SMU Dedman School of Law
The degree of Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is the highest postgraduate law degree offered by the Dedman School of Law. The S.J.D is primarily a research and writing degree (as opposed to a course-oriented degree such as the LL.M. degree) during which the S.J.D. candidate conducts extensive postgraduate-level legal research with a view toward submitting an acceptable doctoral dissertation of publishable quality within a five-year period. The S.J.D. is primarily intended for highly qualified candidates seeking a legal academic career or a high-level, policy-oriented governmental or intergovernmental position, and the candidate must demonstrate such a career goal.