SJD (Doctor of Juridical Science) ProgramApplication Instructions, Fall 2018

Admissions Standards and Requirements

Applicants to the SJD degree program must ordinarily have earned either a JD degree from a U.S. law school or an LLM degree from a program in the U.S. orother common law country.The SJD admissions committee has discretion to consider applicants with graduate degrees from institutions in non-common law countries and from experienced members of the judiciary,universities or public service organizations if their experience is an adequate substitute for an LLM degree and indicates likely success in the SJD program.

Deadline

We consider applications on a rolling basis, from October 1 to May 1. Applicants will be notified of the admissions decision by email or phone. Applications received after April 15 will only be considered if space is available.

SJD Application Checklist

A complete application includes the following:

Completed Application Form

Statement of Interest; Preliminary Dissertation Proposal

Transcripts

TOEFL or IELTS Report (if required)*

Two Letters of Recommendation

Writing Sample

C.V. or Résumé

$60 Application Fee

  1. Completed Application Form
  1. Statement of Interest; Preliminary Dissertation Proposal

Please attach a Statement of Interestto your application. Write about your experience and qualifications, reasons for seeking an SJD degree, the topic or areas of research, and the general course of study you wish to pursue. If you would like to work with a particular professor or professors on the Law School faculty, please list them. The statement must be written by you alone and should not exceed 1000 words (about four typed pages).

You may additionallysubmitaPreliminary Dissertation Proposal outlining what area of law you would like to research and the particular issues that you intend to explore through your dissertation. Be as specific as possible. Your proposal must be written by you alone and should not exceed 1500 words (six to eight typed pages).

  1. Transcripts

Please have official transcripts sent from all institutions (graduate and undergraduate) where you have studied directly to the SJD Program to the mailing address given below. Transcripts must be submitted in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution. If the transcripts are not in English, a certified English translation must be submitted with each transcript.

  1. Proof of English Proficiency

Your application must demonstrate that you are proficient in English by:

  1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):Ordinarily the minimum TOEFL scores for admission to the SJD Program are 100 on the Internet-Based Exam (IBT), 600 on the paper-based exam,or 250 on the computer-based exam. Lower scores may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.TOEFL scores must be sent from ETS directly to the School of Law. The School of Law’s institution code is 4867.

OR

  1. International English Language Testing System (IELTS): The IELTS examination total score of 7 or higher is considered the equivalent of TOEFL scores in 4(b).

TOEFL or IELTS test scores more than three years old at the time of application will not be considered; applicants must retake the test to present a more recent score. You may also submit your score reports using the LSAC Credential Assembly Service.

*Applicants who have completed at least one year as a full-time student in an institution where the language of instruction is English are exempt from this requirement.

  1. Letters of Recommendation

You must provide at least two letters of recommendation. At least one of the letters must be from yourformer or current law professor. If a recommendation letter is not written in English, an English translation must accompany the original recommendation letter. Recommendation letters must be submitted directly to the SJD Program from the recommender either by email or postal mail. The SJD Committee considers recommendation letters seriously. We suggest you provide your recommenders with a copy of your statement of interest and/or preliminary dissertation proposal so that your recommenders may also attest your capacity to complete successfully complete your study as an SJD student.

  1. Writing Sample
    Submit a document written by you at work or school in English on any topic as a sample of your writing ability, up to 10 pages. The writing sample does not need to be a complete document. Please be sure toredact any confidential information.
  1. Curriculum Vitae orRésumé

Submit your résumé, which should include your contact information and a list all previous education and work experiences.

  1. Application Fee

The application fee is $60. You may pay by credit card by going to this link:

or by clicking here. You may also pay by a U.S. bank check or an international money order, payable to “University of Hawaii”. Your name should be written on the check so it can be properly credited to your application. We are not able to waive or refund this fee.

Submitting Application

You may send the completed application form, statement of interest, preliminary dissertation proposal, CV, and writing sample as an email attachmentto Professor Tae-Ung Baik, Director of SJD Program at , or send it by postal mail to:

SJD Program

William S. Richardson School of Law

University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

2515 Dole Street

Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.

Please note that all application materials become the property of the William S. Richardson School of Law and the University of Hawai‘i and cannot be returned or forwarded elsewhere. Applicants are advised to make personal copies of their materials, as the School of Law will not reproduce any materials submitted.

SJD Program Application Form
Today’s Date

Full Legal Name as it appears on passport (Please write family name in CAPITAL LETTERS.)

