Juris Doctor

A three-year legal education graduate program

The Juris Doctor (JD) degree is a unique model of graduate legal education designed to meet the needs of Qatar and the Middle East. The JD is the first-of-its-kind graduate law degree in the MENA region; courses are taught in English, so that graduates are prepared to work in the international legal market.

A JD differs from the undergraduate law degree in that it targets individuals who already hold an undergraduate degree, which can be in any subject, including law. The JD education builds on the student’s previous expertise and experience. JD students may pursue expertise in law that is aligned with their previous degree or move in a completely different direction.

The College of Law’s JD curriculum is consistent with the best offered internationally. The program was created through a strategic partnership with Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. The JD equips graduates with a high level of legal knowledge and complementary research, writing, and advocacy skills. The focus on skills training enables our graduates to make the most of a wide range of career options in the public sector, private corporations, law firms, international organizations, and academia.

The American Bar Association, the governing body of US lawyers, has passed the following resolution about the JD degree:

“WHEREAS, the acquisition of a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree requires from 84 to 90 semester hours of post baccalaureate study and the Doctor of Philosophy degree usually requires 60 semester hours of post baccalaureate study along with the writing of a dissertation, the two degrees shall be considered as equivalent degrees for educational employment purposes.”

JD graduates are also in a position to undertake further legal studies in other countries, such as the United States or in Europe. Recent JD graduates have pursued or are pursuing LLM degrees at Harvard Law School, New York University School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, and the Graduate Institute Geneva.

In short, our JD graduates rise to the top as they have combined previous university education and training with three years of rigorous, interdisciplinary legal education.

Program Focus

The first year and a half (Part I) focuses on foundations for lawyering, while the second year and a half (Part II) applies and elaborates on the legal principles from Part I to major sectors that are vital to Qatar and the region.
The courses in Part I, foundations for lawyering, develop a student's understanding of legal doctrine in key subjects. They also develop analytical and reasoning skills so that the student can articulate the relevant principles and apply them to real world problems. Taught from a comparative perspective, the courses in Part I examine the different legal systems that converge in global legal practice with a focus on identifying common themes and points of departure. Part I also trains students how to navigate from one system to the other, depending on the exigencies of the transnational transactions they will be required to manage during their professional careers.
During Part II, students apply and further develop their foundational skills to sectors that are vital to Qatar and the region. These areas include Energy, Healthcare, Global Economic Law and Governance, Construction & Infrastructure Development, Media, and Sports.
Accompanying a dynamic curriculum is an extensive offering of co-curricular activities, such as colloquia and Majlis, at which leading experts provide insights on contemporary legal topics. Student moot court competitions, in which students argue a simulated case before a court or arbitral tribunal, provide an important avenue for skills development. Through moot courts, students experience drafting memorials and engaging in oral argument. The College of Law has fielded teams in top international competitions, including the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, and the Europa Competition. In 2019, the College of Law hosted its first international moot, the Cybersecurity Law Moot Court Competition, featuring ten teams from around the world.

Curriculum:

A student in the JD program will take the following courses:

Year 1, Semester 1 (Fall 2021)

Code	Course	Credits
Code: Law 601	Course: Global Legal Systems	Credits: 2
Code: Law 652	Course: Injury Law/Torts	Credits: 4
Code: Law 651	Course: Contract Law	Credits: 4
Code: Law 650	Course: Property Law	Credits: 4
Code: Law 667	Course: Legal Research and Writing I	Credits: 2
Total Credits		16

Year 1, Semester 2 (Spring 2022)

Code	Course	Credits
Code: Law 653	Course: Constitutional Law	Credits: 4
Code: Law 654	Course: International Law	Credits: 4
Code: Law 655	Course: Business Associations	Credits: 4
Code: Law 668	Course: Legal Research and Writing II	Credits: 2
Total Credits		14

Year 2, Semester 1 (Fall 2022)

Code	Course	Credits
Code: Law 665	Course: Administrative Law	Credits: 4
Code: Law 659	Course: Commercial Law	Credits: 4
Code: Law 666	Course: Criminal Law and Procedure	Credits: 4
Code: Law 669	Course: Legal Research and Writing III	Credits: 2
Total Credits		14

Year 2, Semester 2 (Spring 2023)

Code	Course	Credits
Code: Law 658	Course: Civil Procedure	Credits: 2
Code: Law 678	Course: Dispute Resolution (Negotiation and Trial Advocacy)	Credits: 3
Code: Law 675	Course: Ethics & Professional Responsibility	Credits: 2
Code: Law 676	Course: Introduction to the Legal Foundations of the Global Economy (International Business Transactions, International Investment Law, and International Taxation)	Credits: 3
Code: Law 679	Course: Entrepreneurship Law	Credits: 4
Total Credits		14

Year 3, Semester 1 (Fall 2023)

Code	Course	Credits
Code: Law 752	Course: Construction & Infrastructure Development	Credits: 3
Code: Law 750	Course: Energy Law	Credits: 3
Code: Law 753	Course: Healthcare Law	Credits: 3
Code: Law 759/760	Course: Media Law or Sports Law	Credits: 3
Code: Law 763	Course: Law, Technology & Intellectual Property I	Credits: 2
Total Credits		14

Year 3, Semester 2 (Spring 2024)

Code	Course	Credits
Code: Law 756	Course: Advanced Dispute Resolution (Arbitration and Mediation)	Credits: 3
Code: Law 751	Course: Global Economic Law and Governance	Credits: 3
Code: Law 754	Course: Advanced Human Rights	Credits: 3
Code: Law 757	Course: Environmental Law	Credits: 3
Code: Law 764	Course: Law, Technology & Intellectual Property II	Credits: 1
Total Credits		13