A Vibrant Center of Intellectual Life
The Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) is the most advanced law degree at American University Washington College of Law (WCL). The SJD program brings together aspiring legal academics and other top legal professionals from around the world who wish to research and write a dissertation of publishable quality under the instruction of faculty members who are recognized experts and leading practitioners in their fields. SJD candidates’ areas of scholarship include international finance and tax law, criminal justice reform, intellectual property law, environmental law, and international human rights law.
Following a successful oral defense and completed dissertation, WCL proudly welcomes each candidate into an international community of alumni scholars working in academia, government, and the non-profit sector. Graduates of WCL’s SJD program include a Ugandan Supreme Court Justice; the former President of Sharia Court of Appeals in Israel; the Chief Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals; and professors at law schools in Israel, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Egypt, and other countries. For more information about alumni of the program, please see our alumni page.
2026 National SJD Roundtable at WCL
The SJD Program hosted the 2026 National SJD Roundtable on April 24, 2026, bringing together 36 presenters and more than 50 participants from 15 law schools nationwide to network, share research, and discuss key issues across legal fields.
Congratulations to Dr. Mutasim Abualbasher Ali!
Congratulations to Dr. Mutasim Abualbasher Ali on the successful defense of his doctoral dissertation entitled “The Duality of Peace-Making and Constitution-Making: Comparative Analysis of Post-Conflict States with a Focus on Sudan”.
Congratulations to Dr. Korn-Aticha Cherdchoo
Congratulations to Dr. Korn-Aticha Cherdchoo on the successful defense of his doctoral dissertation entitled “From Arms to Atmosphere: Reconceptualizing the Right to Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy in the Climate Era.”
2024 National SJD Roundtable at WCL
The WCL SJD Program was thrilled to host the latest National SJD Roundtable on April 12, 2024, bringing together a range of SJD candidates from over 10 different law schools across the US, to network, share research and discuss pressing issues in important legal fields.
Congratulations Dr. Rafaela Rodrigues
Congratulations to Dr. Rafaela Rodrigues on the successful defense of her dissertation entitled “The Invisible Workforce: Domestic Workers and Labor Rights in Brazil.
Congratulations Dr. Yeeun Uhm
Congratulations to Dr. Yeeun Uhm on the successful defense of her dissertation entitled “The New Governance of Climate Change: Reconceptualizing Common Concern to Embrace Non-State Actors.
Congratulations Dr. Manuj Bhardwaj
Congratulations to Dr. Manuj Bhardwaj on the successful defense of his dissertation entitled The Curious Case of Border Carbon Adjustments and Reverse Climate Finance: An Intricate Interplay of Climate Action and International Trade.
Congratulations Dr. Dinesh Napal
Congratulations to Dr. Dinesh Napal on the successful defense of his dissertation entitled “Unearthing Banality in Remote Warfare, Unsettling the Law of Armed Conflict and Unmooring from Colonial Humanity.
Congratulations Dr. Shima Bozorgi
Congratulations to Dr. Shima Bozorgi on the successful defense of her dissertation entitled “Nexus of Human Security and National Security: How it May Adapt to Our Current State of Affairs. A Legal Framework for the Middle East.