best online phd programs in law

Best Accredited Online Juris Doctorate (JD) Law Programs

Which are the best online Juris Doctorate programs in the United States? We help you find the top ABA-accredited online law degree programs.

Key Takeaways

The best online juris doctorate law degree programs are hybrids and require some parts of the program to be completed on-campus. many of the on-campus portions of an online juris doctorate law degree program can be completed during weekend sessions. to qualify to sit for the bar exam, an online juris doctorate law degree program must be aba-accredited., best online juris doctorate degree programs, syracuse university, university of denver, seton hall university, university of new hampshire, southwestern law school, touro university, mitchell hamline school of law, loyola university chicago, cleveland state university, university of dayton.

• University of New Hampshire 87%
• Cleveland State University 85%
• Loyola University Chicago 79%
• University of Denver 78%
• Seton Hall University 75%
• University of Dayton 74%
• Touro University 71%
• Syracuse University 52%
• Cleveland State University 16 to 1
• University of New Hampshire 16 to 1
• Syracuse University 15 to 1
• University of Dayton 15 to 1
• Seton Hall University 14 to 1
• Loyola University Chicago 13 to 1
• Touro University 9 to 1
• University of Denver 8 to 1
• Syracuse University $60,135
• University of Denver $56,439
• Loyola University Chicago $49,498
• Seton Hall University $48,960
• University of Dayton $46,170
• Touro University $21,170
• University of New Hampshire $15,520
• Cleveland State University $12,144
• University of Denver $55,260
• Syracuse University $43,428
• Mitchell Hamline School of Law $36,020
• Seton Hall University $33,528
• Loyola University Chicago $19,440
• Southwestern Law School $18,710
• University of Dayton $18,540
• University of New Hampshire $14,170
• Touro University $13,068
• Cleveland State University $10,627

Those with a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree influence many facets of our society, from governmental rules, estate planning, contract conflicts, and criminal justice.

Many law schools are broadening their curriculum to include online JD degree programs to better prepare students for the Bar Exam and get their license to practice law in the US. It is important to note, however, that online JD degree programs are not 100% online degree programs; instead, they’re hybrid doctorate degree programs that are a mix of online and on-campus graduate degree coursework.

What is a Juris Doctorate?

A Juris Doctorate degree, also known as a JD or Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, is a professional degree designed to prepare students for a legal profession after completing an online master program. It is the most popular educational route to sit for the Bar Exam in the US.

JD degree programs require students to complete 85 to 90 credit hours, generally taking three years of full-time study; part-time students can take up to five years. Online law degrees provide training that is identical to an on-campus program and they give students the skills and knowledge to pass the Bar Exam.

It is important to note that you can only obtain a JD by graduating from a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) .

The 10 Best Online JD Doctorate Degrees

This list was based on the American Bar Association’s list of accredited institutions. Our ranking is composed of the ten best online law degree JD programs with the following criteria in mind.

• Student support services
• Financial aid opportunities
• Popularity in rankings
• Reasonable tuition costs
• Networking opportunities
• Availability of online programs/courses
• Accreditation with colleges and schools commission agencies and academic organizations

These criteria, however, are not to say that the ABA-accredited law schools not included on the list are below average. All traditional and online law schools have their own strengths, but the following ten schools stood out the most during our evaluation.

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Tuition + fees

Student body

Median SAT/ACT

Syracuse University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Political Science
• Communications
• Earth Sciences
• Social Work
• Mathematics

Most Influential Alumni

• Clement Greenberg
• Joyce Carol Oates
• Megyn Kelly
• Ernest Becker
• George Saunders
• Marv Albert
• William Safire
• Story Musgrave
• Dorothy Thompson

Degree: JDinteractive

Required Credit Hours: 87 credit hours

Completion Time: 4 years

Syracuse University’s College of Law offers several online law programs, including an online JD degree program called the JDinteractive. The online program is designed to be completed in four years in a part-time format.

