Application Checklist
Please be aware that the Graduate Admissions Committee does not review applications until we have received all required documentation. Applicants are encouraged to keep a copy of their completed application and supporting documents, as all application materials become the property of Georgetown and will not be returned.
- Application Form
- $80 Application Fee
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
- Transcripts or LLMCAS (required for international applicants)
- Law School’s Registrar’s Certification
- Personal Reference Forms
- TOEFL (for non-native speakers of English)
- Grading System Sheet (foreign-educated applicants only)
Please click on each requirement above for a more complete description.
Admission Info & Prerequisites
Degree Prerequisite
At a minimum, candidates for the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) either must:
(1) have an LL.M. degree from a U.S. law school or from any common law country, with a high "B" average; or
(2) have received a JD from an accredited U.S. law school, have a record of publication, and have three years of teaching experience at a U.S. law school.
Language Prerequisite
Applicants who are not native speakers of English must have excellent English language writing and speaking ability, demonstrated by a score exceeding 100 on the internet-based TOEFL exam (at least 25 in each of the four sections), 250 on the computer-based TOEFL exam with minimum scores of 25 in each of the three sections (listening, structure/writing, and reading) or 600 on the paper-based TOEFL exam with minimum scores of 60 in each section.
Dissertation Prerequisite
The applicant's dissertation proposal, which must be presented in as much detail as possible, will be circulated by the Graduate Admissions Committee to potential full-time faculty supervisors. A full-time faculty member's interest in the research topic and his or her availability to supervise the applicant are essential prerequisites for consideration of any SJD application, although they alone do not ensure admission to the program.
In some cases, the Graduate Admissions Committee may request a telephone interview with the applicant to discuss his or her dissertation proposal.
