phd position international law

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Utrecht University School of Law

Phd candidates.

During their four-year PhD track, PhD candidates work under the supervision of a professor on a research project that culminates in a doctoral thesis.

Obtaining a PhD position

The PhD positions at the School of Law are related to our research programmes .

Becoming a PhD candidate at the School of Law is possible in 2 ways:

• when a vacancy is posted on the Utrecht University website .
• when you bring your own funds and you can find a supervisor within the School of Law. In this case, you can apply throughout the year. If you want to apply as external PhD candidate, the first thing you must do is find yourself a supervisor in the School of Law (see academic staff ). It is your own responsibility to contact a supervisor and before you do so you have to make sure that your research idea fits into one of the five research programmes of the School of Law.

Read more about obtaining a PhD at Utrecht University . In the Doctoral Degree Regulations you can find the regulations and conditions for PhD candidates and doctoral degrees.

E-mail:  [email protected]

Please note: Applications via this e-mail address will not be processed. You need to do this via a professor.

Current PhD defences School of Law

Phd defence: strengthening representation in parliament by enhancing diversity accommodation.

Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50

PhD vacancies Tilburg Law School

Tilburg Law School offers highly-ranked national and international education and legal research. Tilburg Law School is ranked among the highest as 'Top International Law School' by the American Social Science Research Network (SSRN).

PhD application round 2023-2024

Yearly, Tilburg Law School (TLS) has a number of PhD positions available. The recruitment and selection procedure of PhD candidates is set up in such a way that candidates from all over the world can apply. The selection procedure is strict and demands a great amount of initiative and preparation from candidates.

The research of Tilburg Law School is organized in four signature plans . All PhD positions offered by the Law School focus on one of these plans.

• Crime and Criminal Justice in the Age of Globalization and Digitalization
• Regulating Socio-Technical Change
• C onnecting Responsible Organizations  
• Global Law & Governance 

Vacancies for these positions are posted on this website .

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Tilburg University Warandelaan 2 5037 AB Tilburg

+31 (0)13 466 9111

Contact TGLS

Contact the Tilburg Graduate Law School (TGLS)

International Legal Studies Post-Graduate Fellowships

Information about the 2025-2026 ILS Post-Graduate Fellowships will be posted here in the fall.

The International Legal Studies (ILS) Post-Graduate Fellowships are designed to improve participants’ understanding of international and/or transnational law by supporting recent HLS graduates who will be clerking or interning at an international or foreign regional/supranational court or tribunal. It is expected that up to one or two ILS Post-Graduate Fellowships will be awarded for 2024-2025.  Please note that this is separate from the Law School’s support for positions at the International Court of Justice; for more information regarding support for ICJ clerkships, please see the International Court of Justice Judicial Fellows Programme web page.

Applications for the 2024-2025 ILS Post-Graduate Fellowships are due on Friday, January 12, 2024.

Eligibility

• The 2024-2025 ILS Post-Graduate Fellowships are open to HLS graduates from the classes of 2021-2024.
• Applicants should not have previously been employed as clerks or legal interns in the court/tribunal where they are proposing to work.
• The ILS Post-Graduate Fellowship is available to applicants seeking positions that would otherwise be unfunded. Applicants who have secured positions with stipends of less than $1,000/month may also be considered for the ILS Post-Graduate Fellowship.
• The ILS Post-Graduate Fellowship is designed to fund an eligible position of nine months or longer with a grant in the amount of up to $40,000. Positions of six to eight months will also be considered, with concomitantly reduced funding. Placements of less than six months in duration will not be considered.
• Positions in U.S. or foreign national courts are not eligible for funding.
• The award of funding is contingent upon a nominee securing a qualifying internship or clerkship by April 15, 2024. ( Note : if the stated hiring timeline of a particular court is such that a position cannot be secured by this deadline, applicants may petition the Post-Graduate Fellowship Committee for an extension. Petitions should include documentation regarding the court’s stated application and hiring timeline, as well as an expected start date for the clerkship. )

Applications

All application materials should be submitted via email to the ILS Post-Graduate Fellowship program (c/o International Legal Studies – [email protected] ) by no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 12, 2024.

The following application components should be submitted as one PDF file:

• the ILS Post-Graduate Fellowship Application cover page
• relevant experience, background, and skills pertinent to international and/or transnational law, and language proficiency
• professional goals
• the host court or tribunal
• the work (including any specific projects) that the applicant expects to undertake
• the type of supervision the applicant expects to receive at the court or tribunal
• a current CV/resume
• a letter from the host court or tribunal indicating a commitment to hosting the applicant, and duration of the position*; additional details may be requested at a later date

* Note : applicants who have not yet secured a position/commitment letter must instead include an addendum (of no more than 250 words) to their statement of interest, describing the specific steps they have taken to secure a position with the court or tribunal. 

Applicants must also submit:

• An official Harvard Law School transcript. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the Office of the Registrar. Students can order their official transcript online by going to https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/registrar/transcript-requests/ and selecting the “Online Transcript Ordering System.” Transcripts should be sent directly to [email protected] .
• Two letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be from a Harvard Law School professor. Recommenders should email their letters directly to [email protected] .

Please note that interviews may be required for shortlisted candidates.

Selection Criteria

Factors considered by the Selection Committee will include:

• strength of the application in demonstrating how the proposed clerkship/internship aligns with the applicant’s career plans
• applicant’s HLS academic performance, relevant background, experience and skills, and commitment to international and/or transnational law

Notification of Award(s)

The Selection Committee will review applications and make determinations by early February.  Award notifications will be sent shortly thereafter.

Reporting Requirements

Selected candidates will be required to submit two reports detailing their experience as ILS Post-Graduate Fellows, one due at the halfway mark of their clerkship/internship, and one due upon its completion.  Fellows should also report their employment plans following the period of their Fellowship.

Travel Policy

Please note that the award of the ILS Post-Graduate Fellowship and associated funding will be contingent on the ability of recipients to adhere to all Harvard University travel policies.

For More Information

Please contact International Legal Studies at [email protected] .

Meet the 2024-2025 ILS Post-Graduate Fellow

Shayan Khan LL.M ’22 will bring his professional experience and the knowledge he has gained at HLS to his placement at the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

And read about Francisco Balbín LL.M. ’22 , the 2023-2024 ILS Post-Graduate Fellow, who has worked at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and Anoush Baghdassarian ’22 , the 2022-2023 ILS Post-Graduate Fellow, who undertook a placement at the International Criminal Court.

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Jobs for International Law

30 Law PhD positions in Phd in Netherlands

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PhD Candidate: International and European Law

Employment 1.0 FTE Required background Research University Degree Organizational unit Faculty of Law Application deadline 19 August 2024 Apply now Are you passionate about public international law

PhD Position in Law & Finance (1.0 fte)

Apply now Research project: Banks as promotors of social change: contractual, regulatory and liability aspects The Department of Financial Law (Hazelhoff Centre for Financial Law ) and the Department

PhD Position Impact of Demographic and Societal Developments on Police Operations

police strategies and policies. Cutbacks in mental health, addiction and youth care, an ageing population and growing frustration over social inequality are just some of the developments that have a

PhDs on legal aspects of Floating Offshore Wind Energy – project ‘HybridLabs’ (2.0 FTE)

. The University of Groningen, Groningen Centre of Energy Law and Sustainability is involved in the legal and regulatory research for this project. The two PhD candidates will be integrated in the Groningen Centre

are required. In HybridLabs, a Dutch Scientific Organisation (NWO)-funded project, these challenges are approached from various perspectives. The University of Groningen, Groningen Centre of Energy Law and

PhD Access to Medicine

? The Child Law & Health Law Department of the Institute for Private Law at Leiden Law School invite applications for a Doctorate in Law (PhD): The Child’s Right to Access Medicine under International Human

PhD candidate in Neuroscience of the Tax Profession (1.0 FTE)

within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description PhD candidate in Neuroscience of the Tax Profession (1.0 FTE) Vacancy number: 14926 The Department of Tax Law of Leiden Law School at Leiden

Apply now PhD candidate in Neuroscience of the Tax Profession (1.0 FTE) Vacancy number: 14926 The Department of Tax Law of Leiden Law School at Leiden University, in collaboration with

PhD Position Dynamic Modelling of Criminal Power Structures

Challenge: Developing system dynamics models enabling robust police interventions. Change: Leveraging basic structures to accelerate model development. Impact: Driving long-term police effectiveness

PhD Position Optimal Exploration of Networks

Challenge: Enhancing the modelling of uncertainties in policing. Change: Harnessing AI to identify and prioritise uncertainties, and predict responses. Impact: Driving police effectiveness in

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• postdoctoral
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• international law

Department of Law

Doctoral studies.

More than one hundred teachers are engaged full-time in teaching and research at the Department of Law. As a doctoral candidate at our department, you will therefore be part of a dynamic and international research environment.

Doctoral studies in law consist of four years of full-time studies, leading to a Doctor of Laws Degree (LL.D.). Most time is devoted to the writing of a thesis, but doctoral students are also expected to study some obligatory courses and hold mandatory seminars. Depending on the type of employment, other department duties, such as teaching, may be required as well.

