phd in economics and law

Ph.D. Program in Law & Economics

• Student Profiles

Program Overview

Vanderbilt Law School's Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics is unlike any other. Dual-degree students pursue a J.D. and a Ph.D. concurrently in a fully integrated curriculum that combines economic theory and methodology with the study of law. The program is designed so that students complete both degrees in just six years. Admitted students receive a full funding package , including tuition for both degrees and a competitive annual stipend, for all six years of study.

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About our Program

Applicants must complete separate applications to Vanderbilt Graduate School and Vanderbilt Law School. Each applicant's Law School and Graduate School applications will be considered together in a collaborative admissions process.

Program faculty guide students through an innovative law and economics curriculum in which students pursue policy-relevant research. The program offers four primary research fields: behavioral law and economics, labor markets and human resources, law and economics, and risk and environmental regulation.

Program graduates are in tenured or tenure-track positions at University of Alabama, University of Arkansas, University at Buffalo, Florida State University, George Mason University, University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, and Western Kentucky University, as well as in positions in government, legal practice, and consulting.

The Law & Economics/Applied Microeconomics Seminar Series brings scholars from around the world to Vanderbilt to present research spanning a variety of fields and topics. The program also hosts a variety of conferences, including the biennial Frontiers in Law and Economics (FILE) conference. 

Application Open for Fall 2024

• How to Apply

January 15, 2024

Deadline for priority consideration

April 1, 2024

Final deadline

Spring admission

Not offered

In the News

Have questions.

Contact the Ph.D. in Law & Economics Program Manager.

Law and Economics

Jd/ma, jd/phd.

A degree that blends expertise in law and economics enables lawyers to have an impact on a wide range of issues related to law, business, and finance. Judges and practitioners increasingly rely on economic reasoning to resolve legal disputes. In some areas of legal practice—especially antitrust law, tax law, bankruptcy, corporate and securities law, and other fields of economic law—economic reasoning is often central to the focus of legal arguments, and it continues to grow in importance in many other seemingly non-economic fields, such as environmental law, intellectual property law, health law, and more.

With a superb economics department , top-ranked economists in the Graduate School of Business , and a law school oriented toward interdisciplinary education and research, Stanford offers an ideal learning environment for studying law and economics. Faculty who lead in their fields are a key Stanford asset; the university is proud to claim eight Nobel laureates in economics.

A Stanford JD/MA in law and economics can support a career in virtually any area of legal practice, including corporate law, tort law, contract law, civil procedure, and international law. Students who pursue a Stanford JD/PhD in this area receive strong background for an academic career or work in the private sector or government.

Course Requirements

For the JD/MA program, as many as 45 quarter units of approved courses may be counted toward both degrees. For the JD/PhD program, as many as 54 quarter units of approved courses may be counted toward both degrees. In either case, no more than 31 quarter units of courses that originate outside the law school may count toward the law degree.

The maximum number of law school credits that may be counted toward the MA or PhD in economics is the greater of: (i) 5 quarter units in the case of the MA and 10 quarter units in the case of the PhD; or (ii) the maximum number of units from courses outside the department that MA or PhD candidates in economics are permitted to count toward the applicable degree under general departmental guidelines or in the case of a particular student’s individual program.

Note to applicants:  The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program awards full funding to Stanford graduate students from all disciplines, with additional opportunities for leadership training and collaboration across fields. Joint Degree applicants are encouraged to apply to the  Knight – Hennessy Scholars Program.  Please be aware that the Knight-Hennessy Scholars applications are due in early Autumn one year prior to enrollment. View dates and deadlines: knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/dates-and-deadlines .

At this point in my career, I'm doing exactly what I want to do, and I owe it to my Stanford joint degree. I had enormous flexibility to tailor the program to my academic and professional goals, making it easy to move between two academic homes and do the research I wanted to do.

Gillian Hadfield, JD/PhD in Law and Economics, '88

Joseph Bankman

• Ralph M. Parsons Professor of Law and Business

Richard Craswell

• Professor of Law, Emeritus

Robert M. Daines

• Pritzker Professor of Law and Business, Emeritus

Ronald J. Gilson

• Charles J. Meyers Professor of Law and Business, Emeritus

Joseph A. Grundfest

• W. A. Franke Professor of Law and Business, Emeritus
• Senior Faculty, Rock Center for Corporate Governance

Daniel P. Kessler

• Professor of Law
• Keith and Jan Hurlbut Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution

Michael Klausner

• Nancy and Charles Munger Professor of Business

Mark A. Lemley

• William H. Neukom Professor of Law
• Director, Program in Law, Science & Technology

Alison D. Morantz

• James and Nancy Kelso Professor of Law
• Director of SIDDLAPP
• Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research

A. Mitchell Polinsky

• Josephine Scott Crocker Professor of Law and Economics

Jeff Strnad

• Charles A. Beardsley Professor of Law

Alan O. Sykes

• Professor of Law and Warren Christopher Professor in the Practice of International Law and Diplomacy
• Senior Fellow, SIEPR

Barbara van Schewick

• M. Elizabeth Magill Professor of Law
• Director, Center for Internet and Society
• Professor, by courtesy, Electrical Engineering

• Undergraduate
• Student information
• Econ info for students
• Education Opportunities

J.D./Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics at Vanderbilt

As a junior or senior undergraduate student who may be considering applying to graduate and/or professional school, we want you to know about a unique opportunity at Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt Law School’s  Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics  is a dual-degree program in which students pursue a J.D. and a Ph.D. concurrently in a fully-integrated curriculum combining economic theory and methodology with the study of law. The program is designed so that students complete both degrees in just  six years .

