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Degree Programs

Graduating student

Harvard Law School offers three degree programs designed to meet the needs of students at various stages of their academic and professional careers.

The J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree is a three-year program that first gives students the intellectual foundations for legal study, and then gives them the opportunity to focus their studies on areas of particular interest. The program culminates with a third-year paper that requires students to engage in a rigorous exploration of some aspect of the law or legal system.

The one-year LL.M (Master of Laws) program provides students who already have excellent legal training and experience -- many have served as practicing lawyers, judges, diplomats, community leaders -- with broad latitude to design a course of study that will give them an expanded understanding of law and legal theory.

The S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) is still a more advanced degree, intended for students who wish to pursue a career in legal education. Graduates of the S.J.D. program are teaching in the world's finest law schools and producing scholarship at the highest levels.

Harvard also offers Joint Degree Programs and opportunities to Study Abroad.