There are weekly self-paced class sessions before every live online class. The self-paced courses allow students to have a thorough introduction to the content discussed in live sessions. It uses online lectures, hypothetical illustrations, interactive activities, and multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

On top of their asynchronous and synchronous online classes, students will be required to attend residential courses. Residential courses give students the ability to work alongside peers, gain critical skill-building experience, and visit Dineen Hall to network with instructors, current students, and alumni. Residentships are available numerous times a year.

The residency courses include:

• Legal Foundations
• Legal Applications
• Professional Skills
• Advanced Legal Topics

Learn more about Syracuse University’s College of Law online JD degree program .

Admission Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
• Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score no more than 5 years old
• Registration with the Law School Admission Council’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
• Official transcripts of records
• Two to four letters of recommendation
• Personal Statement
• Why JD Statement
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University of Denver’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Anthropology
• Religious Studies
• Huston Smith
• Mohammad Javad Zarif
• Robert Gilpin
• Margaret Singer
• Bruce Hoffman
• Katherine Anne Porter
• Condoleezza Rice
• Henry T. Lynch
• John L. Horn
• Njabulo Ndebele

Degree: Professional Part-Time JD

Required Credit Hours: 90 semester hours

The University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law offers a hybrid professional online JD program designed for working adult students. Although only a third of the 90 semester hours can be completed online, students can still expect flexible class schedules thanks to customizable on-campus courses.

Online components of the professional JD program include discussion boards, interactive exercises, and other assessments using a user-friendly technology platform that allows students to interact with instructors and classmates. Two-thirds of the program will be spent face-to-face over the weekend sessions, from 8:15 AM – 5:15 PM on Saturdays and 8:15 AM – 1:00 PM on Sundays.

Students who complete the requisite first-year and upper-level JD courses can expect a more flexible schedule moving forward. Depending on your schedule and availability, you can take advantage of scheduled classes, externships, and clinical work.

While earning your JD degree, you can also enroll in certificate programs to boost your resume. Thanks to the school’s certificate programs, you can tailor your degree based on your legal interests. You can enroll in the following certification options:

• Animal Law Program
• Workplace Law Program
• Corporate and Commercial Law Program
• Constitutional Law and Rights and Remedies Program
• Intellectual Property Law and Technology Law Program
• International Legal Studies Program
• Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program

If you’re interested in the school’s hybrid Professional JD degree program , you can visit their website and contact their admissions representatives to learn more about the program and application process.

• Bachelor’s degree (3.0 GPA)
• Personal statement
• Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score and LSAT Writing
• All transcripts from post-secondary schooling
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official scores from the TOEFL-Test of English as a Foreign Language, IELTS-International English Language Testing System, or C1 Advanced for non-native speaker

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Seton Hall University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Criminal Justice
• Artie Lange
• Chris Christie
• Dick Vitale
• John L. McNulty
• Max Weinberg
• Malcolm Diamond
• Brendan Byrne
• Charlie Haas
• Thomas Aloysius Boland
• Bill Raftery
• Patrick E. Hobbs
• John B. Duff

Degree: Part-Time Weekend JD

Required Credit Hours: 88 credit hours

Seton Hall University’s School of Law hybrid JD degree program allows students to complete some coursework online via distance learning during weekdays and attend on-campus classes on weekends.

Students are on campus from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays and 9:00 AM to 2:15 PM on Sundays during their first two years. The scheduling of courses gets considerably more flexible after the first two years.

You’ll use the learning platform at Seton Hall to participate remotely in discussions with your professors and classmates and engage in self-directed tasks when you’re not on campus.

While having only a limited number of hours on campus, weekend students can integrate successfully into the law school community. Part-time students can work as community helpers, write for Incarcerated Persons Workforce Re-Entry and the Center for Social Justice at Seton Hall Law, and visit border detainees to offer legal assistance. Some students rise to prominent leadership positions in the Law Review and the Student Bar Association while also placing highly in Mock Trial and Moot Court competitions.

Students who want to have a specialization can consider enrolling at Seton Hall’s School of Law. The concentrations that law students can choose from include:

• Law and Technology
• Gaming, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Sports Law Initiative

Each concentration consists of a set of required courses and electives. Additionally, some concentrations require students to complete an advanced legal writing project.

