llm dissertation research proposal

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School of Law

Writing a research proposal

Our research students

Preparing your research proposal is the important first step to becoming a postgraduate research student at the School of Law.

The focus of your proposal will be slightly different depending on whether you wish to do a PhD or an LLM by research, but the principles of what to include and who to contact for advice are the same.

Speaking to a potential supervisor

Before you write your detailed research proposal, you may wish to contact a member of our research staff with knowledge of the subject area. They who should be able to advise you whether or not your proposed topic is feasible.

This can be done prior to a formal application.

If you are not sure who is the best person to contact, an initial enquiry can be made to our Postgraduate Administrator, Susan Holmes .

What to include in your proposal

A proposal for an LLM by research or a PhD should not exceed 15 pages in length and is unlikely to be less than 8 pages in length.

Check the limit specified by the funding body to which you are applying.

It should include the following:

A working title

The research context.

This is the background against which your research will be carried out.

It should be a brief introduction outlining the general area of study and identifying the subject area within which your study falls. You should also refer to the current state of knowledge (i.e. what research has been done to date) and any recent debates on the subject.

You need to reference this in the same way as you would do if you were writing an essay e.g. any articles or books you refer to should have a footnote with the full details of author, title, publication date, etc.

The research issue, aims or questions

Outline the contribution that your research will make. It is normally best to do this in the form of specific aims or research questions or issues.

The importance of your proposed research

Demonstrate how your research fills a gap in existing research, by showing that it hasn’t been done before.

Explain why your research is important. It is not enough to say that this has not been studied previously, you need to explain why it is important or interesting enough to be studied.

‎Research methods

Here you need to explain how you will obtain the information necessary to write your thesis.

Explain whether you will use secondary and/or primary sources
Give some detail on exactly how you will obtain your information

For most law students, you will probably rely on documentary sources – information that already exists in some form e.g. journal articles, case reports, legislation, treaties, historical records.

In this case you need to say a little about how you will access these (bearing in mind that as a student of the University you will be provided with access to legal databases including Westlaw and LexisLibrary).

If yours is a comparative or international study, you will need to explain how you will obtain the relevant international materials and whether or not this will involve travel.

Some studies, however, might involve empirical research – information that is gathered through direct interaction with people and processes such as interviews, questionnaires, court observation or analysis of private records.

If you plan to undertake empirical research, you need to explain why this is an appropriate research method and give details of your planned methodology (e.g. who you hope to interview, how many interviews you will carry out).

In this section, you should also explain any special skills you have that will assist you in obtaining information, for example, if you plan to look at French law and you can read or speak French.

You should provide a very approximate timetable for the research.

For example, the timetable for a research LLM thesis comparing French law and Scots law might be:

months 1-3 reading theoretical material and developing theoretical framework
months 4-6 reading and analysing French materials
months 7-9 reading and analysing Scottish materials
months 9-12 writing up the thesis

Research proposals for a PhD

When choosing a subject for your thesis, consider the requirements for a relevant degree and whether you can stick within the time and word limits. A PhD thesis must be from 70,000 to 100,000 words including footnotes.

Consider how your study will demonstrate originality. It is not enough simply to reproduce existing knowledge. There are many ways in which you can do this – it does not necessarily require you to study something that has never been studied before in any way, shape or form. For example, you could:

Study something that has never been studied before
Bring new insights to an existing area of legal thought
Work between disciplines eg. by applying philosophical, psychological or sociological analysis to legal issues
Bring together areas of legal thought that have not been brought together before eg. use concepts from property law to analyse sexual offences
Analyse new case law/new legislation in a particular area of law
Identify new problems with existing case law/legislation in a particular area of law
Undertake an empirical study to see if the law is achieving its objectives

You also need to make sure your topic is not too broad. It is inappropriate to write a thesis that reads like a textbook. This is not sufficiently advanced work and your treatment will be too superficial. You need to choose something that will give you the scope both to describe and critically analyse the law. For example, a thesis on “the law relating to criminal defences inScotland” or “a review of EC law governing the enforcement of European law in national courts of member states” would be too broad. You would have to narrow down your topic to consideration of one particular aspect of the topic (e.g. one specific defence or one specific aspect of European law).

Recent and current PhD thesis topics have included:

Peacekeepers as enforcers? A legal analysis of the attribution of enforcement powers to UN peacekeeping operations in the new millenium
The impact of the World Trade Organisation on the formulation of the anti-monopoly law of the People’s Republic ofChina
Access to employment and career progression for women in the European labour market
Consent to medical treatment and the competent adult
Migratory things on or beneath land: a study of property and rights of use
The effect of the constitutional relations betweenScotlandandEnglandon their conflict of laws relations: a Scottish perspective
Persuasion: a historical-comparative study of the role of persuasion within the judicial decision-making process
Law reform proposals for the protection of the right to seek refugee status in the European Community
Historicizing the criminalization of youth

Research proposals for an LLM by research

For an LLM by research, your study should still be critical rather than simply describing the law in a particular area.