Doctoral studies are intended to educate new researchers in order to enable them to conduct independent research in academic institutions and elsewhere. As a doctoral candidate, you will advance into an independent researcher, while you develop your critical and analytical stance and are educated in the scientific traditions. By improving your theoretical proficiency and methodological skills, you will learn how to ask questions, reason, structure, analyse and reflect over your thesis topic.

Doctoral Studies in Legal Science

Legal science is the scientific study of legal and judiciary systems and involves the process of analysing and systematising the law, as well as making contributions to its development. Legal Science also examines the origins and developments of the law, its philosophical aspects, as well as the relationship between legal systems and other societal phenomena.

Research areas at the faculty

The Faculty of Law enjoys a leading position in Sweden and international prominence in Child Law, Intellectual Property Law, Commercial Law, Law and Information Technology and Penal Law, but virtually all fields of law are represented:

• Jurisprudence
• Private Law (General Private Law, Labour Law, Law of Associations, Family/Child Law, Land Law, Insurance Law, Intellectual Property Law, Marketing Law, Maritime Law)
• European Integration Law
• Financial Law
• Public International Law
• Private International and Procedural Law
• Environmental Law
• Procedural Law
• History of Law
• Law and Information Technology
• Criminal Law

Programme syllabus

Doctoral studies pertain to a Degree of Doctor (PhD) of Legal Science or a Degree of Licentiate of Legal Science. The programme consists of 240 higher education credits (credits) for a doctoral degree and 120 credits for a licentiate degree.

Your duties as doctoral student at SULaw

As a doctoral student at SULaw, you are expected to:

• Write a thesis, normally in the form of a monograph that should not exceed 300 pages
• Participate in the mandatory welcome day (applies only to newly admitted doctoral students)
• Participate in the Faculty of Law's annual research day
• Present your dissertation at three mandatory seminars
• Participate in four method courses - two compulsory and two electives - of 7.5 credits each (a total of 30 credits)
• Submit an individual study plan each year
• Submit documentation for activity and financing information periodically, and inform about any changes.

Some doctoral students, depending on their type of employment (see below “Terms of employment”), may also have to:

• Perform some form of departmental service
• Submit a report of their teaching obligation twice a year.

About admissions

Admissions to the doctoral programme take place once a year. Applications must be submitted during the admission period, that closes on March 1.

If 1 March is a Saturday or a public holiday, the closest following business day is applicable. Thereafter, the application is processed by the Research Committee that decides on admission. Information about approvals will be announced at the latest by the end of June. The programme starts on 1 September.

The Research Committee accepts as many candidates as can be employed as doctoral students at the Department of Law. The number of employed doctoral students varies according to the budget situation. Candidates who hold sufficiently high standard but are not offered a doctoral employment can nonetheless be accepted to the LL.D program on the condition that the candidate secures suitable external funding and submits it to the head of department, who will need to approve it. The candidate has until the next admission period to confirm that an acceptable external financing exists. The project description must be identical to that which was submitted in March.

Supervision

In connection to the admission to doctoral studies, the Department Board appoints a main supervisor with the scientific competence corresponding to that of an associate professor, as well as a co-supervisor with the relevant competence. One of the supervisors must be an employee of the Faculty unless special circumstances lead the Research Committee to decide otherwise. If for some reason, the supervisor cannot perform the supervisory duties, the Research Committee shall, if possible, appoint a successor. If it is impossible to find a successor within the Faculty, an external supervisor can be appointed.

Meet our PhD students

What is it really like to be a doctoral candidate? What are the advantages and disadvantages? And what are the best tips our PhD students have for you if you're interested in undertaking doctoral studies? Find out in a serie of interviews on the link below!

Read interviews with our PhD students

Application

Below is some important information about the formal requirements to apply for doctoral studies, as well as practical guidance on how to prepare your application.

• Entry requirements

Please note that the entry requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

General entry requirements

In order to meet the general entry requirements to doctoral studies, the applicant must have completed a university degree with completed courses equivalent to at least 240 university credits, of which 60 credits must be at an advanced level, or otherwise have acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

Specific entry requirements

The specific entry requirement is a completed juris kandidat/juristexamen (masters of laws) degree or the equivalent. Eligibility can also be granted to applicants who, through professional experience or other training, are deemed to have acquired competence equivalent to that necessary to conduct studies at the post-graduate level, both in terms of academic skills as well as legal knowledge relevant to the research area.

A successful applicant is also to have very high command of Swedish and good knowledge of English, or alternatively, very high command of English.