Admitted students receive full tuition funding for both degrees and a competitive stipend package.

Program faculty guide students through an innovative law and economics curriculum where students pursue policy-relevant research within a wide range of fields, such as behavioral law and economics, labor markets and human resources, and risk and environmental regulation.

Program graduates have obtained prestigious judicial clerkships, faculty positions in law schools and economics departments, and jobs in government, consulting, and legal practice.

The Ph.D. Program is currently accepting applications for Fall 2022.

If you have not taken the LSAT, you may be eligible to apply with GRE scores only. Visit the Ph.D. Program  Prospective Students  page to learn more about our application process. Applications received by January 15, 2022 will receive priority consideration.

If you have questions, please contact the Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics at: (615) 343-6835 [email protected]

1022 International Affairs Building (IAB)

Mail Code 3308

420 West 118th Street

New York, NY 10027

Dual Degree in Law and Economics (JD+PhD)

The dual program in Law and Economics enables a small number of highly qualified students to pursue simultaneous work in both disciplines. The program is designed to enable students to substantially reduce the time usually required to earn the two degrees separately and to encourage meaningful integration of work in both fields. All requirements for both the JD and the PhD in Economics can be completed in six to seven years; some students may require a greater amount of time. Timely completion of the program will ordinarily require at least two summers in residence.

Students in the dual program receive superb training in legal and economic analysis, as well as informed insight into some of the most complex and difficult problems confronting government leaders, business executives, and scholars today. Graduates of the program are particularly well prepared for university teaching and research in both fields. Recent graduates of the program have also chosen to work as practicing economists, either in government or in private consulting firms. Those graduates who choose to practice law are uniquely well prepared to handle cases in administrative, antitrust, corporate, securities, commercial, labor, and environmental law.

The program provides a framework of basic requirements for each degree to encourage competence in both disciplines. Apart from these requirements, the program is flexible and permits students to shape individual courses of study in accordance with their particular interests and goals. Each student’s program is reviewed and approved by a dual committee composed of both Law and Economics faculty.

Information contained herein is valid as of 2/26/19 and is subject to change.

Contact the applicable admissions office or dual degree resource for more information.

Requirements

Applicants should have exceptional undergraduate records that include substantial work in Economics, as well as courses in statistics and mathematics, including calculus and linear algebra.

Applicants must gain separate and independent admission to both the graduate program in Economics in the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies and to the Law School. Applicants should indicate their interest in the dual program on both the Law and Graduate School applications. If you are enrolled in a graduate program in another school or department at the University, the Law School will accept a valid GRE, GMAT, or MCAT score in lieu of an LSAT score; otherwise, a valid LSAT score is required. *

Students entering the Law School must complete the required first-year law curriculum. Students must take one elective course of three or four credit hours during their second semester. All students must complete the following before graduation: at least one international or comparative law course of two or more credit hours, at least one upper-level course with a rigorous writing component, one statutory or regulatory course of three or more credit hours, one course in professional responsibility of two or more credit hours, and two credit hours of experiential learning. Separate courses must be taken to fulfill the upper-level course with a rigorous writing component, the professional responsibility course, and the experiential learning course Students admitted to the Law School must earn a minimum of 83 credits toward the JD, at least 71 of which must be earned in Law School courses.

Twelve (12) credit hours from Economics courses may be counted toward requirements for the JD. If you are admitted to the Rackham School of Graduate Studies and choose to pursue the JD/PHD program, you must notify the Law School’s Office of Student Records and Office of Student Life.

• Two terms of economic theory courses. One term of mathematics and two terms of econometrics, or the equivalent level of competence as demonstrated by passing written examinations.
• Four courses in specialized fields in Economics, two of which must form a sequence in a major field.
• One course concentrating on advanced theoretical or empirical techniques. This course may be counted as one of the four required field courses or, alternately in special circumstances and with the approval of the student’s adviser, may be taken in the Law School.
• Successful completion of three written preliminary examinations; one in microeconomics, one in macroeconomics, and one in the student’s major field.
• Advanced research paper, to be satisfied in concurrence with the Law School seminar requirement. Ordinarily, this paper will form the basis of the student’s dissertation.
• Doctoral dissertation; a research project on a significant topic of the student’s choosing. A dissertation proposal must be approved by a faculty committee, which also hears the student’s oral defense at the completion of the dissertation.

Students must satisfy the degree requirements of each school, and should consult with advisers in each school for the precise graduation requirements for each degree and for information about course offerings. Law School courses are not offered in the summer term. Students will not receive credit toward the JD for non-law coursework taken prior to matriculation at the Law School. Students should consult with the adviser at the companion school concerning credit toward the PhD for Law course work.

Tuition will be assessed at either the Law School or the Graduate School rate, whichever is higher, when courses toward both degrees are taken in one term. The combined degree is not open to those who have already earned one of the two degrees.

At the beginning of their final year of study in the combined program, students should consult with their Rackham academic adviser and the Law School’s Office of Student Records regarding forms that need to be completed prior to graduation. Also at this time, students should submit a Dual/Joint Degree Election Form ( www.rackham.umich.edu/current-students/policies/academic-records/dual-j… ) for approval from both the Law School and the Department of Economics.

Any JD who enrolls concurrently in another degree program will be awarded the JD degree after completing all of the requirements for the dual, joint, or combined degrees. (As a practical matter, this means that the student will receive the JD degree either after or at the same time as they receive the degree(s) in the other program(s).) This policy will not affect the student’s class year for purposes of the Law School’s commencement ceremony or alumni events, and it will not apply if a student discontinues the other degree program(s). A law student who believes that they will experience some hardship as a result of this policy may petition the Associate Dean for Academic Programming for an exception.

