USA · Master's
Stanford University (Stanford Law School)
JD (Juris Doctor)
Stanford University (Stanford Law School)
Course Overview
Stanford Law School's JD is a three-year, full-time degree and one of the smallest at the T6 — an entering class of about 180. Sri Lankan applicants should note that the JD is the standard route to US legal practice, but it is primarily a US-domestic degree: international applicants are a small minority, and the typical international route into US law is the one-year LLM rather than the JD.
The first year is a fixed common-law core (Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, Torts, Legal Research & Writing). Years two and three are almost entirely elective, with strong joint-degree programs (JD/MBA, JD/MA, JD/PhD) and clinical work covering supreme-court litigation, immigrants' rights, environmental law, and tech-policy litigation in Silicon Valley.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle Bachelor's degree from an accredited university (any major — Stanford does not require pre-law coursework).
- check_circle LSAT score — Stanford's median is around 173 (97th-98th percentile); GRE is also accepted.
- check_circle Median undergraduate GPA around 3.93 in the entering class.
- check_circle CAS report via LSAC (international transcript evaluation), two letters of recommendation, personal statement.
English Proficiency
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 100+ recommended (Stanford-wide graduate floor is 89).
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 7.0 Overall minimum (accepted from Autumn 2026-27).
- check_circle Waiver if your undergraduate degree was taught in English.
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount ($) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (9 months) | $76,608 | Rs. 24,514,600 |
| Living & Housing (9 months) | $42,000 | Rs. 13,440,000 |
| Books, Health & Fees | $10,800 | Rs. 3,456,000 |
| F-1 Visa, SEVIS & Travel | $1,500 | Rs. 480,000 |
| Year 1 Investment | $130,908 | Rs. 41,890,600 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
Stanford JDs qualify for 12 months F-1 OPT post-graduation (JD is not STEM-designated). Typical placement: ~50% into Big Law (Cravath, Sullivan & Cromwell, Wachtell, Latham & Watkins, Gibson Dunn), ~25-30% into prestigious federal clerkships (including 1-2 Supreme Court clerks per year), with the rest split between public-interest, government, and tech-company in-house roles. Big Law starting salaries are now $225,000 base in major markets.
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