yale university phd in law

Ph.D. Admission

Applications will be accepted in the fall for study to commence in the subsequent fall. The application deadline is December 15, but the Admissions Committee will begin to review each application when it is complete. Applications must be submitted via Yale University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application website.

• Personal Statement (500-1000 words) The personal statement should describe the applicant’s motivations for pursuing the Ph.D. in Law degree and should describe the applicant’s qualifications to undertake the proposed course of study, especially qualifications that are not evident from the applicant’s CV.
• Research Proposal (1000 words) The research proposal should describe the project that the applicant plans to undertake as a dissertation. The proposal should describe the project’s scope, its scholarly significance and research methodology, including any source materials on which the project will rely or any empirical research that the applicant intends to undertake. The research proposal need not be as fully developed as a dissertation prospectus, and projects are expected to evolve over the course of students’ time in the program. Nonetheless, applicants are expected to have a clear sense of the general research project that they will undertake.
• Writing Sample The writing sample should be a piece of legal scholarship authored solely by the applicant. Ideally, the writing sample should be on a subject related to the applicant’s proposed research project. Submitted writing samples should be no more than the equivalent of 30-published pages in length (15,000 words)—an excerpt from a longer work may be used.
• Letters of Recommendation Applicants will be asked to identify three individuals willing to write letters of recommendation on their behalf. Recommenders will then receive an email with instructions about how to submit letters directly to the Graduate School. Applicants should choose recommenders who are best situated to evaluate an applicant’s past academic work and potential to produce first-rate legal scholarship. The Ph.D. Admissions Committee strongly recommends that at least two recommenders hold academic appointments at a law school.
• Test Scores The applicant will be asked to self-report his or her LSAT score; scores from any administration of the exam will be accepted. Prior to matriculation, those admitted to the Ph.D. in Law program will be required to provide formal confirmation of the self-reported score.
• Transcripts The applicant will need to upload records of academic performance to the online application prior to submission. No transcripts should be mailed. This upload may be in the form of a scanned copy of the applicant's transcript or academic record. If the transcript is in a language other than English, the applicant will also need to provide an English translation of the transcript. The translation must be certified to be an accurate translation of the original and be notarized or otherwise authenticated. The translation and the original transcript can then be uploaded to the application.
• Curriculum Vitae The applicant should submit a curriculum vitae listing all academic honors and awards, publications and presentations, and other professional accomplishments.
• Application Fee Each applicant must pay the application fee in the amount and manner required by the Graduate School.

Previous applicants who were not admitted to the Ph.D. in Law program and who wish to reapply must submit a completely new application and pay the application fee. Applicants who have been denied admission three times may not submit further applications.

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Graduate & professional study.

Yale offers advanced degrees through its Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and 13 professional schools. Browse the organizations below for information on programs of study, academic requirements, and faculty research.

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Yale’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences offers programs leading to M.A., M.S., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in 73 departments and programs.

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The School of the Environment is dedicated to sustaining and restoring the long-term health of the biosphere and the well-being of its people.

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The Jackson School of Global Affairs trains and equips a new generation of leaders to devise thoughtful, evidence-based solutions for challenging global problems.

Yale Law School hones the world’s finest legal minds in an environment that features world-renowned faculty, small classes, and countless opportunities for clinical training and public service.

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The Yale School of Music is an international leader in educating the creative musicians and cultural leaders of tomorrow.

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The Yale School of Nursing community is deeply committed to the idea that access to high quality patient‐centered health care is a social right, not a privilege.

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The School of Public Health supports research and innovative programs that protect and improve the health of people around the globe.

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The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is composed of the departments and academic programs that provide instruction in Yale College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

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A number of our centers and institutes offer additional opportunities for graduate and professional study.

• PhD/Master's Application Process

Who is Eligible to Apply? 

If you have completed your undergraduate degree (bachelor's or equivalent) or will have completed it prior to your intended matriculation date at Yale, you may apply to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).

A Master's degree is not required to apply for a PhD at Yale, although some programs give preference to applicants with post-baccalaureate training. Consult your program of interest directly for information on how it evaluates applications.

We value diversity of all kinds at the Graduate School, and we encourage students from all backgrounds to apply if Yale is a good fit for your intellectual and professional goals. All are welcome to apply, without regard to citizenship or immigration status, socioeconomic level, race, religion, gender identification, sexual orientation, disability, etc.

Requirements for All PhD and Master's Degree Applicants

You will need to provide the following with your application for admission:

• A statement of academic purpose. You will find the prompt for the statement of purpose in our Application Question FAQs . 
• A list of all the prior colleges or universities you have attended, accompanied by unofficial transcripts from each school. Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded with your application. Official or paper transcripts are not needed at this time. 
• Three letters of recommendation. Enter the names of your recommenders directly in the application and they will receive a link to upload a letter on your behalf. 
• $105 application fee or fee waiver. 
• Standardized tests . GRE requirements vary by program. TOEFL or IELTS are necessary for most non-native English speakers. 
• Resume/CV . 
• Some programs have additional requirements, such as a writing sample . You can find information about any specific requirements on the program's website. 