JD courses traditionally have a later grading deadline than other degree programs. On some occasions, this later JD grading deadline may affect a student in their final term if another degree program desires all of the student’s grades prior to the JD grading deadline.

Contact Information

Law School Admissions Office University of Michigan Law School Jeffries Hall, Suite 2200 701 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1215

Phone: 734.764.0537 Email: [email protected] 

Office of Student Life (dual degree programs) University of Michigan Law School 316 Hutchins Hall 625 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1215

Phone: 734.764.0516 Email: [email protected]

Office of Student Records University of Michigan Law School 300 Hutchins Hall  625 S. State Street  Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1215

Phone: 734.763.6499 Email: [email protected]

Department of Economics Doctoral Admissions Department of Economics University of Michigan 250 Lorch Hall 611 Tappan Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1220

Phone: 734.764.2360 Email: [email protected] Website: lsa.umich.edu/econ

Rackham Graduate School Admissions  0120 Rackham Building 915 E. Washington St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1070

Phone: 734.764.8129 Email: [email protected] Website: rackham.umich.edu/admissions/applying

Also of Interest

• Dual Degrees
• Course Catalog

Law and Economics

The Program in Law and Economics provides an interdisciplinary forum for scholarship in the fields of business law, and law and economics. As one of the preeminent institutions for the study of these fields on both the undergraduate and graduate levels, Berkeley’s program is notable both for the depth of its faculty and the breadth of its interdisciplinary scope. The program draws upon the expertise of faculty from many disciplines, including the Schools of Law, Public Policy, and Business; the College of Natural Resources, the Departments of Economics and of Agricultural and Resource Economics; and the Graduate Program in Jurisprudence and Social Policy (JSP).

The program’s curricular and workshop and/or seminar offerings provide resources and opportunities for graduate students from throughout campus and for visiting scholars from around the world. The program also sponsors a working paper series, which serves as a broad-ranging compendium of the works of both resident scholars and visitors.

Additional Resources

• Law and Economics Seminars and Special Events  
• Berkeley Center for Law and Business (BCLB)
• Courses in Business, Law, and Economics  
• Field Examination and Law and Economics Courses  
• Law and Economics Working Paper Series  

Contact Information:

University of California, Berkeley School of Law Program in Law and Economics 325 Law Building Berkeley, CA 94720-7200

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• Working paper series

PhD Programme in Law

The opportunity to undertake advanced legal research at one of the world's best law schools.

The London School of Economics is a world centre for advanced research and teaching with an outstanding reputation, with a campus situated in the heart of London, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Only a short distance from Europe's financial, legal and cultural centres, LSE stands at the crossroads of international debate, a location that is fundamental to our identity as an outward looking institution with an active involvement in UK and world affairs. Each year the School attracts many influential outside speakers. Regular events and seminars involving politicians, regulators, practitioners and academics take place to complement your studies. 

LSE Law School is one of the UK's pre-eminent research institutions for law. Our academics are the authors of influential and often path-breaking scholarship, and many have globally leading reputations.  LSE Law is also one of UK's largest law schools, with over 70 academic members of staff. It is a uniquely cosmopolitan academic community, with staff and students coming from all over the world.  Our academics draw on a wide range of literatures and traditions, and pursue analyses that seek to situate the law within the political, social and economic context within which it is formed and operates. 

PhD Programme

The PhD programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science offers the opportunity to undertake advanced legal research at one of the world's best law schools. Students in our PhD programme receive excellent training and work under the supervision of leading scholars with strong international, comparative and interdisciplinary commitments. Our doctoral students become members of a lively academic community which is at the cutting-edge of legal scholarship and which plays a major role in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world.

We hope that the questions you have about our PhD programme will be answered in these web pages. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us , or see our Frequently Asked Questions  ...

PhD Funding

PhD Current research

PhD placements What do our PhD students do after leaving LSE?

FAQs Your questions about the PhD programme

PhD completions Browse our completed PhDs

Careers Our careers information and resources

Visiting research students How to apply as a visiting student

PhD Academy A dedicated space for PhD students

LSE Life Academic, personal, professional development

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• Administration
• PhD Program

The Ph.D. Program in the Department of Economics at Harvard is addressed to students of high promise who wish to prepare themselves in teaching and research in academia or for responsible positions in government, research organizations, or business enterprises. Students are expected to devote themselves full-time to their programs of study.

The program prepares students for productive and stimulating careers as economists. Courses and seminars offered by the department foster an intellectually active and stimulating environment. Each week, the department sponsors more than 15 different seminars on such topics as environmental economics, economic growth and development, monetary and fiscal policy, international economics, industrial organization, law and economics, behavioral economics, labor economics, and economic history. Top scholars from both domestic and international communities are often invited speakers at the seminars.  The Harvard community outside of the department functions as a strong and diverse resource. Students in the department are free to pursue research interests with scholars throughout the University. Faculty of the Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Business School, for example, are available to students for consultation, instruction, and research guidance. As a member of the Harvard community, students in the department can register for courses in the various schools and have access to the enormous library resources available through the University. There are over 90 separate library units at Harvard, with the total collections of books and pamphlets numbering over 13 million.  Both the department and the wider University draw some of the brightest students from around the world, which makes for a student body that is culturally diverse and likely unequaled in the range of intellectual interests of its members. These factors combine to add an important dimension to the educational process. Students are able to learn from one another, collaborate on research projects and publications, and form bonds that are not broken by distance once the degree is completed and professional responsibilities lead them in different directions.