The field of study is likely to be significantly narrower than for a PhD, as it has a 30,000 word limit.

Recent and current LLM by research thesis topics have included:

Sustainable development and urban governance in planning law
Domestic abuse and Scots law
Criminal liability for individuals who fail to prevent harm
Legal and scientific evidence of torture
The responsibility of international organisations: efforts of the international law commission

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Dissertation

How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 11 November 2022.

A dissertation proposal describes the research you want to do: what it’s about, how you’ll conduct it, and why it’s worthwhile. You will probably have to write a proposal before starting your dissertation as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

A dissertation proposal should generally include:

An introduction to your topic and aims
A literature review of the current state of knowledge
An outline of your proposed methodology
A discussion of the possible implications of the research
A bibliography of relevant sources

Dissertation proposals vary a lot in terms of length and structure, so make sure to follow any guidelines given to you by your institution, and check with your supervisor when you’re unsure.

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Step 1: coming up with an idea, step 2: presenting your idea in the introduction, step 3: exploring related research in the literature review, step 4: describing your methodology, step 5: outlining the potential implications of your research, step 6: creating a reference list or bibliography.

Before writing your proposal, it’s important to come up with a strong idea for your dissertation.

Find an area of your field that interests you and do some preliminary reading in that area. What are the key concerns of other researchers? What do they suggest as areas for further research, and what strikes you personally as an interesting gap in the field?

Once you have an idea, consider how to narrow it down and the best way to frame it. Don’t be too ambitious or too vague – a dissertation topic needs to be specific enough to be feasible. Move from a broad field of interest to a specific niche:

Russian literature 19th century Russian literature The novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky
Social media Mental health effects of social media Influence of social media on young adults suffering from anxiety

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Like most academic texts, a dissertation proposal begins with an introduction . This is where you introduce the topic of your research, provide some background, and most importantly, present your aim , objectives and research question(s) .

Try to dive straight into your chosen topic: What’s at stake in your research? Why is it interesting? Don’t spend too long on generalisations or grand statements:

Social media is the most important technological trend of the 21st century. It has changed the world and influences our lives every day.
Psychologists generally agree that the ubiquity of social media in the lives of young adults today has a profound impact on their mental health. However, the exact nature of this impact needs further investigation.

Once your area of research is clear, you can present more background and context. What does the reader need to know to understand your proposed questions? What’s the current state of research on this topic, and what will your dissertation contribute to the field?

If you’re including a literature review, you don’t need to go into too much detail at this point, but give the reader a general sense of the debates that you’re intervening in.

This leads you into the most important part of the introduction: your aim, objectives and research question(s) . These should be clearly identifiable and stand out from the text – for example, you could present them using bullet points or bold font.

Make sure that your research questions are specific and workable – something you can reasonably answer within the scope of your dissertation. Avoid being too broad or having too many different questions. Remember that your goal in a dissertation proposal is to convince the reader that your research is valuable and feasible:

Does social media harm mental health?
What is the impact of daily social media use on 18– to 25–year–olds suffering from general anxiety disorder?

Now that your topic is clear, it’s time to explore existing research covering similar ideas. This is important because it shows you what is missing from other research in the field and ensures that you’re not asking a question someone else has already answered.

You’ve probably already done some preliminary reading, but now that your topic is more clearly defined, you need to thoroughly analyse and evaluate the most relevant sources in your literature review .

Here you should summarise the findings of other researchers and comment on gaps and problems in their studies. There may be a lot of research to cover, so make effective use of paraphrasing to write concisely:

Smith and Prakash state that ‘our results indicate a 25% decrease in the incidence of mechanical failure after the new formula was applied’.
Smith and Prakash’s formula reduced mechanical failures by 25%.

The point is to identify findings and theories that will influence your own research, but also to highlight gaps and limitations in previous research which your dissertation can address:

Subsequent research has failed to replicate this result, however, suggesting a flaw in Smith and Prakash’s methods. It is likely that the failure resulted from…

Next, you’ll describe your proposed methodology : the specific things you hope to do, the structure of your research and the methods that you will use to gather and analyse data.

You should get quite specific in this section – you need to convince your supervisor that you’ve thought through your approach to the research and can realistically carry it out. This section will look quite different, and vary in length, depending on your field of study.

You may be engaged in more empirical research, focusing on data collection and discovering new information, or more theoretical research, attempting to develop a new conceptual model or add nuance to an existing one.

Dissertation research often involves both, but the content of your methodology section will vary according to how important each approach is to your dissertation.

