LAW-2396 SJD Colloquium/Methods
The SJD Workshop is a graduate seminar that is designed to (1) help SJD students finalize their dissertation prospectuses, (2) assist students in the beginning stages of the research and writing process, (3) allow students to gain experience in making scholarly presentations, and (4) provide a forum for discussion and critique of ongoing student work and joint study of relevant scholarly literature. This class will provide instruction on topics such as (1) empirical methods such as questionnaire construction; (2) legal research methods,(3) IRB compliance, (4) anatomy of a prospectus; (5) chapter organization and headings and (6) types of dissertations (comparative, law reform, law and economics etc.) SJD students will present their research topics and/or ongoing work at least once, and probably more than once, over the course of the workshop. Students are expected to submit a final dissertation prospectus by the end of the fall semester and at least one research paper (which may become part of the dissertation) by the end of the spring semester, to be accompanied by a year-end oral presentation of the paper at a SJD Colloquium. It is expected that students will make steady progress in their research throughout the course of the workshop and to work continually toward improving and honing their writing and presentation skills.