Research doctorates
A PhD in Law, an SJD (Doctor of Juridical Science) and a JSD are research degrees built around a dissertation. Schools use the names differently: in some, the SJD or JSD is the school's research doctorate, in others the PhD is. Read the program page for the exact award, the supervision model, the residency expectation and the funding position.
Not a professional qualification
A research doctorate is not itself a route to admission to practice. It is an academic qualification, and admission usually depends on a research proposal and a supervisor willing to supervise it.
Honorary doctorates
Honorary doctorates are not earned qualifications and are excluded from the directory.
Browse law PhD and research degrees.
Official sources
- QAA: UK qualifications frameworks (starting point; check current rules) · accessed 1 November 2026
This guide is general information, not legal, immigration or financial advice and not a statement about any school. Confirm requirements with the licensing authority and the school.