Juris Doctor Degree
Cornell Law offers a highly-rated national law curriculum leading to the three-year J.D. degree. The curriculum reflects a broad range of ideas current in American legal education.
Cornell Law is a premier institution for International Law. Students can combine their J.D. degree with other International Law Programs:
J.D. Degree Program - Curriculum
First year courses consist of ten required courses.
In their second and third years, all courses are elective, although some courses must be taken in ethics and advanced legal writing.
J.D. Degree Program - Optional Concentrations
Optional concentrations are offered in four areas:
J.D. Degree Program - Academic Requirements
Students must satisfactorily complete 84 semester credit hours. Read more (pdf).
Students may take up to 12 credit hours of courses related to legal training outside the Law School, subject to the approval of the faculty advisor.
J.D. Degree - Berger International Legal Studies Specialization
This program prepares students for international private practice, business that is international in scope, or government service. A slightly heavier load is required than for the J.D. (five credits more, 89 credits instead of 84 credits), as well as additional coursework in public international law, comparative law, and in conflicts of law. When filling out our J.D. application, please indicate your interest in this program. Read more about this program.
Students enrolled in the joint J.D. and M.B.A. degree program need take only 86 hours if they wish to pursue the J.D. with the Berger International Legal Studies Specialization, but may not count management courses for the program's total hours or course requirements.
Berger International Legal Studies Program activities:
The Berger Program sponsors a series of lectures, luncheon talks and colloquia by prominent practitioners, government officials, scholars and foreign visitors in the international field, to which members of the program are invited.
The Cornell International Law Society also sponsors activities regarding international law.
J.D. Degree / LL.M. Degree in International and Comparative Law
Cornell Law offers an opportunity to its students to earn both a J.D. degree and an LL.M. degree in three years, including one session at either the Cornell Law School-Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne Summer Institute of International and Comparative Law in Paris, or the Summer Law Institute in Suzhou, China. Read more about the program and the Summer Institutes.
Students may apply for admission to the J.D./LL.M. program upon initial application to the Law School or after matriculation.
The J.D./LL.M program requires 20 upperclass credits in international and comparative law, in addition to the 84 credits required for the J.D. degree.
The 20 required credits must include:
The 20 required credits may include:
