Juris Doctor / Master of Science in Electrical Engineering

As the nexus of top schools and programs in law, engineering, and business—located in the heart of Silicon Valley—Stanford stands at the center of the revolution in both technology and information age. Legal policy, engineering breakthroughs, and world-changing entrepreneurship all play out here in real time, creating unique opportunities, and special responsibilities. Often as a result of what happens in Silicon Valley and at Stanford, attorneys everywhere face novel legal questions about the application of law to new technology—and the impact of new technology on law. Resolving these questions requires adept synthesis of legal and engineering knowledge. Whether one’s focus is net neutrality, patent policy, or any of a host of such mixed inquiries, Stanford’s JDMS degree in law and electrical engineering provides uniquely rigorous preparation. Through interdisciplinary course work, students learn to focus high theory into instant practice—counseling entrepreneurs, explaining abstract legal decision points to engineers, and themselves developing new legal technologies or frameworks. Inversely, students may be called on to explain highly complex technical issues to judges, legislators, and other policy makers. As they acquire expertise, joint degree students are guided by a unique group of alumni—individuals as conversant with law and technology issues as they are involved. Stanford Law alumni have long excelled as law and technology thought leaders. Not only have they helped create leading Silicon Valley law firms, many have served as general counsel to pioneering technology companies, including Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Ebay, Yahoo, Oracle, and Google, to name just a few. Stanford’s joint degree in law and electrical engineering echoes that collective experience.