Candidates with foreign diplomas should ensure that they meet the requirement for special eligibility. In order to satisfy the special entry requirements, students may have to pass exams in subjects selected by the prospective supervisor and the Research Committee.

• How to apply

Apply for the PhD student position through Stockholm University's recruitment system.

For correct consideration, it is important that your application is complete , and that the documentation contains correct and relevant information. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

The following documents must be included in the application:

• Cover letter
• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses
• Research proposal describing the intended project – including research question, theoretical framework, method and material, how the project is intended to be conducted and a literature review that indicates the scientific added value of the intended project
• Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)
• Letters of Recommendation (no more than 6 files)
• Degree projects/theses (no more than 6 files)

The selection among eligible candidates is based on their deemed capacity to carry out studies at doctoral level. This is assessed on the basis of the following criteria, as stipulated by the Faculty of Law:

• the applicant's general competence,
• the doctoral research proposal, and
• the viability of the proposal.

When assessing the qualifications of the applicant, the Research Committee reviews previous studies and grades (including the quality of the individual work, the ability to express oneself orally and in writing, the applicant´s documented knowledge of their subject proposal), references, relevant experience (professional and other), interviews, and finally the applicant’s written motivation of their research proposal.

In the assessment of the applicant's academic performance, particular attention is paid to their written work and whether it demonstrates an ability to present and develop an argument in a clear and logical fashion, as well as an ability to carry out independent critical thinking and analysis. Creativity, self-initiative and independence as well as work capacity are also taken into account.

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University

For details information about the specific assessment of the research proposal, see below.

Research proposal

When considering applications, the Research Committee attaches substantial weight to the research proposal that the candidates submit with their application. Candidates should therefore pay particular attention to how they formulate their research questions.

Instructions

The proposal should be written in Swedish or English and shall not be longer than 5-10 pages of typewritten text. It shall not contain any bibliography and yhe number of footnotes shall be kept to a minimum.

The applicant is expected to be able to fit their proposal into the research tradition. Thus, the proposal should show how the project relates to earlier research. In this connection, it should be set out how urgent the project may be assumed to be, and in what way the project can be assumed to contribute to the advancement of knowledge.

It is worth noting that a research proposal in law may incorporate different perspectives, depending on the research issue. The perspective taken is related to the method to be used in the study. The approach in scholarly works on legal matters may take the perspective (the list is not exclusive) of:

• Legal Dogmatics
• Law and Sociology
• Law and Economy
• Law and Philosophy
• Transdisciplinary considerations
• Legal comparisons

There is no template for how the research proposal should be presented, since the proposal itself will indicate the applicants’ ability to formulate legal presentations of problems.

Assessment criteria

The Research Committee bases its assessments of the proposal on the following general criteria:

• its originality, incl. its theoretical framework as well as its relevance in relation to previous research,
• the clarity of the methodology in relation to the research issues,
• its contribution to expanding relevant knowledge in the field, and
• its feasibility.

Another relevant aspect for the assessment of research proposal is the extent to which applicants have succeeded in limiting their research proposal to a specific area of investigation. In this context, a number of issues are important, including the following:

• Whether the research issues belong to the field of jurisprudence, in the sense that a legal approach to such issues provides a coherent framework for research.
• Whether the scope of the proposal is appropriately limited, so that the proposed research can be completed within four years of LL.D. studies.
• Whether the framework of the proposed research is set out as clearly and concisely as possible. This need not involve a totally exhaustive discussion of all aspects of the proposed research, however, as some aspects of research may be adjusted and amended as the candidates’ LL.D. studies progress.

Terms of employment

In accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (ch. 5 §7), appointment to a doctoral studentship shall apply for an indefinite period, however no longer than until a specified date and never for a period extending more than one year after the award of a PhD. At most, a person may be employed as a doctoral student for five years. Any renewal of the employment takes place with a maximum of two years at a time.

More about the length of employment

The employment may be extended for a maximum of two years at a time. However, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study. Exceptions may be granted in circumstances such as leave due to illness, parental leave, for service in the total defense or for positions of trust within student and trade union organizations.

For questions about the employment, contact Vladimir Vesovic .

Salaries are regulated by a local collective agreement for Stockholm University ( Villkorsavtal-SU - in Swedish only) in accordance with the Agreement on General Salary and Benefits ( Allmänna löne- och förmånsavtalet ). Salary trend is based on the proportion of the requirements for the doctoral degree that has been achieved during the employment period and follows a scale ( doktorandstege ) specified in the collective agreement (Chapter 3).