• Program Requirements
• Job Placement
• Financial Support

Coordinated JD/PhD Program

Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Coordinated JD/PhD Program is designed for students interested in completing interdisciplinary work at Harvard University and is founded on the belief that students’ legal studies and their arts and sciences graduate studies can be mutually enriched through this pursuit. Students completing the coordinated program receive a JD from Harvard Law School (HLS) and a PhD from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences  (Harvard Griffin GSAS). It is expected that these students will be strong candidates for teaching posts at law schools and in arts and sciences programs, as well as for other positions in law and academia. Prospective students interested in the coordinated program may reach out to  HLS J.D. Admissions  and the  Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Admissions  to learn more. Current and admitted students interested in the coordinated program are encouraged to contact  April Pettit , in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS for questions about the JD program, or  Dan Volchok , Assistant Dean of Student Success at Harvard Griffin GSAS for questions about the PhD programs.

Prospective students must separately apply to and be admitted to both HLS and a Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD program in order to participate in the coordinated JD/PhD program.

• Students enrolled in HLS, but not yet admitted to Harvard Griffin GSAS, must apply to Harvard Griffin GSAS no later than the 2L year, meeting the Harvard Griffin GSAS application deadline for matriculation the following year.
• Students enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS, but not yet admitted to HLS, should apply to HLS no later than the G3 year, meeting the HLS application deadline for matriculation the following year.
• Please see below for details about participation in the coordinated program for Harvard Griffin GSAS students who apply and are admitted to HLS after the G3 year.

Once admitted to both schools, students must submit a proposed Plan of Study to the coordinated program no later than October 1 of the academic year following admission to both schools. Students should submit the Plan of Study to April Pettit in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS.

Please note: Harvard Griffin GSAS students who apply to and are admitted to HLS after the G3 year at Harvard Griffin GSAS must then separately apply to the coordinated program. The application to the coordinated program should include (1) a statement detailing the way in which the student plans to integrate his or her legal studies with his or her graduate studies including how work done at HLS will inform the dissertation work and vice versa; and (2) a letter of support from the primary Harvard Griffin GSAS advisor; and (3) the Plan of Study.

The JD/PhD committee will review the applications to determine admission to the coordinated program.

Students will be registered in only one School during any given semester/term. Pursuant to ABA rules, students must  complete all requirements for the JD degree within seven years of the date they first enroll in HLS ; they may graduate from HLS before completing the PhD. Students must have satisfactorily completed at least 16 half courses in their Harvard Griffin GSAS department to receive the PhD. Students in the coordinated program will have two primary faculty advisors, one at HLS and one at Harvard Griffin GSAS, who will jointly advise students.

Students will be expected to complete the first-year program, three upper-level fall or spring semesters, and two winter terms at HLS, for a total of five fall and spring semesters and three winter terms. In lieu of the sixth HLS semester generally required of JD students, students in the coordinated program may take a semester at Harvard Griffin GSAS, completing courses or dissertation work pre-approved by HLS, and equivalent to at least 10 HLS credits. This Harvard Griffin GSAS semester may be taken only after a student has matriculated at HLS and completed their entire first year of study there. Students and their faculty advisors will determine the most appropriate sequencing for each student’s course of study, keeping in mind the HLS course, credit, and residency requirements for this program.

Course and Credit Requirements

First-year program.

The first year at HLS consists of (1) Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legislation and Regulation, Property, and Torts; (2) First-year Legal Research and Writing; (3) January Experiential Term; and (4) a spring upper-level elective at HLS of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 classroom credits.

Upper-Level Years

Credit and residency requirements.

Students must earn no fewer than 52 credits beyond the first year, including 36 HLS classroom credits. Classroom credits include those connected to courses, seminars and reading groups, but not writing or clinical credits. The 36 required classroom credits also include the required minimum of two credits to satisfy the Professional Responsibility Requirement and credits from the required winter terms (provided that the course chosen offers classroom credits). Of the remaining 16 required HLS credits, a maximum of ten are earned through courses or tutorials taken in Harvard Griffin GSAS and/or for dissertation writing (see below). Note that students must have their advisor’s approval before engaging in a semester of Harvard Griffin GSAS dissertation writing that is expected to count toward the HLS credit requirements . The remaining six required HLS credits may be earned in classroom, writing or clinical courses.

While at HLS, students must be enrolled in a minimum of ten total credits each semester in HLS or Harvard Griffin GSAS, with no fewer than eight of these being HLS classroom credits toward the requirement of 36 HLS classroom credits.

Winter Term Requirement

Students also must enroll in the HLS winter term two times during their upper-level years in the program. Each of the winter terms must follow a fall term enrollment or precede a spring term enrollment at HLS. Students may register for a course of two or three credits. JD/PhD students will be permitted to spend one of the winter terms in the HLS Winter Writing Program, provided they are engaged in written work for HLS credit according to the rules of that program.

Written Work Requirement

JD/PhD students must complete the JD Written Work Requirement. Students are permitted to satisfy the requirement with a portion of their dissertation, provided this work meets HLS standards for written work. However, any portion of the dissertation counted toward the JD Written Work Requirement cannot also be used as part of the 10 HLS-equivalent credits earned during a student’s Harvard Griffin GSAS semester. Further information about the J.D. Written Work Requirement and the Winter Term Writing Program is available from the HLS Registrar’s Office .

Pro Bono Requirement

JD/PhD students must complete the  HLS Pro Bono Requirement  of 50 hours of public service.

Residency Requirement

A minimum of two years of full-time study in residence is required for all PhD programs in the Harvard Griffin GSAS. During the period of registration at HLS, coordinated JD/PhD students will have “study-at-another-Harvard-school” status in Harvard Griffin GSAS.