Where Do I Begin?

Decide whether you will apply for a PhD or a terminal Master’s (MA, MS) in one of the programs available at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences . (Note that you will earn one or more Master's degrees en route to a PhD.) Learn about the program: its faculty, course offerings, and resources. Read the faculty's research publications. If you can identify and articulate why the program is a good fit for you and show how your preparation and interests align well with it, you will have a strong application.

A note to students applying to one of Yale’s professional schools or programs:

• If you are applying for a PhD in Architecture, Environment, Investigative Medicine, Law, Management, Music, Nursing, or Public Health; for an MS in Public Health; or for an MA in Music, be sure to use the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences PhD/Master's application.
• If you are applying for any other degree at one of the University’s professional schools (Art, Architecture, Divinity, Drama, Environment, Global Affairs, Law, Management, Medicine, Music, Nursing, and Public Health), visit that school’s website for further instructions. Those programs have separate admissions policies and processes that are administered by the professional schools, not GSAS.

Application deadlines vary by program, so please see Dates & Deadlines for information about your program of interest. 

All new students matriculate in the fall. The admissions process begins nearly a year in advance of matriculation.

Some PhD and Master’s degree programs require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Check your program's standardized testing requirement before you apply. 

In addition, applicants whose native language is not English may need to take an English Language test (TOEFL or IELTS).

The application for Fall 2025 entry is now available. 

Be sure to complete and submit the application before your program's application deadline. 

Your application fee or an approved fee waiver is due upon submission of your application. 

Your letters of recommendation do not need to be received before you will be able to submit your application. However, since programs begin reviewing applications shortly after the respective application deadline, please be sure that your letters of recommendation are submitted promptly.

What Happens After I Submit My Application?

The faculty admissions committee in each department and program begins reviewing applications shortly after their application deadline. Led by the director of graduate studies (DGS) or director of graduate admissions (DGA), the committee will recommend students for admission to the Graduate School. Once confirmed by the deans of the Graduate School, the admissions office will release final decisions to applicants.

Unlike undergraduate admissions, the admissions office and staff of the Graduate School maintain the application, the application process, and other administrative transactions, but the admissions staff does not review applications or make admissions decisions. That responsibility is handled by the faculty of each department or program.

Most admissions decisions are provided between February and early March. You will receive an email notification when your admissions decision is available.

If you are accepted for admission, you will need to decide if you wish to accept our offer by April 15. We abide by Council of Graduate School's April 15 Resolution , regarding graduate financial support. 

Ready to apply? Begin your application today.

PhD/Master's Applicants

• Why Choose Yale Graduate School?
• Dates and Deadlines
• Standardized Testing Requirements

Non-Degree Program Applicants

Looking for non-degree programs? In some cases, it is possible to enroll at the Graduate School as a non-degree student. Non-degree students receive a transcript and many of the benefits of being a Yale student, but do not earn a degree upon completion of their enrollment. We offer three types of non-degree programs.

• Non-Degree Programs

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Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Programs and Policies 2024–2025

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Sterling Law Building, 203.432.1696 http://law.yale.edu/phd M.A., Ph.D.

Dean Heather Gerken

Director of Graduate Studies Robert Post

Fields of Study

The Ph.D. in Law program prepares students who have earned a J.D. from an American Bar Association accredited law school to enter law teaching or other careers that require a scholarly mastery of law. The program is designed to provide a broad foundation in the canonical texts and methods of legal scholarship and to support students in producing original scholarship in the form of a dissertation. The program strongly encourages, but does not require, interdisciplinary approaches to the study of law.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

Each student will have a faculty advisory committee, which will help the student select appropriate courses. In their first year, students take a mandatory two-term seminar on the foundations of legal scholarship, legal theory, and methods or its equivalent as specified by the program’s director of graduate studies (DGS). Each student may enroll in as many as four additional courses. These courses may be offered in the Law School or in other departments or schools at Yale University. Each student’s advisory committee may waive up to four courses. The foundations seminar or its equivalent as specified by the program’s DGS may not be waived and must be taken for a grade, not audited.

Each Ph.D. student must take two qualifying examinations. The first, administered before the start of the second term in the program, is a written examination based on materials studied in the first term of the foundations seminar. It will test the student’s breadth of knowledge across the legal canon, including knowledge of canonical texts, methods, and principles. The second is an oral examination administered by the student’s advisory committee at the beginning of the second year and no later than October 15 of that year. The oral examination tests the student’s knowledge of the scholarship, theories, and methodologies relevant to the student’s area of study. Both qualifying examinations are graded on a pass/fail basis. A student who fails a qualifying examination will have one opportunity to retake the examination in the following term.

