Queen's Law Launches Ph.D. Program

Photo by Bernard Clark   Larger Photo

LL.M. student Tarun Preet Singh, Associate Dean (Graduate Studies and Research) Mark Walters, LL.M. students Jacques Ménard and Peter Atupare, Professor Phil Goldman, LL.M. student Saptarshi Chakraborty, Graduate Studies Assistant Phyllis Reid, and LL.M. student Angela Fallow.

Marking a new milestone, Queen's will welcome the first doctoral students in law in September 2009.

Recognizing Queen's Law's rich research-intensive culture, the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies approved the Ph.D. in law degree in June 2008. By introducing the Ph.D. program, Queen's Law is responding to a growing demand for advanced qualifications from students interested in academic or research careers in law.

"Expanding the Queen's graduate program to include doctoral studies is a critical step in the evolution of the law school as a centre for teaching and research excellence," said Associate Dean (Graduate Studies and Research) Mark Walters, Law ‘89.

In the program, top law students from Canada and abroad will have the opportunity to work closely with leading legal scholars at Queen's. These students, who will hold LL.B. or J.D. and LL.M. degrees, will conduct thorough and original research to produce a significant piece of legal scholarship, typically over a three-year period.

During the course of their studies, Ph.D. students will also make significant contributions to the school. "Doctoral students will play a vital role in enriching the academic community at Queen's, not only through their own research activities," said Walters, "but also by teaching and by working with professors on funded research projects."

The doctoral program will further enhance Queen's Law's reputation as a leading institution for graduate studies. Since the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program was established in 1969, Queen's Law has prepared hundreds of graduate students for rewarding careers in legal education, research and policy work. Queen's LL.M. graduates work throughout Canada and abroad as law professors in universities as well as in government positions. They serve as counsel to international organizations and as judges in such diverse places as New Zealand and Zambia.

And, as early as 2012, the first Queen's Law students will be defending their doctoral dissertations, ready to leave their imprint on the global legal landscape.