HanByul Chang has dreamed about attending law school since middle school. But in college, she wanted to pursue her other passion — chemistry — at the same time. 

As part of the Pritzker School of Law’s J.D.-Ph.D. program, Chang got to do both. This spring, she will graduate with a Ph.D. in chemistry and earn her J.D. at the same time.

“The honest reason behind applying to the joint program was because I didn’t know what I wanted to do more,” Chang said. “I wanted to do both, so I just applied to both.” 

Twenty-three students are currently enrolled in the joint degree program, which started in 2006, according to Pritzker Associate Dean of Admissions and Career Services Don Rebstock (Bienen ‘87, Kellogg ‘93). Rebstock, who helped start the program, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary research — both in the law classroom and in departmental disciplines. 

The program prepares students to pursue careers in academia, such as a professorship at a law school or in a department. For the most part, students have ended up in those career paths, according to Rebstock. 

Deirdre Edward, who is in her third year in the program, is a Ph.D. student in engineering sciences and applied mathematics, as well as a J.D. student. She became interested in hard sciences, like astronomy and physics, during her undergraduate studies. But, she said she couldn’t see herself pursuing them for the rest of her life, so she decided to explore other career paths. 

Edward realized she could use her quantitative skills in other fields, such as public policy, and now researches topics like climate resilience and infrastructure. She hopes to look into flood resilience, including how federal policies regarding flood risk can be improved. 

“It felt, frankly, (like) a more useful way to exercise my STEM background,” Edward said. “I was normalized to talk about your parent’s house being underwater in 50 years. It’s a nihilistic perspective for a kid to have.”

In her application, Edward described her past research experiences, some in computer science, through a public policy angle. She wanted to demonstrate her skills in engineering and develop an interesting narrative, she said. 

Rebstock described the application process as “streamlined.” On the graduate school application, prospective students check a box to apply for the J.D.-Ph.D. program. Then, the law school and graduate school review the application separately. 

“If there’s a mutual interest, we have a joint offer letter that we send out to the admitted candidates,” Rebstock said. “We provide full funding for seven years — that’s tuition and living expenses.”

According to Rebstock, out of the 60 to 70 applications the program receives each year, it typically enrolls about three students. Since 2006, 26 students have completed the program, he said.

Each week, the cohort participates in a seminar, led by Pritzker Prof. Shari Diamond, the faculty director for Pritzker. In a smaller, less formal format, students can receive feedback on their research.

Edward emphasized the variety of academic interests within the program, calling it inspiring to see peers apply their legal knowledge in “novel ways.” 

Traditionally, students in other J.D.-Ph.D. programs are primarily drawn to political science and sociology, Edward said. But at NU, Edward knows just as many students with academic interests in other areas, like biomedical engineering and rhetoric. 

“This program has such an interdisciplinary focus and is supportive of trying strange, novel combinations of fields,” Edward said.

Chang said the program can be a commitment in time and effort. But she encouraged students who are considering the program to apply.  

“It’s worth it at the end of the day,” Chang said. “Just take it day by day. Enjoy doing what you enjoy doing.”

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @JessicaMa2025

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