Explore more about Seton Hall’s Weekend Part-Time JD degree program by visiting their website.

• Bachelor’s degree; no minimum GPA required but the average GPA accepted is 3.49
• Official transcript of records from previously attended colleges and universities
• LSAT scores; no minimum LSAT score is required but the average score of accepted students is 158
• LSAT writing sample
• One letter of recommendation
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University of New Hampshire’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Computer Science
• Ronald Noble
• Jason Brennan
• Loren Coleman
• Jeffrey Snover
• Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
• James J. Martin
• Carlton Fisk
• Nathan Brody

Degree: Hybrid Juris Doctor (JD)

Required Credit Hours: 85 credit hours

University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law provides one of the best hybrid JD degree programs with the most financial aid opportunities. The Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI) and UNH Franklin Pierce have an exclusive cooperation that helps ASIPI members get scholarships and launch intellectual property leaders across Latin America.

This JD degree program focuses more on intellectual property and technology law. The curriculum combines traditional 1L themes with specialized intellectual property, technology, and information law material.

Online students of the school’s hybrid JD degree program enjoy the same faculty experts in intellectual property and technology law. They write laws, build startups, offer IP value advice to world leaders, research the most recent sports law concerns, aid developing nations in transitioning to an information economy, and direct research on privacy and data.

In addition to having world-class faculty, you’ll also learn from industry experts worldwide. For example, the Chief Patent Counsel for Microsoft, or the Chief Counsel for Global Trademarks at Pepsi, could teach you about patent strategy or how branding can change an industry.

You can learn more about the hybrid JD degree program and its financial aid opportunities by visiting the Franklin Pierce School of Law website.

• Supplemental Statement
• Two recommendations
• Transcripts from each post-secondary college or university attended
• Valid LSAT score or GRE score

Southwestern Law School’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Gloria Allred
• William John Cox
• Tom Bradley
• Jerry O'Connell
• Gordon H. Smith

Degree: Part-Time Evening JD

Southwestern Law School offers a hybrid JD degree program with on-campus evening courses. Instead of requiring students to attend evening classes four evenings a week, this program allows students to attend two evenings of commute time and complete the remaining class sessions online. Students will be required to complete the remaining graduation requirements by enrolling in a few extra courses during the academic year, the summer, or an intersession term.

This program offers many working adults a financially viable way to pursue a legal degree while continuing to work a full-time job schedule. The comprehensive legal education provided to students enrolling in the evening program is the same as that provided in the day program.

The program’s first two years will be spent following the prescribed curriculum. Students can participate in honors programs, externships, and clinics during their third and fourth years.

In addition to being affordable and flexible, this JD degree program also allows students to pursue a concentration. Concentrations include:

• Criminal Law and Advocacy
• Civil Litigation and Advocacy
• Entertainment and Media Law
• Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• Public Interest Law
• Labor and Employment Law
• Technology Law and Entrepreneurship

Students who prefer not to have a concentration can combine courses.

Learn more about the Part-Time JD degree program at Southwestern Law School by browsing through their webpage.

• Undergraduate pre-legal education
• Law school admissions test writing sample
• Application file
• Personal interviews by the admissions office
• Three recommendation letters

Touro University ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Joseph Buxbaum
• Yaakov Stern

Degree: FlexTime Hybrid JD

Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center at Touro University is one of the most accessible hybrid JD degree programs. The program’s curriculum was carefully designed to fit the schedules of adult learners who want to pursue legal education but do not have the luxury of leaving their full-time jobs.

The program provides students with the most recent evidence-based teaching and learning methods, giving students the greatest freedom while maintaining a demanding course of study that equips them with the necessary abilities for legal practice.

Students will complete online courses and must be present in person for classes for 12 Sundays during the Fall and Spring semesters. Students should also expect to be on campus for another two Sundays for final exams each semester and a potential backup Sunday if a makeup day is necessary. The remaining assignments will be completed asynchronously, allowing students to finish them whenever and wherever suits their schedules.