Empirical research

Empirical research involves collecting new data and analysing it in order to answer your research questions. It can be quantitative (focused on numbers), qualitative (focused on words and meanings), or a combination of both.

With empirical research, it’s important to describe in detail how you plan to collect your data:

Will you use surveys ? A lab experiment ? Interviews?
What variables will you measure?
How will you select a representative sample ?
If other people will participate in your research, what measures will you take to ensure they are treated ethically?
What tools (conceptual and physical) will you use, and why?

It’s appropriate to cite other research here. When you need to justify your choice of a particular research method or tool, for example, you can cite a text describing the advantages and appropriate usage of that method.

Don’t overdo this, though; you don’t need to reiterate the whole theoretical literature, just what’s relevant to the choices you have made.

Moreover, your research will necessarily involve analysing the data after you have collected it. Though you don’t know yet what the data will look like, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and indicate what methods (e.g. statistical tests , thematic analysis ) you will use.

Theoretical research

You can also do theoretical research that doesn’t involve original data collection. In this case, your methodology section will focus more on the theory you plan to work with in your dissertation: relevant conceptual models and the approach you intend to take.

For example, a literary analysis dissertation rarely involves collecting new data, but it’s still necessary to explain the theoretical approach that will be taken to the text(s) under discussion, as well as which parts of the text(s) you will focus on:

This dissertation will utilise Foucault’s theory of panopticism to explore the theme of surveillance in Orwell’s 1984 and Kafka’s The Trial…

Here, you may refer to the same theorists you have already discussed in the literature review. In this case, the emphasis is placed on how you plan to use their contributions in your own research.

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You’ll usually conclude your dissertation proposal with a section discussing what you expect your research to achieve.

You obviously can’t be too sure: you don’t know yet what your results and conclusions will be. Instead, you should describe the projected implications and contribution to knowledge of your dissertation.

First, consider the potential implications of your research. Will you:

Develop or test a theory?
Provide new information to governments or businesses?
Challenge a commonly held belief?
Suggest an improvement to a specific process?

Describe the intended result of your research and the theoretical or practical impact it will have:

Finally, it’s sensible to conclude by briefly restating the contribution to knowledge you hope to make: the specific question(s) you hope to answer and the gap the answer(s) will fill in existing knowledge:

Like any academic text, it’s important that your dissertation proposal effectively references all the sources you have used. You need to include a properly formatted reference list or bibliography at the end of your proposal.

Different institutions recommend different styles of referencing – commonly used styles include Harvard , Vancouver , APA , or MHRA . If your department does not have specific requirements, choose a style and apply it consistently.

A reference list includes only the sources that you cited in your proposal. A bibliography is slightly different: it can include every source you consulted in preparing the proposal, even if you didn’t mention it in the text. In the case of a dissertation proposal, a bibliography may also list relevant sources that you haven’t yet read, but that you intend to use during the research itself.

Check with your supervisor what type of bibliography or reference list you should include.

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Caulfield, J. (2022, November 11). How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Retrieved 26 August 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/proposal/

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Guide To LLM Dissertation Writing

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Choosing the topic

Five key considerations when choosing your dissertation topic are:

Why are you studying an LLM in thr first place?
Which modules have you enjoyed the most?
Which areas of the law have a good support base at your institution?
What are the strengths of your law library?
Is your potential topic a wide enough question?

Obviously, choosing a topic is a necessary stage to get underway before you can start researching and writing your dissertation. You should spend time carefully considering the subject of your dissertation as it might end up being the clincher for that first job after you finish your studies. Make sure you pick a topic that you find interesting, but that also has the balance of support from your lecturers and professors.

You'll need to be uniquely motivated to produce a dissertation about a subject that none of your lectures or professors knows much about. Understanding why you have picked the particular subject will ensure you're choosing the right topic, but don't spend too much time considering what to do as you'll need to get on with it.

Dissertation support

You will have plenty of dissertation support organised through your law school. Some of it might be compulsory sessions that you must undertake as part of your LLM program, while others may be support sessions that can help you stay focused throughout your dissertation work.

Make sure you attend these sessions and don’t hesitate to ask questions if in doubt. It might be a good idea to share your dissertation structure with tutors or designated academic contacts that can give you feedback on your progress. Law school libraries usually have books that tell you how best to prepare for your dissertation. Keep an eye out for skills sessions on writing or research methods. These will prove useful when you get down to drafting content for your dissertation and will enable you to put to practice acquired skills that you picked up during these sessions.

Planning and organisation

Some people love creating a filing system and hopefully, you're one of them as this is a great way to organise your LLM dissertation. You'll need to keep your research well organised to enable you to quickly access it when you are writing your dissertation. It's a good idea to have research divided into chapters early on.

