Programs & Opportunities Offered at HLS
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J.D. Program
The J.D. curriculum reflects legal practice in the 21st century, with courses in legislation and regulation and international and comparative law in addition to the traditional curriculum of civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, property, and torts. First-year students take a problem solving workshop in which they grapple with real-world challenges involving complex fact patterns and encompassing diverse bodies of law.
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LL.M. Program
The LL.M. (Master of Laws) program is a one-year degree program that typically includes 180 students from more than 70 countries. The Graduate Program is interested in attracting intellectually curious and thoughtful candidates from a variety of legal systems and backgrounds and with various career plans.
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S.J.D. Program
The Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is Harvard Law School’s most advanced law degree, designed for aspiring legal academics who wish to pursue sustained independent study, research and writing. In recent years we have created a vibrant intellectual community of young scholars from around the world, most of whom will secure teaching positions in their home countries, the U.S., or third countries.
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Visiting Scholar/Visiting Researcher Program
Each year the Graduate Program hosts some 30 to 35 Visiting Scholars and Visiting Researchers (“Visitors”) from around the world. A Visiting Scholar is generally a Professor of Law at another institution; a Visiting Researcher is generally someone who is working towards a graduate degree or doing postgraduate work at another institution.
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Curriculum
Harvard Law School offers students a curriculum of unparalleled breadth: more than 500 courses, seminars, and reading groups that together reflect the remarkable range of the faculty’s expertise and interests. Teaching and mentoring take place side by side, as faculty and students learn together and collaborate on meaningful projects.
Clinical and Experiential Learning
Experiential education is a key component of the rigorous academic program at Harvard Law School. Harvard Law School offers more clinical opportunities than any other law school in the world. Through clinics and other opportunities, students gain invaluable hands-on legal experience while making a positive impact in people’s lives and communities.
“Clinics are among the most valuable things that students can pursue while they’re at law school: actually sitting down and applying law and working with clients shows you what the profession is all about.”
—Blythe Edwards ’24
