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First and Second Year Coursework and Writing Requirements
J.S.D. students must complete two seminars during the first year, one in evaluative theory and one in explanatory theory. The seminar on evaluative theory considers questions that arise in the evaluation of legal rules and institutions. The seminar addresses those issues in ethics, political philosophy, and legal philosophy that have bearing on the evaluation of legal rules and institutions; these include an introduction to basic classes of moral theories and to different theories of justice. The seminar on explanatory theory considers questions that arise in the explanation of legal rules and institutions. What explains the legal rules and institutions that we observe? What consequences do these rules and institutions have? These questions will be considered in light of socio-legal theory, anthropology and historical and economical analysis.
In most years, these seminars will be especially designed for J.S.D. students but will also be open to advanced J.D. and LL.M. students with permission. If the special seminars are not offered, students will select seminars from the Law School curriculum in consultation with the dissertation advisor or the Faculty Director. This requirement may be waived for those who have taken such courses during the LL.M. at NYU, with permission of the supervisor and the J.S.D. Committee.
Toward the end of the first year, students must submit a candidacy paper that will be presented to the J.S.D. Committee for admission to J.S.D. candidacy in the second year of study. This paper describes the proposed dissertation research and demonstrates the viability of the project as a dissertation, your scholarly progress since submitting the original proposal of study, and your ability to complete the doctoral thesis. The topic, scope, structure, and content of the paper should be determined in consultation with the supervisor and should testify both to the student's ability as a researcher and to the viability of the research topic chosen. The format of the paper can be a detailed outline or prospectus, a dissertation chapter, or an article, depending on what is most appropriate for the project, and provided it is sufficiently indicative of the viability of the project and the student's ability to complete it. Unless specified otherwise by the supervisor, the length of the candidacy paper should be in the region of 15,000-20,000 words, excluding footnotes.
J.S.D. candidates must complete one Law School Colloquium during the second year. This requirement may be waived for those who have taken such courses during the LL.M. at NYU, with permission of the supervisor and the J.S.D. Committee.