The SJD program at the University of Iowa College of Law is intended for those who wish to conduct original and advanced legal research under faculty supervision. SJD students are expected to carry out legal research and writing which makes a significant and original contribution to the legal literature. The SJD dissertation must be of publishable quality and must provide lawyers, scholars, and government officials with a useful understanding, not previously available, of a particular area of law.
Students in the College of Law's SJD Program apply to and receive their degree from the College of Law.