The Department of Law has internal guidelines for the application of that scale, namely that doctoral students receive a salary supplement of SEK 2,000 from step 2 onwards. This applies to those studying full time. If a doctoral student teaches e.g. 20%, this amount is reduced accordingly.

SULaw’s guidelines for re the application of the salary scale for doctoral students (in Swedish)

Departmental duties

Doctoral students should primarily devote themselves to their own education, but may engage in departmental duties such as teaching, examination, essay supervision and general administration. Doctoral students with a five-year employment are also expected to fulfill a teaching obligation, where 20% of their time must be devoted to some form of departmental duty.

SULaw’s needs govern the form of departmental duty to be undertaken, but doctoral students will decide how the work should be set up together with their supervisor. The certificate of employment will state the exact distribution in percent between research and teaching/administration.

Teaching and pedagogy courses for doctoral students

According to the Rules for education and examination at postgraduate level ( Regler för utbildning och examination på forskarnivå , in Swedish only), doctoral students teaching at undergraduate and advanced level must have previously completed a course in pedagogy and teaching within higher education or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge. The course Professional development 1 (Universitetslärarutbildning 1, or UL 1 in Swedish), given at the Center for the Advancement of University Teaching ( CeUL ), is recommended as corresponding education.

Doctoral Courses

In addition to the dissertation, it is mandatory to study method courses of 30 credits. Beginning in the autumn 2015, Juridicum has offered two obligatory and four optional method courses of 7.5 credits each. The mandatory courses are given each autumn term and the optional according to a rolling schedule (see below). Four of the courses (including the two obligatory) are in English and two in Swedish.

Course Offer

Mandatory courses:  .

• HT23: Philosophy of Social Science , 7,5 credits Course manager: Torben Spaak Language: English   
• HT23: Fundamental Concepts in Law , 7,5 credits Course manager: Teresa Simon Almendal Language: English

Optional/Creditable course:  

• VT24: Law and Legal Research beyond the Nation State , 7,5 hp Kursansvarig: Pål Wrange Språk: Engelska  
• VT25: Global Legal Research and Information Management: Legal Scholars and New Technologies (GRiM) , 7,5 hp Kursansvarig: Liane Colonna Language: English  
• VT25: Strategy, creativity and research ethics , 7,5 hp. (Strategi, kreativitet och forskningsetik) Course manager: Frantzeska Papadopoulou Language: Swedish  

Registration

Registration for the fall courses (fall 2023) May 15 to August 7, 2023

Registration for the spring courses (spring 2024) October 7 to December 15, 2023

Please contact Johanna Hale ( [email protected] ) if you want to study any of these courses.

Do you still wonder about some aspects of Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Law? Check our FAQ!

FAQ Doctoral Studies

Associate professor

• Visiting address

Södra huset: Building C Room C914

• Responsibility

Responsible for doctoral education when it comes to academic content, implementation etc.

Administrator of doctoral studies

Södra huset: Building C Room C 894

• Responsiblity

General information about doctoral studies and the doctoral courses

Last updated: February 19, 2024

Source: Department of Law

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So, you want to do a PhD in international law?

I’ve become frustrated recently at the lack of practical information for those contemplating PhD level study, especially in my own field. Information about the practical pitfalls, perils and joys of further study. So I decided to write a series of blog posts on the topic, pointing to relevant resources. (This is aimed at graduate students in the English speaking Commonwealth: Europe, the US and elsewhere I can’t necessarily vouch for.)

This will be a longish post, and you probably think: ‘Ah, this will be about writing a killer application to my preferred school!’ Yes, that will be covered briefly. But first, grab a seat, we need to share a few home truths – and ask some hard questions.

What’s my motivation?

If you do want to do a PhD in international law the first question to ask yourself is: ‘ Why ?’

I was rather offended when an economist friend (himself with a PhD) asked me this in Cambridge pub towards the end of my LLM. But it remains an important question. The three typical answers are: (a) ‘because I want to, I feel I’m not done studying and learning’; (b) ‘I want to become an academic’; (c) ‘I’ve got good marks in law up ’til now, I’ve no other career plans, so this seems like the next thing – and worst case scenario, I’ll just teach, right?’

The only good answer is (a). If your answer includes (b), there’s some further information you really need. If your answer is (c), this is probably a terribly bad idea.

Here’s several things few people will tell you straight out.

(1) As more PhDs come onto the employment market, a PhD is increasingly necessary for an academic post but it is not sufficient. At least 50% of PhD graduates do not go on to academic jobs, and in a squeezed university sector many jobs will not be well-paid or secure . (We’ll come to what you do need to secure an academic post later, but it includes both merit and luck.) So, idea (c) is deeply flawed. A PhD does not entitle you to teach. An academic career is not a fall-back plan, it’s highly competitive . There are some reasons to be slightly more optimistic in Law as a field (see later posts), but most PhD graduates will not go on to academic careers.

