2024-2025 Law School Catalog

LAW-0006 Directed Study: SJD

The SJD Directed Study is a customized course of faculty supervised reading, critical analysis, nd research in a topic area relevant to the student's area of focus. The purpose of the Directed Study is to allow the SJD student to build substantive expertise and develop critical reading, research, and writing skills that will support the student's dissertation development or progression. Students enrolling in a Directed Study will meet with their faculty supervisor at the beginning of the semester to develop a syllabus or agenda or relevant readings, research projects, and/or writing assignments to be completed. Students will then meet regularly with their faculty supervisor for discussion of readings, feedback on completed work, or interim review of ongoing assignments. Faculty members supervising a Directed Study have discretion to establish requirements and assignments suited to the student's goals. Examples of required assignments include, but are not limited to: reading and discussion of relevant books and articles; research exercises; preparation of bibliographies; weekly or bi-weekly written summaries or critical reviews of assigned readings; research memoranda; and research papers. Some faculty supervisors may require students to complete a single substantial paper, while others may assign a series of shorter essays. Students should generally expected to be assigned a cumulative total of about 20 pages of written work over the course of a 2-credit Directed Study and about 25 pages for a 3-credit Directed Study. Two or three credits. Number of credits assigned to be determined in consultation with the Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies and faculty supervisor. Open to SJD students only. Enrollment requires advance permission from faculty member who will be supervising the Directed Study.

Credits

2