Students who want to focus on a particular area of law can choose from a number of academic concentrations at Touro Law.

Touro Law currently offers two specializations:

• Land Use and Sustainable Development Law
• Criminal Law

Visit Touro College’s Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center’s FlexTime Hybrid JD degree website to learn more about the program.

• LSAT/GRE score
• Personal Statement and LSAT/GRE Writing Sample/s
• Professional experience and achievement after college
• Letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts
• TOEFL and IELTS scores for international students

Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Rosalie E. Wahl

Degree: Blended JD

Required Credit Hours: 84 credit hours

Completion Time: 3 years

The blended learning program offered by Mitchell Hamline combines the greatest aspects of online and in-person training. This degree program gives students the main advantage of online learning that can be tailored to coincide with their work-life schedules. You choose the most effective time management strategy to fulfill the deadlines and work demands.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law is a pioneer in offering law degree programs. As a result, MHSL had the opportunity to develop a technology foundation and continuously enhance its teaching methods.

The program now provides a curriculum structured to an Executive and Weekend option, with a well-liked case-study workshop component where students can learn firsthand from attorneys and those who have participated in cases.

Law students can complete the JD degree in three years instead of four with a blended hybrid, weekend, and executive curriculum. It contains a case-study workshop that takes up a lot of on-campus time, a flexible architecture that lets students tailor their schedules and curricula, and an “asynchronous” structure that lets students do the online component of their studies on their own schedule.

For the first two years, you’ll take two blended classes, two-thirds online and one-third in-person. During the last two years, you can select from various courses in blended, on-campus, and totally online forms. After the first year, summer courses are offered, and J-term courses begin in the second year.

Explore the blended JD degree program at Mitchell Hamline School of Law by visiting their website.

• Completed application through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)
• Credential Assembly Service report through LSAC
• Three letters of recommendation
• Values statement
• Additional statements or addendums (as needed)

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Loyola University Chicago’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Marsha M. Linehan
• Norman Geisler
• Sandra Cisneros
• Levi Bryant
• Stuart Dybek
• Alphonso Lingis
• Shalanda Young
• Joseph Fitzmyer
• Wilton Daniel Gregory
• Fabian Udekwu
• Bob Newhart
• John Hardon

Degree: Weekend JD

Required Credit Hours: 86 credit hours

Loyola University of Chicago’s School of Law has a Weekend JD law degree that combines on-campus instruction with one of the nation’s top suppliers of online legal education. The program allows student to earn their degree without altering their current work-life schedules.

The program allows students to learn about procedural and substantive law, including how the administrative state, political institutions, and other academic fields affect it, all without altering their current work-life schedules. Moreover, the school states that 89% of graduates find employment in 10 months.

The weekend component of the program requires students to be on campus every other weekend from 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM on Saturdays and 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM on Sundays. The online learning component of the JD program is conducted through Sakai, a highly dynamic and collaborative online learning environment. Numerous flexible course alternatives and a wide range of electives will be offered, including summer coursework, independent study, and intersession courses.

The program requires at least six credit hours of experiential learning. As students advance in their coursework, they can customize their degrees by tailoring them to match their goals and interests. There are no concentrations.

Interested? Check out the program’s course formatting and determine whether the demand fits your needs. You can visit the Weekend JD program website for more information.

• Register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS)
• Official transcripts from higher education institutions attended
• Transcript evaluation
• TOEFL or IELTS score report for international law applicants
• Qualifications for admissions to the Bar
• Character and fitness questions

Loyola University Chicago’s Online Degrees

• Required Credits : 72
• Completion Time : None Reported
• Format : Online
• Required Credits : 66

Degree Concentrations

• Nurse Practitioner
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Systems Leadership
• Required Credits : 30-80
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Cleveland State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Engineering
• Annie Easley
• Dennis Kucinich
• Mitchell Silver
• Nina Turner
• James Harris
• Bryn Forbes
• Danielle Ripich
• George Nader
• Vlado Dimovski
• Karen Kovacik

Degree: Online JD

Required Credit Hours: 90 credit hours

Completion Time: 3.3 years

Cleveland State University’s College of Law Online JD degree program offers 100% online didactic coursework with six in-person weekend residencies. It’s one of the top-ranking online JD programs in the US. On top of its accessibility, the school’s JD degree is also considered one of best value school as it charges in-state tuition rates to out-of-state students.