(2) Doing a PhD is going to be hard. A former LLM student wrote to me recently. She has started a PhD at an excellent university and has a wonderful supervisor. ‘I had no idea how hard this would be,’ she wrote. We’ll come back to why – and how to cope – in a later post. Completion rate statistics are notoriously unreliable for graduate students, but probably 30% of PhD candidates in the UK (across all fields) do not complete . (Numbers in the US and Canada are as bad or worse.)

(3) A PhD has a measurable economic cost to you. At best it has an earnings premium of 3% over a one-year master’s degree . However, even if you’re lucky enough to have a scholarship, three or (likely) four or more years of foregone income is a big setback by the end of a working life. Essentially, you are becoming more qualified in order to earn less.

So, doing the maths, even if admitted to a PhD programme, your chances of completing the PhD and finding an academic post are about 35% at best.  The remaining 65% who do not complete or find an academic post may carry a crippling sense of failure for things which are generally not their fault. (Again, more on this in the next post in this series.)

Undeterred? Fine, let’s talk about your proposal and where you should send it.

  Writing an application and a research proposal

The admissions committee will be interested in the following things in roughly this order: your grades (including evidence of writing a substantial dissertation), your research proposal, your references, your work experience, your personal statement. All are important, but a great personal statement or fabulous work experience with UN agencies will not compensate for a bad proposal.

Most UK PhD programmes now require a prior one-year LLM including a written dissertation. At UCL our minimum requirement is a good Merit level LLM with a Distinction in the dissertation. (Australians take note: UK marking scales usually stop at ‘Distinction’ so read this as meaning ‘High Distinction’ in Australian terms.) This LLM dissertation mark is vital.

On references: you need referees who can speak to your research potential. Ask academics who know your work to write references, not the most senior people you’ve had contact with. A reference that speaks in detail about your LLM dissertation-writing is worth more than a few sentences from your Dean.

Alright, let’s talk about the all-important research proposal. Here are the things a good proposal must do:

(1) Identify ‘a gap in the literature’. Your PhD has to either ask a question that has not been asked before, or bring a new angle on an existing field. This can be done in a number of ways but you have to explain why this is something that has not been done before.

Here’s where your LLM studies help. Do you recall thinking: ‘There must be a book on X?’ but not finding it? Or, ‘Yes this article is great, but why doesn’t it deal with Y?’ Or, ‘Everyone seems to agree on Z, but surely there’s something not very convincing about that proposition … ’ Or, ‘Huh, there’s an interesting comparison between how the World Trade Organisation deals with these environmental issues and proposals before the UNFAO.’ Any of these thoughts might be the core of a PhD topic.

Other important attributes are:

(2) methodology (how will you go about this? do you need to acquire skills you don’t have, e.g. statistics?);

(3) realistic scope (e.g. can you really survey all internationalized or ‘hybrid’ criminal tribunals’ sentencing practices in the time available?);

(4) a clear grasp of the existing literature (a provisional bibliography of six or seven items clearly isn’t enough); and

(5) a provisional argument or goal – what do you think this study will reveal? What are your reasoned views (subject to further research)?  If you don’t have an argument, you don’t have a proposal.

Finally: get feedback on your proposal. Ask former teachers to comment, friends from the LLM – or better friends who have gone on to PhD programmes themselves. E-mail an advanced draft to possible supervisors to ask for comments. (The worst they can do is never answer.)

Where should I apply?

You’ve come up with an astonishingly good proposal on sentencing practices in international criminal tribunals, distinguishing what you will do as different from the two major books in the field. You also know the University of Camford has an incredibly prestigious law school, so you want to send it there. However, if Camford has no international criminal lawyers you are wasting your time. Even if they do, and you’re proposing use of statistical methods in a proposal to a Faculty where no one does empirical legal studies, you are also likely wasting your time. Worse, if they admit you and have no relevant specialists, how can your project succeed?

(1) Do your research first. Nothing makes an application look less promising than the fact the candidate hasn’t bothered looking at the website, but has just assumed a good Faculty can offer supervision in anything.

(2) Don’t change your proposal to fit the Faculty. You have to live with this project for three years, you have to do all the work. Why pitch something you’re not interested in?

(3) Never, ever write to a member of Faculty asking for them to suggest a topic for you, or asking how you could change your topic to fit their research interests.  As above, do write to potential supervisors asking if they have time to comment briefly on your proposal.

