The degree of Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is the highest post-graduate law degree offered by the Dedman School of Law. The S.J.D is primarily a research and writing degree (as opposed to a course-oriented degree such as the LL.M. degree) during which the S.J.D. candidate conducts extensive postgraduate-level legal research with a view toward submitting an acceptable doctoral dissertation of publishable quality within a five-year period. This program is intended for highly qualified candidates seeking a legal academic career or a high level, policy-oriented governmental or inter-governmental position.

The Doctor of Juridical Sciences (SJD) in International Legal Studies is designed to give students the opportunity to acquire specialized knowledge in a particular area of international law, with an emphasis on the legal, cultural, sociological, and business activities of the Pacific Rim, the European Community, and other regions of the world as they interact with one another and with the United States.