residence/coursework requirement before you can start working exclusively on your dissertation, most programs have 3 years minimum, so I highly doubt the data you provided.

Finally, an SJD might not be the classical PhD that most programs have, but it is an American/Canadian adaptation to a law doctorate program, which is usually pursued by foreign trained lawyers. As far as my knowledge and experience go, most employers and academic institutions throughout the world treat SJD/JSD as the exact equivalent of a PhD in other fields. Deal with it.

P.S: Just in my school there are very accomplished individuals who are in their 4th, 5th and even 6th (!!!) year of SJD. They wrote extensively, their dissertations are well worked on and revised, and I believe that if that's not an indicator of equivalency to a PhD, I don't know what is.



I totally support your idea and lawnut information. Both of you are correct and I have checked many websites, which provide very clear information.
So, many students here in this website, please check all law schools websites which provide JSD or SJD degrees, you will find out what a JSD and SJD is.

It is a well recognized Doctor degree even in the United States law schools since there are so many JSD or SJD graduates secure teaching jobs at the United States, Canada, Australia, HK, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, etc. I think the answer is pretty clear.

<blockquote><blockquote>for your information, a SJD is supposedly 2-year long, the first of which is normally a LLM... which means that you have 12 months to carry out your research, defend your prospectus and then your dissertation. The SJD is not a PhD, and that's not something that varies from one employer to another. A PhD program in the US is 5-year long, with 2 full years of classes after which you may be awarded a master of arts (MA). Then you have your comprehensive exams, your prospectus defense and finally your dissertation defense... Call it the way you prefer, a SJD is not a PhD</blockquote>

Are you kidding me? Excuse my French, but what you just said is complete bullshit. There is no JSD/SJD program in the US that lasts 2 year from which the first year is an LLM. NO such program. You are welcome to provide a name of the law school that has such program, but I will save you the time - there is no such program.

Second, even if the program lasts 2 years, in fact, I doubt that anyone has ever finished an SJD in 2 years. Some programs have minimum of 2 years in residence/coursework requirement before you can start working exclusively on your dissertation, most programs have 3 years minimum, so I highly doubt the data you provided.

Finally, an SJD might not be the classical PhD that most programs have, but it is an American/Canadian adaptation to a law doctorate program, which is usually pursued by foreign trained lawyers. As far as my knowledge and experience go, most employers and academic institutions throughout the world treat SJD/JSD as the exact equivalent of a PhD in other fields. Deal with it.

P.S: Just in my school there are very accomplished individuals who are in their 4th, 5th and even 6th (!!!) year of SJD. They wrote extensively, their dissertations are well worked on and revised, and I believe that if that's not an indicator of equivalency to a PhD, I don't know what is.</blockquote>


I totally support your idea and lawnut information. Both of you are correct and I have checked many websites, which provide very clear information.
So, many students here in this website, please check all law schools websites which provide JSD or SJD degrees, you will find out what a JSD and SJD is.

It is a well recognized Doctor degree even in the United States law schools since there are so many JSD or SJD graduates secure teaching jobs at the United States, Canada, Australia, HK, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, etc. I think the answer is pretty clear.



quote
Azerty

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know whether it's possible to sit the bar exam after getting an SJD?

Thanks

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know whether it's possible to sit the bar exam after getting an SJD?

Thanks
quote
jsd

Does anyone know whether it's possible to sit the bar exam after getting an SJD?



Yes and no. SJD does not entitle you to sit for a bar exam but an SJD always requires an LLM from an american law school which itself may let you sit for the bar exam depending on the jurisdiction.

There;s so much rubbish guidance on this forum re SJDs and PhDs. And I thought the nonesense was restricted to LLM.

An SJD is not a professional doctorate - thats a JD. An SJD is a research doctorate that is also the highest degree awarded in law by all ABA law schools except Yale which also has a PhD. The difference is Zilch a.k.a. Nil

For teaching in the USA a research doctorate is not required. For teaching outside, such as the British Isles a PhD/SJD is a must to advance. More important than the nomenclature is the school that awards it. Obviously a PhD from the University of Nowhere will not get you far.

And for SJD-hopefuls, you cannot get admission to an SJD program unless you hold a ABA recognised LLM from an ABA law school. So French LLMs and British LLMs do not get a shoo-in for Harvard's SJD.

Time taken is highly variable. There's no max out date and candidates take 2-10 years depending on their area of study and other commitments. That said a 2 year SJD is not very uncommon.

<blockquote>Does anyone know whether it's possible to sit the bar exam after getting an SJD?

</blockquote>

Yes and no. SJD does not entitle you to sit for a bar exam but an SJD always requires an LLM from an american law school which itself may let you sit for the bar exam depending on the jurisdiction.

There;s so much rubbish guidance on this forum re SJDs and PhDs. And I thought the nonesense was restricted to LLM.

An SJD is not a professional doctorate - thats a JD. An SJD is a research doctorate that is also the highest degree awarded in law by all ABA law schools except Yale which also has a PhD. The difference is Zilch a.k.a. Nil

For teaching in the USA a research doctorate is not required. For teaching outside, such as the British Isles a PhD/SJD is a must to advance. More important than the nomenclature is the school that awards it. Obviously a PhD from the University of Nowhere will not get you far.

And for SJD-hopefuls, you cannot get admission to an SJD program unless you hold a ABA recognised LLM from an ABA law school. So French LLMs and British LLMs do not get a shoo-in for Harvard's SJD.

Time taken is highly variable. There's no max out date and candidates take 2-10 years depending on their area of study and other commitments. That said a 2 year SJD is not very uncommon.
quote

Reply to Post

Other Related Content

Post-LLM Careers in Academia are Abundant

Article Jul 15, 2019

Whether through a PhD or J.S.D., there are well-trodden paths into academia for LL.M. graduates, but the competition for jobs is intense

Hot Discussions