It's a good idea to follow a file management procedure to save your dissertation material. This material could consist of both printed (photocopies from the library or print-outs of research articles) and online documents. Try to follow a consistent labelling/naming convention so that you can locate documents quickly. For instance, if you have a vast number of online articles and research papers to go through, then categorise them in such a way that they fall under relevant chapters of your dissertation.

Any research you do online will need to be backed up, and of course, you will have the dissertation itself backed up too. Do not have everything saved on one ancient laptop, instead build in a routine for how you save and backup your data daily so it just becomes part of how you work. If you start as early as you can on your dissertation, then you'll be able to build in planning time and create a realistic timetable for your work, with escapes from your dissertation to let you reflect on what you have done so far.

Researching

There is no easy or quick way around this, you are just going to have to get going with the research as soon as possible. Remember that law libraries get busy during the second semester so you'll need to get there early in the mornings or stay late sometimes.

You also don't want to wait around for particular texts that have a limited availability. If you realise you need a book that someone else has checked-out of the library, then let the staff know as soon as you know so you have a chance of getting it. Don't forget about online law libraries and resources too, and speak with your academic staff if you are really struggling to access what you need.

Don't wait until you think you've done all the researching before you start writing up your findings. Writing up an LLM dissertation takes time and thought. Start writing as soon as you start researching and keep planning the chapters of your dissertation as you delve deeper into the research. With a bit of luck and good planning, you will find that the chapters are easy to write.

Editing and formatting

Find out before you write a single word what format your dissertation needs to be in for printing and submission. Your law school will likely have their own standards, so you should familiarise yourself with this document before you get started. Establish the right format straight away so you are not spending time at the last minute changing formats or the way you have referenced the whole document.

Don't underestimate how long it will take to edit your dissertation – expect to read through each chapter many times as each read through will show you new and interesting mistakes. And if possible, find a willing friend or family member to give it a final read – fresh eyes are likely to pick up small typos or mistakes.

Printing and submitting

Aim to finish your LLM dissertation with a little time to spare. Towards submission deadlines, university printers are busy places and if you need to print your dissertation at a particular printer then check with them early on to understand how much time they need to get your document ready. You need time for them to print it and time for you to check the printed material as you need to check for formatting errors or any printing mistakes like double pages. Once you've written your dissertation you can take a calm walk into your submissions office and hand over your dissertation. Obviously, everything went to plan and you've finished your dissertation with time to spare and now it's time to relax a little .

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Law Dissertations

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Law Dissertations: A Step-by-Step Guide provides law students with all the guidance and information they need to complete and succeed in their LLB, LLM or law-related dissertation. Written in an accessible, clear format and with plenty of tools to help put the theory into practice, Laura Lammasniemi will show students how to make writing a law dissertation easy, without compromising intellectual rigour.

The primary aim of this book is to tackle the issues that cause anxiety to law students undertaking a dissertation so that they can focus on the research that you find exciting. As well as explaining the process of research and outlining the various legal research approaches, the book also provides practical, step-by-step guidance on how to formulate a proposal, research plan, and literature review. The second edition expands guidance to LLM and Masters students, and provides up-to-date guidance on how to complete your project using both online resources and remotely. Unlike other law research skills books, Law Dissertations: A Step-by-Step Guide includes a section on empirical research methodology and ethics for the benefit of students who are studying for a Masters in law.

Packed full of exercises, worked examples, and tools for self-evaluation, this book is sure to become an essential guide for law students, supporting them on every step of their dissertation journey.

Chapter 1 | 5 pages, introduction, chapter 2 | 9 pages, finding and perfecting your topic, chapter 3 | 11 pages, from a topic to a question, chapter 4 | 9 pages, creating a good research proposal, chapter 5 | 7 pages, planning the project, chapter 6 | 7 pages, creating a research plan, chapter 7 | 14 pages, online research, chapter 8 | 15 pages, legal research methods and approaches, chapter 9 | 18 pages, empirical research, chapter 10 | 13 pages, assessing literature, chapter 11 | 10 pages, literature review, chapter 12 | 16 pages, writing the dissertation, chapter 13 | 15 pages, referencing, chapter 14 | 12 pages, structuring the dissertation, chapter 15 | 11 pages, navigating supervision, chapter 16 | 7 pages, aiming for a first and avoiding fails, chapter 17 | 5 pages, preparing for submission.

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LLM Research and Writing Options

Working as a research assistant for a law school professor.

Faculty members may offer students the opportunity to work as research assistants (RAs) for monetary compensation or, if the professor deems it appropriate based on the nature of the work, for academic credit. For details, review information on serving as a research assistant for faculty .

Directed Research

To undertake Directed Research, students contact individual instructors and agree on a research project. To register, a written proposal must be approved and signed by the instructor, and then submitted to the Office of Graduate Affairs. The written proposal should be at least 1000 words and describe the subject matter of the Directed Research and the issues the student intends to explore in the paper. While any full-time faculty member or visiting faculty member may supervise the research, Adjunct Professors may supervise only with the permission of Vice Dean Hertz.