(4) An uncomfortable truth is not all PhDs are created equal (for an exaggerated account see this US piece ). A school with a world-renowned reputation is clearly going to help your CV and employment prospects more than study elsewhere. Certainly, some Faculties in less well-known universities may have centres for excellence in specific fields. But doing a PhD at a university without a strong research profile is a definite risk when you go looking for a first academic job.

Essentially: apply to a good Faculty that can support your topic. If you got a Distinction in your LLM research dissertation, speak to your dissertation supervisor/examiner. They will be in a good position to discuss ideas and options. There is an obvious advantage in applying to law schools where you are already known from undergraduate or graduate study.

Why have I been rejected?

You have a great proposal, references and marks. Why would a good school not take you? Well, PhD recruitment is different to other programmes. A PhD student is a big responsibility for a supervisor, and your proposal needs to be close enough to their own expertise that they can competently supervise it. Further, most universities will need to find a second supervisor for you, someone who’s specialism is at least a broad fit for the topic. Finally, there is a limit to how many PhD students a supervisor can responsibly take on. Big names in your chosen field may well be fully ‘booked up’, possibly for years. Hard as it may be to believe, it’s not personal. It’s often not a rejection of you: it may be a question of fit or timing.

OK, you’ve decided to do this. You’ve written your application. You’ve got an offer of a PhD place. But you still have no idea what you’ve let yourself in for. Next up: surviving and thriving during a PhD.

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Kevin Jon Heller says

August 22, 2012

Great post, and I look forward to the others. But I question [3], about the value added by a PhD. I doubt whether the research in the article you link to can be so easily applied to international law. You only discuss academic positions, but many students who want careers in international law will compete for other jobs -- in government, with NGOs, at tribunals, etc. I think it is safe to say (based on anecdotal evidence regarding our graduates) that a PhD makes it far easier to get a full-time paid position outside of academia than an LLM, not only because there are far fewer candidates with a PhD, but also because completion evidences the kind of ability to do research and write than employers seek out. I also think that the value of a PhD will only increase as the number of international criminal tribunals decreases -- we are only four or five years away from the ICC being the only international criminal tribunal in town.

As for the financial cost, there is a saying in the US that if someone isn't paying you to do a PhD, you shouldn't be doing it. I think that is good advice, unless you're rich and can easily afford to finance your own education. But if you do have a fellowship, I think the value added by a PhD more than justifies the extra time -- especially if you can complete it in three years. (Which many of our PhDs do.) Two extra years isn't that long, especially if you are doing the kind of networking -- publishing essays, attending conferences, etc. -- that will facilitate finding a good position inside or outside of academia afterward.

Douglas Guilfoyle says

Thanks for the comment! Despite the length of my reply, I don't think we're miles apart on this. It's about an assessment of the odds and what you think the relevant comparison is.

Your point on value-add is certainly reasonable.

I agree we have to treat all data on employment outcomes with caution. And I do note above that there is more reason to be optimistic about the availability of academic sector jobs in Law than some disciplines (a theme future posts will cover).

However, I think we need to hold two possible outcomes apart: (1) the odds of getting a job in academia or international law more broadly; and (2) lifetime earnings - irrespective of the sector you work in.

Does a PhD in international law help get regarding (1)? Certainly. I'm not arguing it doesn't, but it's certainly no guarantee. Public international law jobs remain highly competitive.

Does a PhD necessarily boost lifetime earnings (my point (2))? I'd suggest no, not necessarily.

Even if you get a job in (1), many international law/academic jobs are not necessarily as well-paid as commercial sector alternatives. (For every well-paid academic or international civil service role, there are many underpaid contract research or NGO roles, etc etc).

Alternatively, if you don't secure an international law related job, are you likely to get a significant pay 'bonus' for a PhD over a Masters? The general answer seems to be 'no'.

You might, in looking for employment outside (1), be advantaged with a PhD over job applicants with an LLM - but LLM students have a head start of several years looking for jobs (and earning money). I suspect that any difference largely washes out over the long run.

Also, I'm not sure there's *any* hard data suggesting PhDs get a significant salary 'bump' for the fact of having a PhD in the general employment market outside their field of specialism. (Some, of course, may but there's not a lot of evidence general employers 'get' the transferable skills of a PhD.)

In addition, the difference in years of lost earnings between the two qualifications isn't usually 2 years - it's 3 or 4. An LLM is now normally expected for entry into a PhD and relatively few students complete the PhD in less than 3 years.

I thus think it's fair to warn students that over a lifetime, the difference in *earnings* between a PhD and LLM is not likely to be much and may come out not in your favour.

