Why would you get a PhD in law?
Asked by: Nicolette Becker | Last update: September 24, 2025Score: 4.8/5 (10 votes)
The Ph. D. in Law degree program is designed to prepare
What is the point of a PhD in law?
Academic careers: Many law PhD holders choose to work as law professors or legal scholars at universities or research institutions. They may teach law courses, do research, write academic papers and books, and contribute to the progress of legal knowledge in their area of specialization.
What can you do with a PhD in law?
- Journalist.
- Mediator.
- Law professor.
- Law clerk.
- Compliance manager.
- Immigration lawyer.
- Judge.
- Personal injury lawyer.
What do you call someone with a PhD in law?
A Juris Doctor degree is technically a professional doctorate. But unlike other Ph. D. holders, lawyers don't hold the title of "Doctor." Instead, they can choose to use the title "esquire," which is shortened to "Esq." and is fashioned after the lawyer's name.
Is a PhD better than a JD?
Is a JD Equivalent to a PhD? No, a JD is not equivalent to a PhD. PhDs require research, independent study, and thesis components that JDs do not. While PhD holders are considered doctors, JD holders are not.
Don't do a PhD | From a former MIT PhD
Can you get a PhD in law without a JD?
Most US law schools offer not a PhD in law, but a JSD, SJD, or other research doctorate basically equal to a PhD. Most also require the person applying for such study has an LLM already and also a JD, which is the professional doctoral degree needed to become a practicing lawyer in the US.
Which PhD in law is best?
- PhD in Jurisprudence.
- PhD in Administrative Law Studies.
- PhD in International Law Studies.
- PhD in Technology Law Studies.
- PhD in Business Law Studies.
- PhD in Criminal Justice.
- PhD in Criminal Law Studies.
- PhD in Dispute Resolution Studies.
How long does it take to get a PhD in law?
The average Ph. D. in Law program takes three to four years to finish and may take longer depending on if the students is enrolled part-time or full-time. A doctoral degree in law may also be earned alongside a Juris Doctorate as a dual degree program.
What is the highest degree in law?
Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)
A Doctor of Juridical Science degree is considered the highest level of a law degree and is designed for professionals who are looking to gain an advanced legal education after earning their JD and LLM.
How do I address someone with a juris doctorate?
But there is prudence and humility in thinking of a JD's status as a Doctor as an honorific akin to “Esquire” or (for judges) “The Honorable”—a compliment and address of respect that one might give to another but never properly use oneself or insist that others use.
Do law PhD students get paid?
Do PhD students get paid? Most of the time the answer is yes. PhD programs that don't offer some form of compensation, like stipends, tuition remission or assistantships, are rare but they do exist.
Can you become a lawyer with a PhD in law?
What degree do you need to be a lawyer? You need a bachelor's degree in law and a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree to become a qualified lawyer. These are the two formal degrees you need to earn, alongside taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and sitting for the bar exam.
How long is a JD PhD?
The normative time for completion of the program is four years for J.D./Master's combinations and seven years for J.D./Ph. D. combinations.
Is it harder to get a PhD or law school?
Yes, grad school requires learning new approaches, new theories, new ways of thinking. Some of this even makes your head spin. But it simply doesn't require the same radical realignment that law school does. What you learned as an undergraduate applies to grad school — but not so much to law school.
Do you need a masters to get a PhD in law?
This depends on the country. In the United States, you can generally go directly to a PhD with only a bachelor's degree, as a master's program is included as part of the doctoral program. Elsewhere, you generally need to graduate from a research-intensive master's degree before continuing to the PhD.
How long is a PhD?
On average, a Ph. D. may take up to eight years to complete. A doctorate degree typically takes four to six years to complete—however, this timing depends on the program design, the subject area you're studying, and the institution offering the program.
What is the hardest law degree to get?
The hardest law school to get into is Yale Law School, with an acceptance rate of 5.5%. Followed by: Stanford Law School: 7% acceptance rate. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School: 3.8% acceptance rate.
Is a JD equivalent to a PhD?
Because a JD is a professional degree intended to prepare you to practice law, while a PhD is an academic degree intended to prepare you to do cutting edge research.
Which field in law makes the most money?
Trial Lawyer
There is the most competition arising profession in the legal career and also the most paying one. The salary and other benefits may vary according to the job location and relevance of the case. Delhi and Mumbai are the two high paying job locations.
How long is Harvard JD PhD?
Coursework. Students will ordinarily be enrolled for at least four years (8 terms) in Harvard Griffin GSAS. They must complete at least 16 half courses to receive their PhD.
Does law school count as a PhD?
It requires at least three academic years of full-time study. While the JD is a doctoral degree in the US, lawyers usually use the suffix "Esq."
What are the different types of PHD in law?
Some of the most popular subfields of Law include International Law, European Law, Criminal Law, Civil Law, Public Law, Business Law, etc.
What is the highest doctorate in law?
The most advanced degree program at UCLA Law, the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is designed for those seeking to pursue careers as teachers and scholars of law. The Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) Degree Program is designed for those seeking to pursue careers as teachers and scholars of law.
Can a juris doctor be called a doctor?
The JD generally does not use the term “Dr” because historically lawyers were considered to have trained at the bachelors degrees level. You can see this in the old name for a law degree LLB. Some older people (eg Justice Kennedy of the US Supreme Court) earned their LLB when they went to law school.
What do you call a person with a law degree?
The titles JD and Esq. both refer to someone who has completed law school. JD stands for Juris Doctor, and signifies that someone has completed law school and earned their JD degree. Esq. stands for Esquire and is an honorary title that typically signifies someone has both completed law school and passed the bar exam.