The S.J.D. program is only open to applicants who currently possess an LL.M. degree from the United States. Exceptionally, Georgetown will also accept applications from candidates with an LL.M. from another common law country (i.e. UK, Canada, or Australia).

Admission is based upon the applicant’s academic qualifications, scholarly potential, dissertation topic and the availability of a full time faculty member willing to supervise the applicant throughout the program. There is no limit to the topics that students may consider as long as they are original, able to contribute to the production of new legal knowledge and pursued with academic rigor.

The application must be supported by outstanding recommendations from a law professor from the applicant’s home country and from a professor familiar with the applicant’s LL.M. work or teaching experience. Finally, the applicant must have excellent English language writing and speaking ability, as demonstrated by achieving the requisite TOEFL score.