Religious Legal Studies (J.D.)

Program Overview

The Juris Doctor (J.D.) in Religious Legal Studies studies religious legal systems as law. Jewish law, Islamic law, canon law, and the other great religious traditions of law have their own sources, methods of interpretation, courts, and jurists, and they continue to govern marriage, contracts, food, finance, and worship for hundreds of millions of people. Secular courts meet them every day — in an arbitration award from a beth din, a mahr agreement, an Islamic finance contract, or the judgment of a church tribunal. With the core of a legal education — legal method and writing, constitutional law, civil obligations, procedure and evidence, and professional responsibility — students study the sources and reasoning of halakhah from the Mishnah and Talmud to the Shulchan Arukh and the responsa; the sources of Islamic jurisprudence, the four Sunni schools, and the roles of the mufti and the qadi; Catholic and Orthodox canon law; and the legal traditions of Hinduism and of Buddhist monastic discipline. The program then turns to legal pluralism: how state law recognizes or limits religious arbitration, enforces religious marriage contracts, and regulates religious food and financial certification. Graduates serve in interfaith and international organizations, religious arbitration and certification settings, research, and public policy. The J.D. thesis compares how two legal traditions resolve a single question — divorce, interest, inheritance, or the authority of judges. The degree is an academic and professional credential in religious legal studies; it is not a qualifying law degree for admission to the bar, and graduates who intend to practise law must meet the licensing requirements of their own jurisdiction.

Core Courses

• JD 501 — Legal Method, Research, and Writing (9 credits)
• JD 510 — Constitutional Law and Fundamental Rights (9 credits)
• JD 520 — Contracts, Torts, and Civil Obligations (12 credits)
• JD 530 — Civil Procedure and Evidence (9 credits)
• JD 613 — Jewish Law and Islamic Law (9 credits)
• JD 623 — Legal Pluralism and the Secular State (9 credits)
• JD 680 — Professional Responsibility (6 credits)
• JD 699 — Juris Doctor Thesis in Religious Legal Studies (9 credits)

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from a recognized institution
• Statement of purpose describing an interest in law and its relation to faith, ministry, or public service
• Analytical writing sample of at least 1,500 words
• Current résumé or ministry profile
• Official transcripts from prior institutions when available
• Signed acknowledgment that the degree is not a qualifying law degree for bar admission in any jurisdiction