Maiden Name or other family names which may appear on past school records

Intended Date of Study / Social Security Number
(if applicable)

Gender Male Female

Birth Date Birth Place Country of Citizenship

Month Day Year / City Country

Current Mailing Address

City, Province/State, Country, Zip or Postal code

Home Phone (include country code)Home FaxHome Email

Address in Home Country (if different from above)

City, Province/State, Country, Zip or Postal code

Home Phone (include country code)Home FaxHome Email

PERMANENT CONTACT

Please list someone who will always be able to contact you.

Name (Please write family name in CAPITAL LETTERS.)Relationship to you

Address

City, Province/State, Country, Zip or Postal code

Home phone Work PhoneEmail

Occupation or Title Company

EDUCATION

Please List your academic degrees and corresponding institutions starting with the most recent first, and submit transcripts from your law school and/or other colleges/universities that you attended. Please do not include secondary schools or institutions from which you did not receive a degree.

1. Name of institution (I)

Address

Dates of AttendanceDegreeMajor

State your rank in your law school class, together with the approximate size of the class. If your official rank is not available, you may estimate it.

RankSize of class

Please note distinctions, honors, awards and activities (academic and extracurricular). Use separate sheet if necessary.

2. Name of institution (II)(Attach other pages if necessary).

Address

Dates of attendanceDegreeMajor

Please note distinctions, honors, awards and activities (academic and extracurricular).

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

If English is not your first language, you must submit official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing Service (IELTS). Please describe your English language training and fluency. Do you speak or write English in your work or home environment?

What languages do you speak and/or write other than your first language?

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)or IELTS

Test dateScore

LIST OF RECOMMENDERS

Please list the names and titles of the people who will be submitting the letters of recommendation:

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Indicate all countries where you are licensed to practice law and dates of bar admission.

Please list your employment and professional activities since graduation from law school.

You may also submit a resume or C.V. (optional)

Current Title and Division / Dates of employment

Organization

Address (Please note that air couriers do not deliver to Post Office boxes)

City, Province/State, Country, Postal Code

PhoneFax Email

OTHER EMPLOYMENT

List other full-time positions held, including military experience.Attach other pages if necessary.

PositionDates of employment

Organization

Address

City, Province/State, Country, Postal Code

Phone FaxEmail

Have you ever been disciplined, suspended, or expelled for academic or other reasons by an institution of higher learning?

Yes No

If you answered “Yes”, Please explain the circumstances fully on a separate sheet of paper.

Excluding minor traffic violations, have you ever been accused of or convicted of any criminal offense?

Yes No

If you checked“Yes”, please explain the circumstances of your conviction on a separate sheet of paper, including the final disposition of the case.

MARKETING (optional)

How did you hear about the SJD Program at the University of Hawai’i? Please be specific.

To what other law schools are you applying?

CERTIFICATION BY APPLICANT

I certify that the information provided in this application is complete and correct and that I have attended or am attending no institutions other than those listed. I understand that all documents submitted for admission consideration become property of the University of Hawai’i and will not be returned to me or duplicated for me for any reason. I also understand that acceptance to the University of Hawai’i at Manoa is subject to verification of final records from all institutions I have attended and that the application fee is non-refundable.

Signature (not required if sending by email)Date

Please Type/Print name

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (OPTIONAL)

You may use separate sheets of paper to provide any additional information that did not fit on this form.

Please send your completed letter of recommendation directly to:

SJD Program

University of Hawai‘i School of LawEmail:

2515 Dole Street

Honolulu, HI 96822Tel: (808) 956-7838

USAWeb:

SJD Program Recommendation Letter Request

Instructions for the SJD applicant:

Please have two people send us a letter of recommendation on their letterhead in English. One letter should be from a professor who taught you in your LLM Program. The letter should specifically evaluate your scholastic abilities. If the letter is not written in English, it must include an English translation. You may photocopy this form as needed.

To the person writing the recommendation letter:

Thank you for writing a letter of recommendation for this applicant to the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. We appreciate your candid opinions about the candidate and will consider them in our admissions process. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please feel free to contact us. Our contact information is provided below.

Please include the following in your letter:

1)The applicant's name

2)Your name and title

3)Your contact information: phone/email address/return postal address

4)How long and under what circumstances you have known the applicant

5)The applicant’s major strengths and areas for improvement

6) How the applicant would benefit from the SJD Program

7) Your evaluation of the applicant’s oral and written English skill compared to his/her peers

8) Your signature

Please send your completed letter of recommendation directly to:

SJD ProgramEmail:

University of Hawai‘i School of LawTel: (808) 956-7838

2515 Dole StreetWeb:

Honolulu, HI 96822

USA