JD-LLM Dual Degree Requirements
| JD-LLM First Year Curriculum | Additional Opportunties for JD-LLM Candidates |
| JD-LLM Upper-Level Curriculum | JD-LLM Program Contacts and Resources |
Students earning the JD-LLM in International, Comparative & Foreign Law dual degree are required to take eighty-four (84) units for the JD degree and an additional twenty (20) units for the LLM degree, for a total of one hundred and four (104) units.
Juris Doctor: 84 units
Master of Laws in International & Comparative Law: 20 units
Combined JD-LLM dual degree program: 104 units
JD-LLM First Year Curriculum
This program is structured so that the core subjects for the JD and LLM degrees are taken in the first year of law school. Candidates for the JD-LLM dual degree begin their course of study in the summer preceding the normal fall entry date to facilitate the completion of all academic requirements within three (3) years plus this first summer semester.
The information provided here offers an example of how a JD-LLM candidate might structure his or her individual curriculum. For advice about planning your personal curriculum, please schedule an appointment with Anne Sherman, Assistant Dean for Academic Advising in the Office of Student Affairs.
| Courses required for first-year JD curriculum |
Courses required for first-year LLM curriculum |
|---|---|
|
|
EXAMPLE: JD-LLM First Year Course Load*
| Summer Start | Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Contract Law (4.5 JD units) Property Law (4.5 JD units) Total: 9 JD Units |
Civil Procedure (4.5 JD units) Tort Law (4.5 JD units) Legal Analysis, Research & Writing** International Law (3 LLM units) Total: 9 JD units, 3 LLM units |
Constitutional Law (4.5 JD units) Criminal Law (4.5 JD units) Legal Analysis, Research & Writing (3 JD units) Comparative Law (3 LLM units) Research Methods in International, Foreign & Comparative Law (1 LLM unit) Total: 12 JD units, 4 LLM units |
Units earned in the 1L year example: 30 JD units and 7 LLM units (37 combined units)
* This chart is not intended to imply a fixed order for the doctrinal first-year JD courses, students may be assigned to these courses in any order as determined by the Law School.
** Legal Analysis, Research & Writing is a year-long course. Credit for the course appears on the transcript for the spring semester.
JD-LLM Upper-Level Curriculum
There are additional requirements that candidates for the JD-LLM dual degree must fulfill during the second and third years of law school:
Upper-level requirements for JD curriculum- Ethics & Professionalism Requirement (2 units)
- “JD” Upper-Level Writing Requirement (2 units) **
- Professional Skills Requirement (number of units varies)
- Duke Summer Institute in Transnational Law (Geneva or Hong Kong)***
- “JD-LLM” Upper-Level Writing Requirement (4 units) **
- Foreign Language Competency Requirement (number of units varies, see Rule 2-2(7).)
** The “JD” and “JD-LLM” upper-level writing requirements are separate graduation requirements (see Rule 3-31 and Rule 2-2(3)(b) and (8)). Pursuant to Rule 3-31(5), candidates for the JD-LLM dual degree may satisfy these requirements together by drafting one or more papers for a total of 4 units (approximately sixty (60) pages), provided that at least 2 units (approximately thirty (30) pages) satisfy the requirements of Rule 3-31 (the “JD” upper-level writing requirement).
*** The Duke Summer Institute in Transnational Law is mandatory for the summer following the first year.
For a list of courses that count toward the 20-unit LLM requirement, please refer to the Course Browser on the Law School Registrar’s web page.
EXAMPLE: JD-LLM Second Year Course Load
| Summer Institute | Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva or Hong Kong (6 LLM units) Total: 6 LLM Units |
Business Associations (4 JD units) Ethics & the Law of Lawyering (4 JD units) Federal Income Tax (4 JD units) European Union Law (3 LLM units) Intermediate Chinese (3 LLM units) Total: 10 JD units, 6 LLM units |
Philanthropy, Voluntarism and Not-for
Profit Management (3 JD units)
Evidence (4 JD units) Intellectual Property (4 JD units) International Human Rights (3 LLM units) Dispute Resolution in the WTO (2 LLM units) Total: 11 JD units, 5 LLM units |
Units earned in the 1L year example: 30 JD units and 7 LLM units (37 combined units)
Units earned in the 2L year example: 21 JD units and 17 LLM units (38 combined units) Note: after a JD-LLM candidate has satisfied the 20 unit requirement for the LLM degree, additional units earned in international, foreign and comparative law courses are applied to the JD degree. Total units earned in this example: 55 JD units and 20 LLM units (75 combined units) To fulfill the remaining units, students may also take advantage of opportunities for study outside the Law School classroom. Courses outside the Law School: JD-LLM candidates may take up to nine (9) units in other divisions of Duke University. These courses must be of suitable academic rigor, offered by the Graduate School or upper-level work in Trinity College. Six (6) of these units must involve international, foreign or comparative fields of study and will apply to the LLM degree. The remaining three (3) units will apply to the JD degree. See Rule 2-2(4) and Rule 3-13. International Externships: Students may earn up to fourteen (14) units for one semester of unpaid work at an international organization. This program is principally designed to complement the curriculum of the JD-LLM Program in International & Comparative Law, with the purpose of enhancing students’ educational experience and career opportunities through intellectually stimulating placements with international legal organizations. A list of pre-approved organizations is provided on the International Programs web page. JD-LLM candidates may also submit proposals for placement at organizations other than those on the pre-approved list. See Rule 3-25(B). Domestic Externships are also available for students interested in working for a US-based organization or agency. See Rule 3-25(A). Study Abroad Exchange Programs: In addition to the summer institutes, Duke Law School participates in exchange programs with twenty law schools around the world to provide study abroad opportunities during the fall and spring semesters. Students may earn up to fourteen (14) units for study abroad. See Rule 3-26. Ad Hoc Seminars: After the first year of law school, students may form a group of five (5) or more to create a one (1) or two (2) unit ad hoc seminar. This is a great way to complement the Law School’s course options by designing a course based on your specific interests. See Rule 3-12(2). Independent Study: JD-LLM candidates may earn up to four (4) units for independent study. See Rule 3-12(1). The Capstone Project Program: After the second year of law school, students may receive academic credit for designing and completing an advanced project to pursue, with in-depth exploration and broad-ranging consultation, a subject area in which the student has developed a special interest. The intent of the Capstone Project Program is to enable a student to develop foundational skills, including complex problem-solving skills, to aid the transition between law school and the beginning of the student's professional career. See Rule 3-32. EXAMPLE: JD-LLM Third Year Course Load Units earned in the 1L year example: 30 JD units and 7 LLM units Units earned in the 2L year example: 21 JD units and 17 LLM units Units earned in the 3L year example: 7 JD units and 22 LLM units Total units earned in this example: 84 JD units and 20 LLM units Professor Jonathan Wiener, faculty director of the JD-LLM program Office of International Studies International, Foreign and Comparative Law Faculty Anne Sherman, Assistant Dean for Academic Advising, Office of Student AffairsAdditional Opportunties for JD-LLM Candidates
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Study Abroad: University of Cape Town (14 LLM units)
Total: 14 LLM unitsAd Hoc: International Trafficking of Persons (2 LLM units)
International Trade Law (3 LLM units)
Trial Practice (3 JD units)
AIDS Legal Assistance Project
(4 JD units)
International Intellectual Property
(3 LLM units)
Total: 13 JD units, 2 LLM units
(37 combined units)
(38 combined units)
(29 combined units)
(104 combined units)JD-LLM Program Contacts and Resources