Structure of Academic Work

Students will ordinarily be enrolled for at least four years (8 terms) in Harvard Griffin GSAS. They must complete at least 16 half courses to receive their PhD. Students may cross-register for a limited number of Harvard Griffin GSAS courses during their upper-level terms at HLS. Depending on the Harvard Griffin GSAS department, these courses may count toward the PhD. However, JD/PhD students may count a maximum of 10 credits from Harvard Griffin GSAS coursework or dissertation writing toward the JD. Therefore, students planning to spend a semester enrolled at Harvard Griffin GSAS taking courses or writing the dissertation for which they will earn 10 HLS credits may not also count cross-registered Harvard Griffin GSAS courses toward the JD.

General Examinations

In most departments, once having completed the required coursework, students must pass a general examination or other preliminary or qualifying examinations before undertaking independent research on a dissertation. Normally, when the nature of the field and previous preparation permit, students should pass these examinations by the end of the second year of full-time academic residence.

PhD Dissertation

The student’s dissertation prospectus must be approved by the department. A student who wishes to present as a dissertation a published article, series of articles, book or other document, or a manuscript that has been accepted for publication, must have the approval of the department concerned. In no case, however, may a dissertation be presented that has already been submitted toward another degree, either at Harvard or elsewhere. The Dissertation Acceptance Certificate must be signed by at least three readers approved by the student’s department, two of whom must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). FAS emeriti (including research professors) and faculty members from other schools at Harvard who hold appointments on GSAS degree committees are authorized to sign the Dissertation Acceptance Certificates as FAS members. GSAS strongly recommends that the chair of the dissertation committee be a member of FAS. The third reader may be a member of the HLS faculty.

Requirement of Satisfactory Status

Continuous registration, a satisfactory grade record, and evidence that satisfactory progress is being made toward the degree are required of all candidates for graduate degrees offered by FAS. All students in Harvard Griffin GSAS must be making satisfactory progress in order to be eligible for any type of financial aid and teaching. The following five provisions are the general definition of satisfactory progress during registration in Harvard Griffin GSAS:

• During the first two years of graduate study any student who has completed expected requirements is considered to be making satisfactory progress.
• In each of the first two years, a student must have achieved the minimum grade-point average required by the faculty, a B average. (see Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies: Grade and Examination Requirements ).
• By the end of the third year, a student must have passed general examinations or the departmental equivalent.
• By the end of the fourth year, a student must have obtained approval of a dissertation prospectus or its departmental equivalent.
• By the end of the fifth year and each subsequent year during which a student is allowed to register, they must have produced at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation.

For more information about satisfactory progress, please see Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies .

Other Requirements

Ordinarily, programs will have a language requirement and an expectation of teaching. Students should consult with their Harvard Griffin GSAS departments for more information about these requirements.

There are a number of possible academic schedules for students pursuing both degrees. Three sequences are outlined below, but students may propose alternative sequences. In considering their courses of study, students should be aware that their financial aid packages might be affected at the school in which they defer enrollment.

Year 1: HLS Year 2: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 3: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 4: HLS Year 5: 1st term, HLS Year 5: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Year 1: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 2: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 3: HLS Year 4: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 5: HLS Year 6: 1st term, HLS Year 6: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Year 1: HLS Year 2: HLS Year 3: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 4: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 5: 1st term, HLS Year 5: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Updated Plans of Study

By October 1 each year, current JD/PhD students should submit an updated Plan of Study to April Pettit, in the HLS Office of Academic Affairs.

Other Academic Information

Faculty advising.

Students in the program will have primary faculty advisors at both HLS and at Harvard Griffin GSAS. If possible, HLS faculty advisors should be selected before the completion of the 2L year. The HLS faculty advisor must sign off on any dissertation writing a student expects to use for JD credit. In some Harvard Griffin GSAS departments, the director of graduate studies serves as the faculty advisor during the first two years of study. Faculty advisors will supervise students’ academic work, advise students on their courses of study and on specific classes appropriate for their PhD work, and approve the courses of study for their students on an annual basis. If appropriate, the HLS advisor will be the third reader on the student’s dissertation committee, with at least two readers required to be members of FAS.

Leaving the JD/PhD Program

If a student fails to make adequate progress toward the PhD, the student’s faculty advisors will be permitted to withdraw the student from the program. In such cases, in order to receive the JD degree, a student will still need to meet the graduation and credit requirements for the JD degree.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Harvard law school.

Students must pay five semesters of full tuition. Students will be eligible for HLS financial aid for all semesters during which they pay tuition to HLS. For more information on Financial Aid, visit the Student Financial Services Financial Aid webpage .

Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The minimum financial requirement for the PhD is at least four terms of full tuition followed by two years of reduced tuition and a facilities fee unless the degree is completed in less than four years. The financial aid awarded upon admission to the PhD program is available during those terms in which the student is enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS. Students should refer to their notice of financial support provided by their department upon admission to Harvard Griffin GSAS. Students should consult with their GSAS departments for more information.

Administrative Information

The HLS Registrar’s Office, the FAS Registrar’s Office, the GSAS Assistant Dean of Student Success, the HLS Associate Director of Academic Affairs, and the appropriate financial aid officers, will coordinate on students’ registration status and updated plans of study.

Housing and Student Life

GSAS and HLS will work together to ensure that the student services offered by both Schools are available to JD/PhD students during all their years in the Coordinated Program, including career and counseling offices, financial aid offices, student centers, and alumni offices. Students in the coordinated program will have email accounts at both schools throughout the program. Disability services and visa requirements will be coordinated on a case-by-case basis by the HLS Dean of Students and Registrar and by the Harvard Griffin GSAS Assistant Dean for Student Success. Students may apply for housing through either School for the years in which they are enrolled for at least one semester/term at both Schools. In all other years, students must apply for housing to the School in which they are enrolled.

