Study

In addition to the prescribed first-year courses, students must take courses that fulfill the Law School's ethical, legal writing, and experiential learning requirements.

Students who transfer from another law school to Duke in the summer between their 1L and 2L years must earn 87 Law School credits to graduate.

JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law students complete requirements for both degrees over six semesters of law study and a four-week period at the Duke-Leiden Summer Institute in Global and Transnational Law in The Hague, which includes twenty credit hours of approved classes specifically for the LLM degree.

JD/LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship students complete requirements for both degrees over six semesters of law study and a startup immersion experience during the summer following their first year. Students also participate in a non-law firm externship at a local startup company or a transactional clinic such as the Startup Ventures Clinic.

In a JD/Master's joint degree program, students may earn two degrees and save a full year of study that would otherwise be required if they earn the degrees separately.

The LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship is a two-semester, 23-credit program that builds on Duke Law’s strengths in the fields of business law, intellectual property law, and innovation policy. The program leverages Duke's ties to local entrepreneurial companies.

The LLM program introduces foreign-trained law graduates to the legal system of the United States. With the exception of two courses, LLM students join American students in all classes during their one year at Duke Law. Students enroll in a minimum of 24 credit hours but may take more.

The SJD is a doctorate program for students with outstanding academic credentials who intend to pursue an academic career in law. The completion of the degree requires a minimum of two to three years and normally will involve at least one semester of courses in addition to those taken for the LLM degree.