You're right: the difference in career prospects is certainly different, but a job in your preferred sector will remain highly competitive and is not guaranteed.

On your second point: I largely agree. A PhD is a big risk to undertake self-funded.

I am somewhat less optimistic that publishing, attending conferences, networking etc helps secure jobs outside academia one would not otherwise have had a shot at (compared with an LLM student who spent that time working or interning, networking, etc). But, in making any of these assessments the question is 'compared to what?' - and we have more anecdote than data on this.

Anyway, career development will be a recurring theme in these posts over future weeks, and I hope you'll continue to prod me any time you think I'm being overly pessimistic.

ranjeed says

August 23, 2012

I am not sure about this statement: "I also think that the value of a PhD will only increase as the number of international criminal tribunals decreases — we are only four or five years away from the ICC being the only international criminal tribunal in town."

The ICC will need people with practical background. And they will be easy to find with all the tribunals shut down. With the last ASP in mind, the ICC will lack resources and there will be dozens of qualified lawyers who left ad hocs and hybrids for many, many years to come. Starting a PhD in the international criminal law these days with the ambition to get a job with the ICC seems a bit naive to me.

August 24, 2012

I concur with Ranjeed on the need for the ICC to hire people with practical background as opposed to academic one. The ICC judiciary had an (un)fortune of having people from highly academic backgrounds work as legal officers - we know how that turned out. They spent days writing 50 pages memos and submissions on minor procedural issues - which often got scuttled on appeals. 700+ pages Lubanga judgment on two minor counts is also an indication of what academic graphomania leads to. A waste of court's time and money. People forget that the ICC is not a university or any other academic institution - it is a COURT. Guilt or innocence with an utmost expediency is all that matters.

Stuart Ford says

I think Kevin's point was that as the other tribunals shut down there will be a glut of former tribunal personnel competing for the ICC slots. It is in this situation that a PhD might help you out vis a vis these ex-tribunal folks, most of whom will not have a PhD. I must say that having been on some hiring committees at a tribunal that (generally) all those with PhDs made it past the first cut. Obviously most still got cut at the second or third stages, but it certainly seemed to help get you through the initial stage of cutting down the 700 CVs to the 50 or so you intend to seriously consider.

Stuart made my my point perfectly. I was thinking not about current tribunal employees, but about the new graduates who are going to have to compete with them once they are cut loose from other tribunals. I think having a PhD will be one important way for new graduates to distinguish themselves.

Dapo Akande says

August 26, 2012

Many thanks for this post. I agree with much of what you have to say and I am sure many will find your points particularly helpful in thinking about whether to embark on the Phd enterprise. I do disagree with you on one issue though. In your section on the motivation for doing a Phd you list three possibilities, including (b) ‘I want to become an academic’ but then say that (a)[‘because I want to, I feel I’m not done studying and learning’] is the only good answer. However, I think (b) is also a good answer. I do agree with your point that having a Phd is not sufficient for embarking on an academic career. But it is now close to being a necessary condition.

It has long been the case that a PhD was necessary for an academic career in most disciplines and even in law in continental europe. In most English speaking countries, law stood out as an exception - PhDs were usually not required. But in England that is changing [has changed?]. It is not long ago that most people starting out as academics in law would not have had PhDs but no longer. It is now the norm that most people starting out academic careers in law today will have a PhD and also that a PhD will be sought by those hiring for that stage of career.

Even in the US I suspect that things are changing. They certainly seem to be changing at the top ranked law schools, many of which now require PhDs for entry level positions. Usually, these will be PhDs in a discipline other than law but there is still this noticeable trend to go for those with PhDs rather than those without.

August 27, 2012

I think the last statistic I saw for US entry-level law school hiring was that 30-40% of new hires now have a PhD. Since there are very few US law schools that offer PhDs in law (although I think Opinio Juris noted that a couple of US law PhD programs are in the works) most people here get their PhD's in Economics or Political Science, but we are seeing PhD's in other topics, including Sociology, Anthropology and others. We are also seeing more SJD's which are more like a PhD than an M.Phil (at least as I understand it).

September 3, 2012

Thanks for you comment. I may be overstating my case somewhat.

However, I simply wanted to make the point that if one is doing a PhD solely for reasons of (b) (becoming an academic), the odds of disappointment are high.

For example, I am not sure I would recommend to anyone that they undertake a 3-4 year training course with a 65% chance of it not leading to the job they wanted.

Obviously any number of factors may shave these odds up or down in individual cases - but we have to acknowledge the fact that many PhDs who want academic posts will not get one or will only get quite insecure posts.

In my view, (b) is a good reason - but only so long as it is coupled with (a).

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