Directed Research credit may be added through Monday, September 30 for Fall 2024, and Monday, February 3 for Spring 2025.

The usual allocation for Directed Research is two credits. A student may write a one-credit Directed Research. A two-credit Directed Research project should conform to the r equirements for an Option A paper ; a one-credit Directed Research paper should be at least 5,000 words, exclusive of footnotes. A three-credit Directed Research project is highly unusual and requires the approval of Vice Dean Randy Hertz. Students considering a 3-credit Directed Research should contact the Office of Graduate Affairs to discuss.

For non-tax students no more than four of a student's 24 credits may consist of directed research. Tax students may take a maximum of two credits of directed research. Regardless of the type of project involved, students are, of course, expected to submit original, non-duplicative work. When in doubt about proper use of a citation or quotation, discuss the issue with the instructor. Plagiarism is a serious offense that may merit severe discipline. Requests to add Directed Research after the deadline stated above require approval of Vice Dean Hertz. Such requests should be initiated by contacting the Office of Graduate Affairs and will only be considered if your credit load (not including the Directed Research credits) does not drop below minimum requirements after the add/drop period. Students who are granted permission to late-add Directed Research will not be permitted to drop courses if the result is inconsistent with the above; please plan your schedule accordingly. After March 15, the Vice Dean may allow a student to add Directed Research only in exceptional circumstances. No more than two credits can be earned in this manner.

Read further about Requirements for Directed Research

Directed Research During the Summer Semester

Students may register for Directed Research during the summer semester. The summer registration deadlines is July 1, unless there is approval by the Vice Dean to add at a later date. Please note that full-time students will be charged per credit for Directed Research during the summer. All work must be submitted by September 1 or by an earlier deadline established by the supervising faculty member.

Writing Credit

In seminars, colloquia, and courses that offer the option to add an additional writing credit, students may earn one credit for writing a substantial paper (at least 10,000 words in length exclusive of footnotes). To earn the additional credit, students must register for the writing credit section of the course within the same semester the course is offered. The deadline for registering is Monday, September 30 for Fall 2024, and Monday, February 3 for Spring 2025.

LLM Thesis Option

LLM students have the option to write a substantial research paper, in conjunction with a seminar or Directed Research that may be recorded as a "thesis" on their transcript. At the onset of the seminar or Directed Research, the student must obtain approval from the professor that the paper will be completed for a "thesis" designation.

It should be substantial in length (at least 10,000 words exclusive of footnotes) and, like the substantial writing requirement for JD students, must be analytical rather than descriptive in nature, showing original thought and analysis. Please note the thesis designation is for a single research paper agreed upon in advance.

The student is required to submit an outline and at least one FULL PRE-FINAL draft to the faculty member in order to receive the thesis notation. When submitting a final draft of the thesis to the faculty member, the student must give the faculty member an LLM Thesis Certification form . The faculty member is required to return the signed form to the Office of Records and Registration when submitting a grade for the course.

Please note that the student will not receive additional credit for writing the thesis, but will only receive credit for the seminar or Directed Research for which he or she is registered.

International Legal Studies Students should review their program requirements for further information about writing an LLM thesis within their program.

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Law dissertations : a step-by-step guide

Lammasniemi, Laura (2021) Law dissertations : a step-by-step guide. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780367568771

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Law Dissertations: A Step-by-Step Guide provides you with all the guidance and information you need to complete and succeed in your LLB, LLM or law-related dissertation. Written in a simple, clear format and with plenty of tools to help you to put the theory into practice, Laura Lammasniemi will show you how to make writing your law dissertation easy, without compromising intellectual rigour.

As well as explaining the process of research and outlining the various legal methodologies, the book also provides practical, step-by-step guidance on how to formulate a proposal, research plan, and literature review. Unlike other law research skills books, it includes a section on empirical research methodology and ethics for the benefit of students who are studying for a law-related degree.

Packed full of exercises, worked examples and tools for self-evaluation, this book is sure to become your essential guide, supporting you on every step of your journey in writing your law dissertation.

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Place of Publication:	London
ISBN:	9780367568771
Official Date:	14 December 2021
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Number of Pages:	198
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HLS Dissertations, Theses, and JD Papers

S.j.d. dissertations, ll.m. papers, ll.m. theses, j.d. papers, submitting your paper to an online collection, other sources for student papers beyond harvard, getting help, introduction.

This is a guide to finding Harvard Law School (“HLS”) student-authored works held by the Library and in online collections. This guide covers HLS S.J.D Dissertations, LL.M. papers, J.D. third-year papers, seminar papers, and prize papers.

