DOCTOR OF JURIDICAL SCIENCE (SJD) APPLICATION PROCESS

Deadline: May 1st.

A candidate for the SJD program must:

1. Submit a 5-10 page research proposal that will serve as the basis for beginning the dissertation research. It is very important that this research proposal be carefully written and well-organized. The research proposal should:
   
   
   • Describe the specific issues to be investigated and the candidate's tentative thesis;
   • Describe the nature, scope and methodology of the research to be undertaken in support of the dissertation;
   • Explain how the proposed research would add to the existing literature;
   • Provide a preliminary chapter outline; and
   • Include footnotes supporting the text of the research proposal and a bibliography.
     
     
   The research proposal may build upon an LLM thesis (either from Suffolk or elsewhere).
   
   
2. Submit three letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be from a full-time member of a law school faculty and another of which must be from a professor or faculty advisor of your LLM program.
   
   
3. Current Suffolk students should identify 3 faculty members who are willing to serve on the candidate's dissertation committee, one of whom shall serve as the chair of the committee ("Committee Chair"). Non-Suffolk students should contact Dean Gail Ellis at 617-573-8144 or gellis@suffolk.edu for assistance with this requirement. The Committee Chair must have expertise in the primary field of the proposed study. The Committee Chair and at least one of the other members of the proposed dissertation committee must be full-time members of the resident faculty of the law school. The third member may be a full-time member of another law school or university faculty with expertise relevant to the candidate's proposed research. All proposed committee members must agree to supervise the dissertation work of the applicant;
   
   
4. Submit a letter from the proposed Committee Chair evaluating the research proposal and, if recommending admission, agreeing to serve as the Committee Chair for the applicant's dissertation committee;
   
   
5. Submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts (including your first degree in law and your LL.M degree);
   
   
6. Submit a completed application form;
   
   
7. Provide a curriculum vitae;
   
   
8. Provide TOEFL scores (if English is a second language);
   
   
9. Submit the application fee of $60.