Degrees

Opportunity and impact start with a degree from Stanford Law.

Whether you set your sights on a big-city firm or a startup, the halls of policymaking or the highest court in the land, international business or justice on a global scale — or anything in between — consider a degree from Stanford Law your ticket to opportunity and impact. Earned in an atmosphere of excellence and creative collaboration, an SLS JD, joint degree or advanced degree connotes deep experience, leadership abilities, team skills and a commitment to advancing innovative solutions through law.

Slides: Roll Fold - Only at SLS 2024

Discover the unmatched advantages that distinguish Stanford Law School— and that transform SLS students into exceptional lawyers and leaders. Images: SLS campus; students in class.

Stanford University: Explore the universityʼs top-ranked schools and departments, an innovation-driven intellectual community, and diverse sports and cultural activities. Joint Degrees: Choose from 32 or design your own. Interdisciplinary Living and Learning: Share space with graduate students from across campus in modern Munger Residences, designed to foster community, interaction, and discussion. Images: SLS campus photos.

Legal Luminaries: Study with faculty members who are opening new frontiers in law, from net neutrality to Supreme Court practice and criminal procedure. Faculty Discussion Seminars: Explore election law, the interplay between religion and the profession of law or biases present in technologies, and other provocative topics with faculty and classmates. New Areas of Law: Learn lawʼs role in the digital realm at the law school whose pioneering programs cover everything from artificial intelligence and machine learning to cyber security. Images: Faculty and students on the steps of the US Supreme Court; students and faculty during a faculty discussion seminar.

Full-time Clinics: Immerse yourself in individualized, hands-on learning through any of the 11 full-time clinics, without the distraction of any other coursework. Law & Policy Lab: Evaluate corporate performance standards on racial and economic equity, assess nature-based climate solutions, and study wildfire science and policy, among many other critical questions. Global Opportunities: Spend a week with professors and peers in Colombia or Poland or spend 10 weeks immersed in international law and finance through the Global Quarter at SLS and abroad. Images: Faculty and students in front of the Palo Alto Courthouse; students in Colombia during The Global Quarter.

Projects with Impact: Get involved with projects making a real-world difference through our many programs and centers focused on issues as wide-ranging as cyber policy, the legal profession, criminal justice, and regulation, evaluation and governance. Public Interest/Public Service: Prepare to advance the public good and social justice, through dedicated classes, clinics, pro bono work, externships, and mentorships, with career support and financial assistance. Images: Faculty member Erik Jensen lecturing; group of students.

Clerkships: Learn the inner workings of the judicial system, hone your skills, and advance the law by clerking for a justice on the U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court, or U.S. Supreme Court—a strong SLS tradition. From Student to Scholar: Gain exposure to legal scholarship, produce it, and prepare to be the next generation of law professors or academics. California Comforts: Ponder your moot court argument on a run in the foothills or a bike trek to the coast—any day of the year. Images: Graduation procession; Faculty member Daniel Ho during a lecture.

Unconventional Community: Expand your horizons as part of the unique start-up culture that thrives in our anything-is-possible Silicon Valley neighborhood. Open-Minded Community: Join a community that values open discussion about the critical and controversial issues of our time. Images: Students walking on a trail path; Class of 2024.

SLS Degree Programs

JD Program

An intensive program offered in an environment that is collegial and interdisciplinary, on the campus of one of the world’s leading research universities.

Dynamic Program

Joint Degree and Cooperative Programs with Other Institutions

A hallmark of Stanford University and a distinct strength of Stanford Law, where students can explore the many ways law intersects with other fields.

Interdisciplinary Education

Advanced Degree Programs

One-year master's degree programs and a doctoral degree (JSD) for international graduate students who have earned a law degree outside the United States.

Explore the Six Programs

I'm really thankful that Stanford allows its students to pursue multiple joint degree options, and I was able to graduate in three years, [with a second] degree.

Jonathan Berry-Smith, JD '18

Where will an SLS degree take you?

The careers of our alumni demonstrate that an SLS degree opens doors everywhere. From Chicago to Singapore, Wall Street to Silicon Valley, the European Union to Washington, D.C. — you will find Stanford Law graduates wherever people and organizations need lawyers and leaders with the intelligence, experience, values, perspective and passion to make a difference.

Am Law 100 firms that employ SLS alumni as attorneys

$225K

Median starting salary for a graduate of the Class of 2023 (private sector)

Consecutive years SLS graduates have clerked for justices on the U.S. Supreme Court

41%

Students in a typical class who clerk after graduation