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PhD Joint PhD/JD Program

Leverage the strengths of two powerhouse schools in business and law..

The Joint PhD/JD Program at Chicago Booth prepares you for an academic career in either business or law. You’ll earn two advanced degrees—one through Chicago Booth’s Stevens Doctoral Program and the other through the University of Chicago Law School.

As a doctoral student in this joint-degree program, you’ll have the flexibility to pursue your research interests wherever they lead. Working with renowned faculty from both the Law School and Booth, you will graduate with a richer understanding of both fields and valuable perspectives on important research questions.

Our Distinguished Faculty

This interdisciplinary program brings together world-renowned faculty from Chicago Booth and the University of Chicago Law School. These distinguished scholars will advise you, guide you, and serve as colleagues throughout your career. Chicago Booth Faculty   Law School Faculty

Alumni Success

A PhD/JD in business prepares students for faculty positions at law schools and business schools, as well as for other careers in research and law. See more of our alumni success .

Greg Buchak, PhD ’19, JD ’19

Assistant Professor of Finance Stanford Graduate School of Business Greg Buchak’s research focuses on issues related to financial technology, financial intermediation, consumer finance, and the interplay between the evolving industrial organization of the financial sector, regulation, and technological progress. He is a graduate of the Joint PhD/JD Program.

How to Apply

To earn the joint PhD/JD degree, students must be admitted to both schools. 

Program Expectations and Requirements

The Stevens Program at Booth is a full-time program. Students generally complete the majority of coursework and examination requirements within the first two years of studies and begin work on their dissertation during the third year. For details, see General Examination Requirements by Area in the Stevens Program Guidebook below.

Download the 2023-2024 Guidebook!

Center for Law, Economics and Organization

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Opportunities

The Center for Law, Economics and Organization sponsors several scholarship and fellowship programs for incoming and current students, as well as a post-graduate fellowship program. The Center also sponsors an annual prize for the best student paper in law and economics.

Joint Degree Programs

Students interested in research and study in the field of law and economics are encouraged to pursue, in addition to their legal training, formal training in economics. NYU offers both a joint JD/MA (Economics) degree and a joint JD/PhD (Economics) degree. For more information please visit the Office of Admissions' website .

Incoming and Current Students

Scholarships.

NYU School of Law has a scholarship program to support students interested in pursuing an academic career. For more information please visit the Furman Program website .

Lawrence Lederman Fellowships in Law and Economics

The Lederman Fellowship Program aims to foster student research in law & economics and to create an environment that fosters collaboration among students and faculty interested in law & economics. 

Lederman Fellows receive a $5,000 fellowship to write a research paper under the close supervision of a faculty member.   

Lederman Fellows take a series of courses that provide a foundation in the concepts and methodologies of law & economics. The centerpiece of the fellowship program is a research paper in law & economics that each fellow will develop, advised by a NYU faculty member. Fellows participate in a series of workshops and colloquium meetings in which they present their work to the faculty directors and other fellows.

Each year at graduation, the Law School offers a prize to the best paper in Law and Economics. Fellows may participate in this contest as well.

The deadline for submitting applications is: December 1, 2023.

Applications should be submitted electronically to Nichole Gomez, [email protected] . 

Inquiries regarding this fellowship program may be directed to Edward Rock at [email protected] , and Ryan Bubb, [email protected] .

Law and Economics Prize

The Center for Law, Economics, and Organization will award an annual prize for best student paper in law and economics. Nominations, by faculty members who supervised high-quality student papers, should be submitted to Jerome Miller at [email protected] in the Spring.

Post-Graduate Fellowship

The NYU Center for Law, Economics, and Organization has a post-graduate fellowship for students who have either obtained a JD or have obtained or nearly obtained PhD in Economics and have a strong interest in law. These fellowships are designed to support future legal academics interested in law and economics, broadly defined. Candidates must have the strongest academic credentials and show substantial promise of becoming outstanding law and economics scholars. Fellows will have the opportunity to spend one year in residence at NYU Law where they will pursue their scholarly agendas and participate in the Law School’s intellectual life, and particularly in the broad range of law and economics seminars, workshops, colloquia, and conferences at NYU. Fellows are required to be in residence at the law school and to attend the NYU Law and Economics Faculty Workshop, as well as the Colloquium in Law, Economics and Politics (fall) and Colloquium in Law and Economics (spring). Law and Economics Fellows are expected to produce a serious work of scholarship that will position them to enter the job market for a full-time academic appointment at a major law school.

Fellows will receive a stipend, anticipated to be around $60,000, as well as fringe benefits, including health insurance, housing assistance, and space to work at the law school.

Applicants should email a cover letter, curriculum vitae, names of three references, law school transcript, copies of any publications, and a one to five page research proposal.

Email applications and any questions to: [email protected] ,  [email protected] and [email protected] .

Important Application Information

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis beginning October 1 and ending January 15 or whenever the position is full.  The deadline for the fellowship beginning August 2024 is January 15, 2024.

Fellows must be prepared to be in residence by August 25 th of that year and stay until July 31 st  (absent a prior agreement).

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Law and Regulation

The PhD in Law and Regulation is designed to pursue PhD research at the intersection of law, social sciences, business and technology.

Armin Steinbach

In the Law and Tax department we conduct research at the intersection of law, social sciences, business and technology. 

The PhD in Law and Regulation is designed to pursue PhD research at the intersection of law, social sciences, business and technology at HEC Law and Tax Department. This vibrant academic environment allows PhD students to grow as researchers and obtain jobs in top academic institutions at the end of the PhD program. 