After completion of the second qualifying examination, the student will assemble a faculty dissertation committee and prepare a dissertation prospectus. Upon approval of the prospectus, usually by the end of the fourth term, the student will devote the remaining time in the program to writing a dissertation, which may take the form of a traditional monograph or three publishable scholarly articles. The final dissertation must be approved by both the student’s dissertation committee and the DGS.

Students in the Ph.D. in Law program are also expected to meet additional academic requirements in each year of the program, specified below and outlined in greater detail in the Ph.D. in Law Program Manual available from the Graduate Programs Office at Yale Law School. Students who fail to meet program requirements will not be in good standing and may be withdrawn from the program.

All required written work must be judged satisfactory by the student’s advisory committee, in consultation with the assistant dean for graduate programs and the DGS. A satisfactory article or chapter is one that the student’s advisory committee, the assistant dean, and the DGS agree is appropriate and ready for professional presentation at an academic workshop, and one that offers the promise of meeting the standards expected by leading law reviews or academic presses.

First-year requirements include satisfactory performance in course work, including the foundations seminar (or its equivalent as specified by the DGS); passing the first qualifying examination; and completion of a first dissertation article or chapter. Students also must submit an approved reading list for the second qualifying examination to the assistant dean and the DGS no later than the final day of the spring examination period.

Second-year requirements include submission of the first dissertation article or chapter for publication no later than the first day of classes for the fall term of the second year and successful completion of the second qualifying examination by October 15 of that year. Second-year students shall complete a second satisfactory dissertation article or chapter by December 1 and complete their first required teaching experience by the end of their second year in the program. They shall submit their dissertation prospectus to the assistant dean and the DGS by June 1 of the second year.

In the third year, students are required to complete and submit a draft of their third dissertation article or chapter by August 1, and to workshop their article or chapter at the Law School no later than September 20 in preparation for the academic job market. For those who plan to graduate in May of their third year, a final and complete dissertation must be submitted to the assistant dean, the DGS, dissertation committee members, and the graduate school registrar no later than March 15. Students must also satisfactorily complete their second teaching experience during their third year in the program. Both teaching experiences will typically be reviewed in person or via recorded media with the assistant dean and/or the committee chair and the DGS.

The program is designed to be completed in three years and two summers, but students who do not expect to complete all program requirements before the conclusion of their third year in the program are invited to petition the Law School’s Ph.D. Policy Committee for permission to enroll for a seventh and eighth semester in the program under Extended Registration or Dissertation Completion Status (DCS). Those enrolled under Extended Registration are full-time students and receive, as before, Yale Basic Health coverage and a Health Award to cover the cost of Yale Health hospitalization/specialty coverage, but they do not receive stipendiary support. Instead, having completed their two required teaching experiences, they are eligible to teach in Yale College or, in exceptional circumstances, to assist a Yale Law School faculty member in their teaching to support their living expenses. Teaching opportunities are coordinated by the graduate school’s Teaching Fellow Program. 

Students on DCS are less than half-time students who retain their Yale NetID in order to access electronic library resources and their Yale e-mail accounts. Students in this category are not eligible for stipendiary support nor a Health Award from the graduate school or the Law School; they should consult with the graduate school on other services and resources that may not be available to them as less than half-time students. 

Those on both “Extended Registration” and “Dissertation Completion” status are responsible for paying the Continuous Registration Fee. (Note that the graduate school provides a fellowship to cover the cost of the Continuous Registration Fee for those teaching in Yale College.) 

As part of their training, Ph.D. students must complete two terms of teaching experience. There are a number of ways to fulfill this requirement, depending on the availability of teaching experiences from year to year. They include: (1) serving as a teaching assistant for a Law School course, (2) serving as a student organizer for a Law School reading group, (3) serving as a teaching fellow for a course in Yale College or another school at Yale, (4) co-teaching a Law School course with a faculty member, and (5) in unusual situations, teaching their own course. In all cases, students engaged in teaching will have faculty supervision and feedback from their advisers.

Master’s Degree

M.A.  The M.A. degree may be granted to Ph.D. in Law students who are not completing the program, but who successfully complete the two-term foundations seminar and at least two additional courses, pass the two qualifying examinations, and submit an academic paper that is judged to be of publishable quality. Students may substitute a third course for one of the two qualifying examinations. The degree is available retroactively to students who matriculated from September 2013 onward.

Program materials are available upon request to the Graduate Programs Office, Yale Law School, 127 Wall Street, New Haven CT 06511.

For Law School courses, see the Law School bulletin, online at https://bulletin.yale.edu/bulletin/law . For courses in other schools at Yale University, please see their respective bulletins or https://courses.yale.edu . Specific course selections will be approved by the student’s advisory committee and by the DGS.

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