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Dissertation and Oral Defense
The J.S.D. candidate must produce a significant scholarly contribution to the learning in the field. The writing requirement will normally be fulfilled in the form of a monograph or book of 80,000 to 100,000 words in length, but exceptionally it may be met through a series of substantial papers or law review articles if approved by the dissertation supervisor and the J.S.D. Committee.
The oral defense will be scheduled once a majority of the dissertation committee, after reading the dissertation, believes that it is of sufficient quality to receive the degree. At the defense, the candidate will make a 20- to 30-minute presentation of the central thesis of the dissertation. There will be a first round of questioning by the dissertation committee, followed by a second round. At the discretion of the supervisor, questions from the public can be entertained. Thereafter, the candidate and members of the public withdraw, and the committee discusses the defense and renders a decision.
After the oral defense the dissertation committee will make a recommendation to the J.S.D. Committee whether to award the degree, reject the dissertation, or require revision and re-submission of the dissertation. The final decision is in the hands of the J.S.D. Committee. In the event the dissertation committee recommends the award of the degree, it may also recommend that the degree be awarded with distinction, or with the highest distinction, but the latter will require a unanimous decision among the members of the J.S.D. Committee.