Symposium Celebrates First Decade of Ph.D. in Law Program

Ten years after the inception of Yale Law School’s Ph.D. in Law program, current and former students of the program gathered on campus to reflect on its impact.

The Ph.D. in Law 10th Anniversary Symposium spanned two days of academic presentations and career development workshops on Oct. 4 and 5. 

Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law Heather K. Gerken and Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs Gordon Silverstein opened the weekend with a roundtable discussion. Sterling Professor of Law Robert Post ’77 also gave remarks to current and graduated Ph.D. students.

The Ph.D. in Law program was designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers. The core of the three-year doctoral program is the production of a substantial body of academic research and writing, supervised by a faculty dissertation committee. This final dissertation, composed of either three law review articles or a book-length manuscript, establishes a portfolio of writing essential for job market success. The program also includes preparatory coursework and qualifying exams in its first two years.

Students gain teaching experience during the program with the support of the Law School’s Law Teaching Program. These opportunities prepare graduates to enter tenure track positions at leading law schools. To date, five program graduates have reached tenure including two in major endowed chairs.

A series of professional development sessions included “Getting Tenure,” “Building a Post-Tenure Agenda,” and “Lateral Moves and How to Make the Most of Teaching.”

Ten graduates also returned to campus and presented on their current academic projects during a series of mini-workshops. 

Topics covered ranged from current Ph.D. in Law student Beau Baumann on “Resurrecting the Trinity of Legislative Constitutionalism,” to Luke Herrine ’22 PhD on “The Student Debt Reset,” and Molly Brady ’11 JD ’16 PhD  on “The Private-Law Origins of Single-Family Zoning.”