Application & Admissions Requirements
SJD applicants must have completed an LLM (Master of Laws) program at Wake Forest Law or elsewhere in the US to be eligible for admission into the program. Comparable LLM degree programs from countries other than the US may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Wake Forest Law LLM graduates will be given preference over applicants from other LLM programs. Admission will be based on a formal application, with appropriate supporting material, and a dissertation proposal. Only applicants with exceptionally strong academic credentials, well-planned dissertation proposals, and proficient English language ability are admitted.
To be eligible for admission, an SJD applicant must
- Hold a first degree in law (LLB) or equivalent from a foreign institution (non-US)
- Hold a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Wake Forest University School of Law or another ABA-accredited law school
- Have outstanding academic credentials
- Demonstrate exceptional promise as a legal scholar through submission of prior written work (such as an LLM thesis) of high quality
- Possess exceptional English language proficiency
- Present an original and detailed doctoral dissertation proposal
Dates & Deadlines
Fall Applications
Open Date: September 1
LSAC Due: April 1
Application Due: May 1
Spring Applications
Open Date: September 1
LSAC Due: November 1
Application Due: November 1
Each SJD application will be evaluated by the Dean’s office and a prospective faculty advisor to determine whether it promises to result in an original, creditable, and publishable contribution to legal scholarship. Applicants will not be evaluated until their completed applications and supporting documents are received. Early application is advised.
You may apply through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website and have all supporting materials sent to that organization or through the Wake Forest Law application system. Candidates should complete their application once they have the following materials ready to submit:
Your resume should list all universities you have attended, academic publications, and relevant extracurricular activities. Provide information about any honors, awards, and scholarships you may have received. You should also list any law- or business-related professional experience you have by providing the dates of employment, your employer, and the position you held.
In English, please explain your reasons for pursuing an SJD degree, your intellectual goals in pursuing doctoral studies, and how you plan to use your graduate degree for your short- and long-term career plans. If there is a faculty member whom you are particularly interested in working with because of their area of expertise or research, please identify the individual and explain the reasons for your interest in this professor. Indicate all of your previous international experience, including your experiences in your LLM program, and any particular interest you have in the Wake Forest Law SJD Program.
You must submit transcripts from each university or college that you have attended. Transcripts must be in the language of the institution, as well as in English, and should explain the university’s grading system.
Applicants whose native language is not English are required to provide proof of English language proficiency. The following tests are an accepted way to provide proof.
- TOEFL: Applicants must earn a minimum internet-based score of 90 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The institution code for the TOEFL is C261.
- IELTS: A score of 7.0 or higher on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is also accepted.
- English Language Proficiency: The TOEFL or IELTS requirement may be waived at the discretion of the admissions committee if the applicant has earned (or will earn), prior to law school matriculation, a baccalaureate-level or higher degree from an accredited institution of higher education where English is the primary language of instruction and where the corresponding degree of study was undertaken primarily in one of the following countries:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Commonwealth of Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Canada
- Commonwealth of Dominica
- Grenada
- Co-operative Republic of Guyana
- Republic of Ireland
- Jamaica
- Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Republic of Malta
- New Zealand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- United States of America
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The Office of Admissions & Financial Aid may, at its sole discretion, require a TOEFL or IELTS score of any applicant, regardless of education or other attributes.
Applicants are required to submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation. Ideally, these letters should come from former law professors or applicant’s employers and should address the applicant’s ability to pursue graduate legal study. We prefer that at least one letter come from a professor or dean from the school where you earned your LLM. Recommendation letters must be in English or accompanied by an English translation. Letters of Recommendation may be submitted via the online application system.
An applicant must demonstrate superior achievement in graduate-level legal research and writing in English, preferably by providing a copy of their thesis produced at the LLM level or by providing a substantial directed research paper submitted as an LLM candidate as evidence of the ability to conduct graduate-level legal research and writing in English. This writing sample should represent the applicant’s best scholarly work.
SJD applicants must submit a dissertation proposal that is typed, double-spaced, and accompanied by a bibliography that provides relevant research sources that may be used in the applicant’s dissertation. The proposal should provide enough detail to define the topic of the proposed dissertation with specificity and indicate its significance and issues to be investigated. The proposal should include:
- An introduction
- A description of your topic, why it’s important, and what makes it interesting to you
- A discussion of work that has already been done on the topic by other scholars
- What your dissertation will contribute to the legal landscape
- A chapter-by-chapter summary as you foresee it
- A conclusion
- A preliminary bibliography of likely primary and secondary sources you will use