Master of Judicial Studies

At Duke Law’s Master of Judicial Studies Program, judges learn the analytical skills and research approaches necessary for studying judicial institutions and apply those skills to studies of domestic and international judicial institutions, common and emerging legal issues, general judicial practices, and judicial reform efforts. Dean David Levi’s vision and leadership are evident. Together with several colleagues, he has brought together a remarkable nucleus of scholars and experts to produce an intensive and challenging curriculum touching on a critical array of issues relating to judicial institutions, judicial behavior, and decision-making. In addition to teaching substantive law courses, like constitutional and statutory law interpretation, federalism, international law, and analytic methods, leading scholars in the field of bias recognition help judges better identify and understand influences that may affect their decision-making. The program ends by offering judges the singular opportunity to work on a research thesis of publishable quality that may profoundly impact the judiciary.