Why join us

The PhD in Law and Regulation is an intensive scholarly program aiming to attract outstanding global students with the highest level of ambition. The program admits only 1 to 2 students every year. It offers a tailored learning journey, which combines methodological and substantive training, as well as close, interdisciplinary supervision.  

Tracks 

The PhD in Law and Regulation offers two alternative PhD tracks: 

• The 3-year doctoral studies track is open to students holding a master degree in Law. In year one, students are required to take 100 hours of courses choosing from a range of legal and non-legal courses. They also work on their research paper-based dissertation as from year one. 
• The 5-year studies track (two phases) is open to students holding at minimum a bachelor degree (either bachelor of law or other bachelor degree with minimum exposure to legal studies).  Phase 1: In year one and two, students take courses for up to 120 ECTS and are awarded the Master in Management Sciences while working on defining their PhD dissertation subject. Students may choose classes offered in Law  at the Master's level, from specializations other than Law, or at other Parisien universities (upon agreement with these universities). 
• Phase 2:  In the following three years students work on their research paper-based dissertation as from year one. 

In both tracks, we also encourage academic exchanges with the world’s leading business schools and support research presentations in academic conferences.  

Read more about the PhD program curriculum here . 

Research focuses 

The Law and Tax Department conducts research at the intersection of law, social sciences, business and technology. Its faculties’ research spans across multiple legal fields such as corporate and tax law, European and transnational law, and fundamental rights, and covers topics such as sustainability and corporate social responsibility, diversity and inclusiveness, law and economics, artificial intelligence and the blockchain, financial regulation, and governance. The outputs of their research is regularly published in top-tier academic journals and media outlets.  

Research seminars

The department currently hosts three research seminar series: The Law and Regulation Series -- The Law, Society & AI Seminar Series -- The Law and Economics Research Series.

About the department 

The Law and Tax Department comprises of 12 professors and a team of affiliates who conduct research and are involved in teaching and supervising throughout all programs of HEC Paris, spanning the Grande Ecole, the MBA, the Executive Education, and the PhD program. The Department also runs three full time programs: an LLM in International Management and Law, a Major in International Taxation and Legal Strategy, and a Major in European Business Law and Global Affairs. These programs offer lively and hands-on courses to law students in collaboration with major Parisian and international law firms, companies and civil society organizations.  Department website 

PhD Coordinator

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Center for Law & Economics

Ph.d. education.

At the Center for Law & Economics, Ph.D. students typically have a background in law or a related social science field. They receive a tailor-made education which often focuses on acquiring methodological knowledge from other social sciences. Areas of recent PhD theses and projects have included copyright law, patent litigation, contract law, tort law, regulatory design, law & tech, the regulation of disintermediated financial systems, automated decision-making, and judicial behavior (EU, Switzerland and the U.S.) . Former and current external co-examinors include Alessandro Acquisti (Carnegie Mellon), Ryan Bubb (NYU), Dan Burk (UC Irvine), Ben Depoorter (UC Hastings), Stuart Graham (Georgia Tech), Benjamin Lauderdale (LSE), Dan Rubinfeld (UC Berkeley), David Schwartz (Northwestern), Heike Schweitzer (FU Berlin), Christopher Sprigman (NYU), and Wen Wen (Texas). For more information, please contact Prof. Elliott Ash ,  Stefan Bechtold  or Alexander Stremitzer .

Prof. Stefan Bechtold is involved in the organization of two annual law & economics courses for doctoral students at the external page Study Center Gerzensee call_made . The Study Center is a foundation of the Swiss National Bank. For more information, please consult the external page website call_made of the Study Center.

For more information on past events at the Center for Law & Economics, please click here .

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Law & Economics today pervades research in all fields of interest. The application of economic thought to legal analysis enables innovative solutions to problems of the law – be it the design of transnational legal relations, organisational statutes for states or corporations, the drafting of single private transactions or enforcement strategies. The European Doctorate in Law & Economics is one of the largest doctorate programmes in the field. It is a joint doctoral programme by five of the leading European universities: the Universities of Bologna, Hamburg, Prague, Rotterdam, and Rennes. The stipend-based programme aims at addressing a new class of outstanding PhD researchers from all over the world. We cordially invite interested candidates as well as readers from academia and practice to tour this site and inform themselves about the opportunities of doctorate research in the EDLE programme.   Sincerely yours, Prof. Dr Elena Kantorowicz-Reznichenko, Managing Director of the Programme

Regular Application window open from 1 November – 1 February

More about our PhD Program and our Research Associates Program

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INSIGHTS aims to build a bridge between academia, policy makers and the wider public.

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• PhD Program

The Berlin School of Economics PhD Program provides outstanding doctoral students with a vibrant, intensively networked research community. The program develops the students’ talents in a unique combination of a high-level, academic research environment together with applied, policy-oriented research opportunities. Students receive state-of-the-art coursework training and can select from a wide array of specializations. For each specialization, a professional research environment is provided by Berlin’s universities and economic research institutes.

How to apply

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Program structure and curriculum

All PhD tracks offered in the PhD Program share the same structure and general curriculum. The program’s curriculum is divided into a qualification and a dissertation phase:

Qualification Phase

During the qualification phase (about three semesters), students acquire methodological and research-oriented training in mandatory course work in economic theory, applied economics, business studies, econometrics, and economic policy. Students define their research area and find supervisory support from two supervisors. They write research proposals that are discussed with faculty members individually and in seminars in order to provide early feedback on the scientific potential of research ideas. This is a central part of the PhD Program, in which the students have full flexibility in the choice of their research topics and of the supervisors. During this phase, students are funded through stipends that allow for this flexibility. In total, students have to complete a  minimum of 90 ECTS credits  in order to finish the qualification phase of the program.

