New class of judges begins Duke Law Master of Judicial Studies program

May 11, 2021Latest News

DURHAM, N.C. — Nineteen state, federal, and international judges will begin their first semester of coursework in Duke Law’s Master of Judicial Studies program on May 17. They will participate in virtual courses on Zoom every day for four weeks.

The judges were due to enter the program in May 2020, but courses were delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes will be held online for this first summer semester. Conditions permitting, the program will hold two courses in person over a weekend this fall and will resume in-person instruction for the full second semester in summer 2022.

First semester courses will be taught by Duke Law faculty:

  • American Statutory Interpretation, taught by Professor Neil Siegel;
  • Analytical Methods, taught by Professor John de Figueiredo;
  • The Study of the Judiciary, taught by Professor Jack Knight;
  • Qualitative Research and the Judiciary, taught by Professor Marin Levy;
  • Finance for Judges, taught by Professor Elisabeth de Fontenay;
  • Race and Civil Rights, taught by Professors Darrell Miller and Guy Charles; and
  • Judicial History, taught by Professor Jeff Powell;
  • Judges’ Seminar, taught by Bolch Judicial Institute Director David F. Levi and Chief Judge Lee Rosenthal of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (to be taught this fall); and 
  • Advanced Topics in Federalism, taught by Professor Ernie Young (to be taught this fall).

The entering class represents federal and state courts in nine states, as well as courts in Mongolia and Poland. Meet the judges here.

The Master of Judicial Studies program launched at Duke Law in 2012 and has graduated more than 75 judges from 28 states and eight countries. Judges participate in two summer semesters of courses and write a thesis paper; many judges publish their thesis papers in scholarly journals. Courses are taught by Duke Law faculty and other invited scholars and leaders, with content focusing on the study of the judiciary, judicial decision-making, court administration, and a variety of legal issues and timely topics. Read more about the program here.

Applications for the class entering in 2023 will begin in fall 2022. Visit the website for more information on the LLM program or sign up to join our mailing list for updates.

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