There have been changes in the HLS degree requirements for written work. The library’s collection practices and catalog descriptions for these works has varied. Please note that there are gaps in the library’s collection and for J.D. papers, few of these works are being collected any longer.

If we have an S.J.D. dissertation or LL.M. thesis, we have two copies. One is kept in the general collection and one in the Red Set, an archival collection of works authored by HLS affiliates. If we have a J.D. paper, we have only one copy, kept in the Red Set. Red Set copies are last resort copies available only by advance appointment in Historical and Special Collections .

Some papers have not been processed by library staff. If HOLLIS indicates a paper is “ordered-received” please use this form to have library processing completed.

The HLS Doctor of Juridical Science (“S.J.D.”) program began in 1910. The library collection of these works is not comprehensive. Exceptions are usually due to scholars’ requests to withhold Library deposit.

HLS S.J.D. Dissertations in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic or faculty advisor, or limit by date, click Add a New Line.
Hein’s Legal Theses and Dissertations Microfiche Mic K556.H45x Drawers 947-949 This microfiche set includes legal theses and dissertations from HLS and other premier law schools. It currently includes about 300 HLS dissertations and theses.
Hein's Legal Theses and Dissertations Contents List This content list is in order by school only, not by date, subject or author. It references microfiche numbers within the set housed in the Microforms room on the entry level of the library, drawers 947-949. The fiche are a different color for each institution.
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses @ Harvard University (Harvard login) Copy this search syntax: dg(S.J.D.) You will find about 130 SJD Dissertations dated from 1972 to 2004. They are not available in full text.
DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, DASH is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. There are currently about 600 HLS student papers included. Unfortunately it is not possible to search by type of paper or degree awarded.

The Master of Laws (“LL.M.”) degree has been awarded since 1923. Originally, the degree required completion of a major research paper, akin to a thesis. Since 1993, most students have the option of writing the LL.M. "short paper." This is a 25-page (or longer) paper advised by a faculty supervisor or completed in conjunction with a seminar. Fewer LL.M. candidates continue to write the more extensive "long-paper." LL.M. candidates holding J.D.s from the U.S. must write the long paper.

HLS Written Work Requirements for LL.M. Degree The current explanation of the LL.M. written work requirement for the master of laws.

The library generally holds HLS LL.M. long papers and short papers. In recent years, we require author release in order to do so. In HOLLIS, no distinction is made between types of written work created in satisfaction of the LL.M. degree; all are described as LL.M. thesis. Though we describe them as thesis, the law school refers to them solely as papers or in earlier years, essays. HOLLIS records indicate the number of pages, so at the record level, it is possible to distinguish long papers.

HLS LL.M. Papers in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

Note that beginning with papers from the 2023-24 academic year, papers will be available in digital format only. The workflow for this new process is underway.

HLS LL.M. Papers are sometimes available in DASH and Hein's Legal Dissertations and Theses. See descriptions above .

The HLS J.D. written work requirement has changed over time. The degree formerly required a substantial research paper comparable in scope to a law review article written under faculty supervision, the "third year paper." Since 2008, J.D. students have the option of using two shorter works instead.

Of all those written, the library holds relatively few third-year papers. They were not actively collected but accepted by submission from faculty advisors who deemed a paper worthy of institutional retention. The papers are described in HOLLIS as third year papers, seminar papers, and student papers. Sometimes this distinction was valid, but not always. The faculty deposit tradition more or less ended in 2006, though the possibility of deposit still exists.

J.D. Written Work Requirement
Faculty Deposit of Student Papers with the Library

HLS Third Year Papers in HOLLIS

To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

HLS Student Papers Some third-year papers and LL.M. papers were described in HOLLIS simply as student papers. To refine these search results, click "Add a New Line" and add topic, faculty advisor, or course title.
HLS Seminar Papers Note that these include legal research pathfinders produced for the Advanced Legal Research course when taught by Virginia Wise.

Prize Papers

HLS has many endowed prizes for student papers and essays. There are currently 16 different writing prizes. See this complete descriptive list with links to lists of winners from 2009 to present. Note that there is not always a winner each year for each award. Prize winners are announced each year in the commencement pamphlet.

The Library has not specifically collected prize papers over the years but has added copies when possible. The HOLLIS record for the paper will usually indicate its status as a prize paper. The most recent prize paper was added to the collection in 2006.

Addison Brown Prize Animal Law & Policy Program Writing Prize Victor Brudney Prize Davis Polk Legal Profession Paper Prize Roger Fisher and Frank E.A. Sander Prize Yong K. Kim ’95 Memorial Prize Islamic Legal Studies Program Prize on Islamic Law Laylin Prize LGBTQ Writing Prize Mancini Prize Irving Oberman Memorial Awards John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics Project on the Foundations of Private Law Prize Sidney I. Roberts Prize Fund Klemens von Klemperer Prize Stephen L. Werner Prize

Harvard Law School Prize Essays (1850-1868) A historical collection of handwritten prize essays covering the range of topics covered at that time. See this finding aid for a collection description.