Dissertation Phase

During the subsequent dissertation phase (about three years), students write a doctoral thesis while having the opportunity to apply their knowledge in the professional research environment that is provided at the Berlin universities and research institutes participating in the Berlin School of Economics. In this phase, students are typically employed at their supervisor’s chair or in research groups at research institutes.

The PhD will be awarded by one of the institutions in the Berlin School of Economics with the right to award doctoral degrees. In most cases, the PhD is awarded by the institution the student’s first supervisor is affiliated with.

The following chart gives an overview of the general structure of the PhD Program:

Researchers Guide

This guide includes academic advices from the researchers of the Berlin School of Economics.

Special thanks to the INSIGHTS Team, researchers of Berlin School of Economics, Agne Kajackaite, Aleks Zaklan, Alexander Kriwoluzky, Ally Xin Lin, Annekatrin Schrenker, C. Katharina Spieß, Christian Basteck, Ciril Bosch-Rosa, Dorothea Kübler, Francis de Véricourt, Georg Weizsäcker, Gyula Seres, Hande Erkut, Hannes Ullrich, Jana Hamdan, Levent Neyse, Lisa Bruttel, Lutz Weinke, Mira Fischer, Müge Süer, Nikolaus Wolf, Peter Haan, Robert Stüber, Sebastian Schweighofer-Kodritsch, Simone Maxand, Vincent Meisner, and Pablo Brañas-Garza.

You can download the web version

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Also note the compiled information on our website about support and resources, for example Mental Health.

Doctoral Program in Law, Finance, and Economics

Fully funded.

SAFE offers funding to excellent applicants to its Doctoral Program in Law, Finance and Economics for three years with the option to extend for one additional year. Funding usually translates into a grant of 1,200€ per month in the first program year and a research assistant position in the following years. The research assistant position comes as a 50% employment contract in the second program year that is upgraded to 70% from the third year onwards. In the first year, mandatory course work will bring applicants from the field of law “up to speed” in the methods used in quantitative research in the field of studies.

SAFE offers its doctoral students the exciting and inspiring environment of an inter- and cross-disciplinary research institution dedicated to excellent research output and research-based policy advice. Methods of research in law at SAFE include law and economics, law and finance, behavioral law and economics. Topics of research at SAFE comprise, among others, capital market regulation, corporate governance, the regulation of household finance, competition, and judicial enforcement.

SAFE pursues a “pool concept” for its doctoral students: these are expected to choose a supervisor from among the SAFE professors. At the same time, they are encouraged to interact and write papers with any other SAFE researchers. This gives them the opportunity to get an impression of the research of potential supervisors before they decide for one and provides them with different perspectives and methodological approaches to law, economics, and finance while they complete their thesis.

Requirements and expectations

• Scholarship holders are expected to entirely focus on their course work during the first year ( see schedule )
• They shall pass the examinations of the economics courses they take. A research assistant contract after the first year is conditional on passing these exams.
• SAFE research assistants are expected to choose a supervisor from among the SAFE professors no later than by the first month of the second year. The choice does not exclude research projects with any other SAFE researchers.
• The candidate can choose to either write a book or a paper-based dissertation in English aiming at peer-reviewed international publication in renown law journals (actual publication is not a prerequisite for graduation, however, the doctoral committee has to certify sufficient quality for a decent chance of publication).

Application

Applicants must have completed a law degree with honors (top 15%) at a research university. Please submit your application by handing in the following documents: CV, letter of motivation, certificates, transcripts. Reference letters are not mandatory but welcome. Please send the documents via mail or email (in one pdf file, please) to

Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 3 60629 Frankfurt am Main applications whatever @safe-frankfurt.de (please add “Application Doctoral Program Law” in the subject line of your email)

Deadline for applications for the program start on 1 October 2024 is 31 May 2024.

Contact for questions

Prof. Dr. Dr. Alexander Morell

Coordinator phd program law & finance.

Prof. Dr. Tobias Tröger

Director research cluster "law and finance".

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Ph.D. in Economics

Our Ph.D. program serves advanced students of economics with a focus on research. We seek students with a strong math foundation who have completed coursework that covers multi-variable calculus, linear algebra, and introduction to proofs. Our program has several notable features.

Comprehensive Structure

Our program provides a solid foundation in modern economic analysis and develops expertise in two specializations (See Graduate Handbook ). After the first year, students take qualifying exams in June. There are annual milestones and incentives to help students finish in 5 years. This includes dedicated faculty advising and early pairing with research faculty .

Full Funding

Each year we bring in a class of 7-10 fully-funded students. Our five-year financial support package typically includes a full tuition waiver, a paid GTA position, funding for conference travel, and more.

Abundant research possibilities

KU is recognized as a Carnegie R1 Doctoral University , the top designation awarded to universities with very high research activity . Our faculty work in many fields, manage active research centers, and serve as Editors or Associate Editors at top journals.

Dedicated placement support

A placement team committed to supporting job market activities, including portfolio development, job talk coaching, and faculty outreach. We regularly place Ph.D. students in their areas before graduation. See recent placements.

Exceptional quality of life

The KU campus and Lawrence community provide a vibrant downtown adjoining campus, a low cost of living, and many diverse opportunities for entertainment and recreation. Be a part of the proud Jayhawk tradition!

Application Dealine

Fall-admission: January 5

Note: GRE is required.

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Domestic Applicants: You're eligible for a $34,000/year Fellowship. Learn more...

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