While the didactic coursework is fully online, online students should expect to undergo a demanding curriculum requiring them to complete experiential learning opportunities. First-year students will have a personal alumni mentor to introduce them to the field and support their professional growth. You’ll develop problem-solving and professional competencies for ethical practice while learning fundamental legal ideas, conducting legal research, and analyzing legal material.

If you want to tailor your degree, specialized classes are available in commercial law, corporate compliance, criminal law, cybersecurity, and space law. You can also enroll in certificate programs to maximize your time in law school. Cleveland State currently offers two certificate programs for online JD students:

• Cybersecurity

Moreover, you will have the chance to converse with clients, counsel and offer trial strategy advice, draft briefs, conduct client research, and draft legal arguments in both real and simulated encounters. The school will even provide ample courses to select from that will help you support startup law firms or give back to the community.

If you’re intrigued by this program, visit Cleveland State University’s College of Law’s online JD website.

• Final transcript showing degree conferral to the Law School Admissions Council’s Credential Assembly Service (LCAS)
• LSAT or GRE score

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University of Dayton’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

• Richard Schoen
• Bruce Graham
• James P. Sterba
• David Bradley
• Erica Chenoweth
• Thomas Joseph Tobin
• Ahmed K. Elmagarmid
• Fred McBagonluri
• James A. Krumhansl
• Kristina Keneally
• Peter J. Phipps

Degree: Online Hybrid JD Program

The University of Dayton School of Law offers a hybrid JD degree program. Students can expect to experience a cutting-edge approach to legal education that will prepare them for the legal field. You’ll participate in weekly live online classes, finish engaging online coursework, and visit the campus for Get REAL Intensives, which are in-person learning opportunities.

One of the unique features of this program is that it allows JD students to pursue a Postgraduate Master of Laws (LLM) Degree Program without spending any additional money. The LLM degree program helps students develop legal knowledge in certain subjects by allowing them to pursue a specialized practice or explore additional legal disciplines that align with their interests.

JD graduates who decide to pursue a master’s degree in law can choose one of the following specializations:

• Applied Business Law
• Intellectual Property
• Social Justice

Learn more about the University of Dayton’s School of Law’s Online Hybrid JD Program .

• Undergraduate transcript(S)
• CAS Registration
• LSAT or GRE Scores
• Two professional letters of recommendation
• Qualifications for admission to the Bar
• Optional LSAT/academic statement
• Optional diversity statement

Career Outlook for Students with Law Degree

Pre-law studies, degree level: doctorate.

• Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)

Career Salaries

Average career salaries, promising job markets, top industries.

What To Expect from ABA-Accredited Professional Law Degree Programs

Mid- or senior-career professionals can benefit greatly from attending online law degree programs. The greatest way to start a fulfilling and rewarding new job practicing law may be to earn a Juris Doctorate (JD) at the best online law schools.

The average cost of attending law school, including living fees and additional costs like books and supplies, is $45,990 per year. According to the Education Data Initiative , the average overall expenditure is $206,180.

When enrolled full-time, law school takes three years to complete. Part-time students, on the other hand, generally complete the didactic and experiential coursework in four to five years.

JD curricula frequently emphasize the methods and techniques utilized in court and for legal research. Additionally, you can get the chance to concentrate your research on one area of law. Typical concentrations include:

• Advocacy law
• Business law
• Constitutional law
• Contract law
• Employment law
• Criminal law
• Entertainment (or media) law
• Environmental law
• General practice law
• Intellectual property law
• Maritime law

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Juris Doctorate Degrees and Online Law Schools

Why are aba-accredited jd degree programs completed in hybrid learning formats only.

