Doctorate of Juridical Science in Environmental Law

Authorized at only 22 of the 185 ABA-accredited law schools, the S.J.D. at Pace prepares legal scholars to teach environmental law in the United States and abroad. Admission is highly competitive and requires completion of an LL.M. in Environmental Law with distinction either at Pace or a comparable program at another law school. A candidate's S.J.D. application is thoroughly reviewed and one or more interviews are required with members of the environmental law faculty. Only one or two applicants are admitted annually. Admitted candidates are expected to begin residency in late-August at the onset of the fall semester.

S.J.D. Course of Study
Initially, candidates enroll in an S.J.D. tutorial. The tutorial comprises a thorough introduction to design and theory of the environmental law curriculum, its bibliography and research tools, methods of teaching and applications in the field. A seminar in Advanced Legal Research is also required. It is strongly recommended that candidates who have not taken an advanced seminar in the history of jurisprudence of environmental law or in comparative environmental law in their LL.M. studies do so for the S.J.D.

The primary focus of the S.J.D. is preparation of an original research thesis of publishable quality. The thesis is prepared under direct guidance of one or more Pace environmental law professors who engage candidates in a close collegial relationship. S.J.D. candidates are expected to be in full-time residence at Pace for one year, during which time every effort is made to complete the thesis.