• submit a dissertation that is a substantial contribution to legal scholarship;
• spend at least two terms of work in residence at the School (this requirement may be satisfied by residence as an LL.M. candidate).
• spend at least one additional year, not necessarily in residence, devoted to the preparation and revision of the dissertation. (In the case of those whose original legal training was not in the United States, the Graduate Committee may require an additional year of residency.)

Students from abroad should visit the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) for information about international students at Yale.