The following information about online repositories is not a recommendation or endorsement to participate.

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses HLS is not an institutional participant to this collection. If you are interested in submitting your work, refer to these instructions and note that there is a fee required, which varies depending on the format of submission.
EBSCO Open Dissertations Relatively new, this is an open repository of metadata for dissertations. It is an outgrowth of the index American Doctoral Dissertations. The aim is to cover 1933 to present and, for modern works, to link to full text available in institutional repositories. Harvard is not one of the institutional participants.
DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard

Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, this is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. See more information about the project.

Some HLS students have submitted their degree paper to DASH. If you would like to submit your paper, you may use this authorization form or contact June Casey , Librarian for Open Access Initiatives and Scholarly Communication at Harvard Law School.

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (Harvard Login) Covers dissertations and masters' theses from North American graduate schools and many worldwide. Provides full text for many since the 1990s and has descriptive data for older works.
NDLTD Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations Union Catalog Worldwide in scope, NDLTD contains millions of records of electronic theses and dissertations from the early 1900s to the present.
Law Commons of the Digital Commons Network The Law Commons has dissertations and theses, as well as many other types of scholarly research such as book chapters and conference proceedings. They aim to collect free, full-text scholarly work from hundreds of academic institutions worldwide.
EBSCO Open Dissertations Doctoral dissertations from many institutions. Free, open repository.
Dissertations from Center for Research Libraries Dissertations found in this resource are available to the Harvard University Community through Interlibrary Loan.
British Library EThOS Dissertation source from the British Library listing doctoral theses awarded in the UK. Some available for immediate download and some others may be requested for scanning.
BASE from Bielefeld University Library Index of the open repositoris of most academic institutions. Includes many types of documents including doctoral and masters theses.

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LLM Research Thesis

Year of entry 2024/25 See 2025/26 entry
Course duration Full Time: 12 months Part Time: 24 months

Our LLM by Research Thesis is a research proposal of a level commensurate with master's study.

According to recent data, 99% of our research is of international standing. (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Law.)

Join a dynamic research environment in which to develop your individual research interests, with access to dedicated facilities, exceptional resources and expert supervision. You will benefit from becoming part of our thriving staff and student research community, and will have the opportunity to receive specialist career development advice and support.

The LLM by Research Thesis is an excellent basis for developing a PhD proposal.

For more information, please visit the School of Law's website .

Entry requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall with no element less than 5.5 (or equivalent).

Entry requirements: Please contact the School of Law for entry requirements.

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If you need to improve your English language score, you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

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Master of Laws

Master of Laws by Dissertation programme gives candidates the opportunity to conduct their own research into a specific area of the law.

The Law School receives a large number of applications for research degrees each year and is only able to accommodate a small number of research students.

In practice, a very strong academic record and/or a record of appropriate work or research experience is necessary to gain admission to the research degree programme. In addition, an important consideration is the availability of supervision in your chosen area of research.

Entry Requirements

An LLB degree, a bachelor’s degree with honours, or an appropriate postgraduate diploma.

Your application should include a CV, an academic record (transcript) and a short proposal, also known as an expression of interest.

The short proposal is a document of 7 – 10 pages that outlines the applicant’s proposed research and the research questions to be investigated. It should include a provisional title as well as a provisional bibliography.

Applications are considered on the basis of candidates’ academic record, the strength of their expression of interest and the availability of an appropriate supervisor in the School.

Prospective research students are therefore further encouraged to approach potential supervisors in advance of their application, i.e. to find a member of staff in the School of Law who is willing in principle to supervise their proposed research.

If you do find a willing potential supervisor, indicate this on your expression of interest. You may however proceed with your application even if you do not find a potential supervisor beforehand. In that case, the Postgraduate Studies Committee will endeavour to allocate a supervisor to you in the event that your application is successful.

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Dissertation Topics in Law for LLM Students

Updated on
May 9, 2023

Dissertation Topics in Law for LLM Students-03 (1)

The last academic challenge before the completion of your postgraduate degree is a dissertation or thesis. Many students pursuing LLM are often confused while deciding the correct topic for the dissertation as it requires a lot of research. To help you with the dissertation this blog contains ideal law dissertation topics for LLM in India. Keep reading to know more!

This Blog Includes:

How to choose the best dissertation topic, advantages of choosing a good dissertation topic, criminal law dissertation topics, international law dissertation topics, family law dissertation topics, employment law dissertation topics, international commercial law dissertation topics, law dissertation topics india, intellectual property law topics in dissertation, constitutional law topics in dissertation, sports law topics in dissertation, medical law topics in dissertation, commercial law dissertation topics, company law dissertation topics, tort law dissertation topics, eu law dissertation topics, the english legal system and constitutional and administrative law dissertation topics.

