School of Law to offer doctorate

The School of Law will soon be offering its most advanced degree: a Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD). The JSD is for students interested in making original contributions to legal scholarship.

These scholarly contributions will help the School of Law contribute to the broader mission of UB as a research university, according to Mateo Taussig-Rubbo, professor of law and director of the JSD program.

“As part of a research university, it’s important for us to train a new generation of legal scholars and teachers,” says Taussig-Rubbo. “Having JSD students on campus will be a valuable addition to our community, as they will round out the profile of the law school.”

The new JSD program, approved by SUNY and the American Bar Association, will complement the law school’s existing programs, which include the JD — the core legal qualification — the LLM (master of laws) and a recently added undergraduate major.

“Over the past few years, the law school has undergone a fundamental transformation, establishing the law school as a hub for legal education at all levels,” says Dean Aviva Abramovsky. “Less than two years ago, we were the second law school in the nation to add an undergraduate degree in law to our curricular offerings.

“Our well-established JD and LLM programs continue to grow. And we are very pleased to now offer a pathway to cultivate legal scholars at the doctoral level.”

The JSD also provides scholarly training for foreign students, many of whom are required to earn a PhD or JSD before they become university professors or judges, according to Taussig-Rubbo, who says the program will accept students as early as fall 2021.

The duration of the program includes one year of classes in residence and the approximately two or more years it takes to write the dissertation, Taussig-Rubbo says.

For American students interested in pursuing the degree, the JSD requires a bachelor’s degree, a law school degree and in most cases an LLM.

For more information, visit the JSD program’s website or contact Laurel Root in the Office of Admissions.