Field of Law Handbook: J.S.D. Program

Newly admitted graduate students should correspond with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in their field to clarify program details.  Upon arrival to campus, students should report to the DGS and the Graduate Field Administrator(GFA).

Field of Law DGS:
Mitchel Lasser
Jack G. Clarke Professor of Law
ml355@cornell.edu
118 Myron Taylor Hall

Field of Law GFA:  
Daniel Nemeth-Neumann
Director of Student Services & Advising
dcn45@cornell.edu
Hughes Hall 126

New graduate students should make every effort to meet professors, other graduate students, and administrators.  Students should also become familiar with the Cornell University campus and Graduate School resources.  The DGS and GFA, as well as other faculty members and staff, can provide assistance to become familiar with university and department policies.  An orientation meeting will be held for all incoming graduate students during August registration week.

The Law School provides reasonable classroom accommodations, exam accommodations, and accommodations relating to our building for students with qualifying disabilities.  The procedures for applying for accommodation(s) due to such a disability are available in the Cornell Law School Student Handbook. 

In accordance with the Code of Legislation of the Graduate School, all students are expected to adhere to the provisions of Cornell’s Code of Academic Integrity and all other university policies.  Students should particularly review University Policy 1.2 on Academic Misconduct, University Policy 4.6 on Standards of Ethical Conduct, and the Law School Honor Code.

The J.S.D. degree is a research-based, non-teaching degree and thus does not require, nor does the field expect a student to teach a course to complete the degree. Students in the Field of Law rarely serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or as a Graduate Student Lecturer.  

Recent J.S.D. graduates may be appointed as an instructor upon graduation, following the normal Cornell Law School hiring/appointment process.  

In rare circumstances, during their final year of study, a student may submit a course proposal to teach as a Graduate Student Lecturer with a recommendation from their Special Committee Chair and permission from the DGS. The student must demonstrate strong academic progress and ensure that the additional responsibilities of teaching will not delay their anticipated graduation date. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will review the request to ensure compliance with Law School course criteria. 

Time management is essential to ensure a balance of time is devoted to both completing graduate research and teaching. If awarded a Cornell Law School Fellowship, additional work hours may not exceed 8-hours a week. 

Students are asked to keep the GFA informed of any additional work hours when accepting CLS funding so accurate records may be kept. 

Each semester J.S.D. students are strongly encouraged to present a brief oral summary of their research to the entire Graduate Law Field.  Sharing research progress with faculty and other graduate students encourages the exchange of ideas and the possibility of modifying research directions.  Students who have not started dissertation research may present a research plan.  Students are encouraged to share their accomplishments, goals, frustrations, and projected completion dates. 

Students presenting should submit a 250-word abstract in advance so that a report can be shared before the session.  Abstracts should be sent in PDF format to the J.S.D. Association (JSDA) at least one week prior to the review.  Reports are distributed to faculty and students at the review.  Faculty may meet for a short time after the presentations to discuss each student’s progress.  Reviews are scheduled by the JSDA. 

The Graduate School requires all incoming J.S.D. students to complete the online Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training through Cornell’s Office of Research Integrity and Assurance.  Students can access the online RCR training through the Cornell Research Services website. 

Every graduate student pursuing a research degree (master’s or doctoral) at Cornell must have an ORCID ID prior to the end of their second registered semester. Students will be required to complete the ORCID registration process and grant permission to Cornell to add an “education” affiliation entry to their ORCID record. The process for students will be initiated by the Graduate School via email. 

Students are encouraged to publish their research results in professional journals so their work can be widely disseminated.  This is better accomplished if the dissertation is organized and written with this intent.  Professional journal articles are a source of pride for the student, enhances career opportunities, and reflects well on the reputation of the Field.  If you expect to publish part, or all, of your dissertation, you will be required to sign a License to Use Copyrighted Material form with the Thesis Advisor at the Graduate School. 

For information on degree conferral dates, commencement, and diploma distribution please review the Thesis and Dissertation Policy.  J.S.D. students are invited to participate in Law School Convocation in mid-May in the year of their defense. 

All forms referenced in this handbook are available on the Graduate School’s website or will be emailed directly from the Dean of Students office.  If you have questions about the proper form to use for a particular circumstance, please contact the GFA.