A lot of research and hard work is required to decide what is a correct and valuable topic for the dissertation or thesis. It is seen in various students that before graduation the dissertation is the last hurdle in the way. It is advised to pursue a topic after valuable research and most importantly that goes with the student’s interests.

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LLM DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

This thesis examines the widowhood practices and rights of women in Eastern Nigeria, and discusses how Widows can be safeguarded through the local implementation of human rights. The thesis further examines the negative impact of traditional customs on the human rights of Ibo Widows.

Related Papers

Gbenga Afolayan

DESCRIPTION This research examines the widowhood practices and rights of women in South-Western Nigeria and discusses how the widows can be protected through the localization of human rights terms. The context, causes and impact of the widowhood rituals, in relation to how the traditional practice infringes on the rights of Yoruba widows are central concerns of this research. In addi-tion to this, debates on common and challenging elements that are intimately linked to Yoruba widowhood practices are conceptually and analytically mapped-out, in light of prevailing customary law, national legislation and inter-national human rights laws. Regarding the conceptual frameworks and ap-proaches used, the study explores gender relations, gender-based violence, legal pluralism and human right-based approaches, using CEDAW and the Protocol to the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights. It is conceived as a desk study on secondary data. Through informal interviews, literature study and us...

Odusanya Damilare

Jacob E N E J I ASHIBI

A widowhood rite is a traditional practice in several Nigerian communities today but with a few observed nuances. As one of those rites that is characterised by compulsion, threat, emotional, sexual and physical violation of victims, the practice appears to be in outright defiance of the fundamental human rights of women as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the United Nations treaty and other legal instruments of international emphasising to which Nigeria is a signatory. This article examined the features of widowhood traditional practice as operational in the southeastern, southwestern, south southern, and Northern Nigeria; and by so doing brought out salient components that undermine the full expression of women’s rights under the practices of widowhood. The Deviant place theory as well as the Routine activity theory were deployed as a framework. The study found that poverty on the part of men and women, ignorance, illiteracy, culture, greed on some men’s part and low status of women are some of the most reckoned enablers of widowhood rite practice. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the government should initiate or at least support significant research on widowhood practices in the country. Other recommendations include the creation of an intense awareness campaign, activation of vicarious liability, women empowerment particularly at the local level, exploration of educational curriculum channels and government sponsorship as relevant measures to ending the widowhood rites practice in the study area.

Bentina A Mathias , Sociology Study

Marriage is one of the valued institutions in the traditional African society. Incidentally, it has its own challenges. When a young man or woman gets to a certain age and he/she is not married, society frowns at it. Thus, many couples enter into marriage relationships with a lot of excitements and expectations. However, losing one’s spouse to death robs one of all these excitements and expectations and exposes the bereaved spouse to some dehumanizing challenges. These challenges are mostly experienced by women in the Eastern Region of Nigeria. These women are subjected to dehumanizing practices which are socially accepted in the region. This paper attempts a comparative study of some of the practices imposed on widows in Eastern Nigeria. A sample of 200 participants was purposively selected from two states in the Eastern Region of Nigeria. The study adopted the qualitative research method. Thus, the analysis was made using descriptive method. The study showed that these inhuman traditional practices in Eastern Nigeria are initiated and perpetrated by the kinsmen (Umunna and Umuada). It also showed that the widowhood treatment is meted out on all widows, but the severity or less severity of these treatments are dependent on the socio‐economic and other attributes of the widow. Finally, recommendations were made, which include the need to protect the fundamental rights of widows and their children.

ANYOGU FELICIA

Cogent Arts & Humanities

FAITH OLANREWAJU

Creative Artist: A Journal of Theatre and Media Studies

TRACIE UTOH-EZEAJUGH

The concept of widowhood in the African cultural milieu appears to be that of trauma, peril and dehumanization. This study attempts to interrogate the practice of widowhood in some Nigerian communities using “The Trial” a short story in Ifeoma Okoye's literary text titled The Trial and Other Stories with a view to exposing the faulty frameworks within which cultural norms are established for the widow, and in the process, initiate an intragender scholarly dialogue. Using context analysis approach of the qualitative research method, the study presents the opinions of various traditional Igbo women as represented by the characters in “The Trial” to ascertain their perception on obnoxious widowhood practices. The findings revealed that apart from the victim (widow), almost all the traditional women accept the practice as a norm that should be sustained. This makes them to protect the practices rather than protest. The theory of motherism is adopted for the analysis. The researcher...

George Tayo

Lucy Afari-Twumasi

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences

george A genyi

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