Ph.D. Program in Law & Economics

  • Student Profiles

phd degree law

Program Overview

Vanderbilt Law School's Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics is unlike any other. Dual-degree students pursue a J.D. and a Ph.D. concurrently in a fully integrated curriculum that combines economic theory and methodology with the study of law. The program is designed so that students complete both degrees in just 6 years. Admitted students receive a full funding package , including tuition for both degrees and a competitive annual stipend, for all 6 years of study.

  • Explore The Program's History

About our Program

Applicants must complete separate applications to Vanderbilt Graduate School and Vanderbilt Law School. Each applicant's Law School and Graduate School applications will be considered together in a collaborative admissions process.

Program students pursue policy-relevant research within four primary research fields developed for the J.D./Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics: behavioral law and economics, labor markets and human resources, law and economics, and risk and environmental regulation.

Program graduates are in academic positions at University of Alabama, University of Arkansas, University at Buffalo, Florida State University, George Mason University, University of Texas, University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, Pace University, Vanderbilt University, and Western Kentucky University, as well as in positions in government, legal practice, and consulting.

The Law & Economics/Applied Microeconomics Seminar Series brings scholars from around the world to Vanderbilt to present research spanning a variety of fields and topics. The program also hosts a variety of conferences, including the biennial Frontiers in Law and Economics (FILE) conference. 

Applications Open for Fall 2025

  • How To Apply

August 1, 2024

January 15, 2025.

Deadline for Priority Consideration

April 1, 2025

Final Deadline

Information Sessions

Thursday, november 14.

7pm CST Zoom

Zoom Info Session

The event is held by our Director of Graduate Studies and several current program students.

Register Now

In the News

Have questions.

Contact the Ph.D. in Law & Economics Program Manager.

Graduate Program

Apply to the Graduate Program

Graduate Program Handbook

HLS Course Catalog

Admitted LL.M. Students

Harvard International Office (HIO)

The Graduate Program attracts lawyers of demonstrated intellectual and academic excellence from all over the world. The LL.M. and S.J.D. programs expose students to American modes of legal education (which emphasize critical thinking and self-inquiry) as well as to substantive law, and enhance our students’ ability to do advanced scholarly work. The Graduate Program also hosts the Visiting Scholar/Visiting Researcher program, which accommodates a small number of legal scholars and researchers from around the world who are engaged in major research projects for which the Law School’s outstanding library resources may be of assistance.

Graduate Program Admissions & Financial Aid

Learn about all aspects of the admissions processes for our LL.M., S.J.D., and Visiting Scholar/Visiting Researcher programs, as well as financial aid and billing.

Admissions & Financial Aid

LL.M. Program

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