Since 1952, the American Bar Association (ABA) has served as the benchmark for accrediting law schools. No ABA-accredited institutions currently offer a fully online law education, with zero on-campus requirements. Lawyers and attorneys must pass state Bar Exams, follow the rules for ethical behavior, and develop client trust under challenging situations.

ABA-accredited institutions require students to complete externships and spend weeks on campus each year to enhance learning from their online coursework, network with faculty and peers, and put their knowledge into practice.

ABA-Accredited vs. Unaccredited Law Schools

You might have heard about non-ABA law schools, but you might not have fully understood them. After all, it is a topic that is frequently sidestepped in favor of discussing the more illustrious law schools that the ABA accredits.

The key distinctions between schools with ABA accreditation and those without it are the educational standards available to students and how simple it is to sit for the Bar Exam after graduating, which is the last step in securing employment as legal professionals or lawyers.

ABA-accredited institutions have undergone stringent examination and worked to comply with specific criteria to become accredited. Therefore, ABA-accredited law schools are proven to provide better academic rigor. The quality of the classes at non-ABA-accredited law schools may not be as uniform as those at an ABA-accredited school.

Consequently, while graduates of ABA-accredited law schools are always eligible to take the exam, most (but not all) states do not let graduates from non-ABA schools sit for the Bar Exam.

A non-ABA law school may be the best choice if you want to remain in the state where you attend law school. An ABA law school, on the other hand, is best if you want the freedom to move with your legal degree.

In most states, you can retake the Bar Exam after several years of practice, although it may take 10 to 15 years.

Can online JD graduates from accredited law schools sit for the Bar?

If your law school is ABA-accredited, you can qualify to take the Bar Exam, work in any state, and become an attorney in that state.

Are LSAT scores needed in online law programs?

While LSAT scores are mandatory for some online law schools, other law schools accept an LSAT or GRE score as long as they were taken in the last five years.

What are the differences between a Juris Doctor and a Juris Master online law degree program?

A Juris Master concentrates on more specialized areas of business, nonprofit, or government positions that do not need to pass the Bar Exam. A Juris Doctor degree prepares students to sit and pass the exams to become lawyers or judges.

Ph.D. Program

The ph.d. in law degree.

The Ph.D. in Law degree program is designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers through a doctoral program aimed at the production of a substantial body of academic research and writing under the close supervision of a three-member faculty dissertation committee. Unlike programs designed for students who wish to learn about law from the disciplinary perspectives of the social sciences or the humanities, the Ph.D. in Law is directed at students who wish to pursue advanced studies in law from the perspective of the law. This program offers emerging scholars an opportunity to contribute to the development of law as an academic field, and it provides an alternate pathway into law teaching alongside existing routes such as fellowships, advanced degrees in cognate fields, legal practice, and clerkships.

Because our entering Ph.D. students will have already completed their J.D. degrees, the anticipated course of study toward the Ph.D. in Law degree is three academic years and two summers in residence. In their first two semesters, Ph.D. students will enroll in courses designed to help them acquire the background and research skills needed to complete a dissertation in their field of interest and to prepare them for qualifying examinations that test the depth and breadth of the literacies and skills they have acquired. During their second year, students will prepare a dissertation prospectus and begin work on a dissertation. The dissertation may take the form of either three law review articles or a book-length manuscript and will make up a portfolio of writing that will be essential for success in the job market. Ph.D. students will also gain experience in the classroom, and receive the full support of Yale Law School’s Law Teaching Program , which has had remarkable success in placing graduates in tenure-track positions at leading law schools.

Ph.D. students receive a full-tuition waiver, a health award for health insurance coverage, and a stipend to cover their year-round living expenses, as well as support for participation in national and international conferences.

Applications for admission to the Ph.D. in Law program are available starting on August 15. The deadline for submission of all materials is December 15. Applicants to the Ph.D. in Law program must complete a J.D. degree at a U.S. law school before they matriculate and begin the Ph.D. program. Any questions about the program may be directed to Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, at [email protected] .

Watch Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, describe the Ph.D. program at Yale Law School.

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