Rigorosum – J.S.D. Candidates Defend Their Dissertation!


Doctoral candidates of St. Thomas Law’s J.S.D. in Intercultural Human Rights program deliver their dissertation oral defense, the rigorosum. The rigorosum is the high point of an academic career in the global university tradition and an exhilarating educational experience for candidates.

The candidates delve deep into the main contributions of their legal research for decision makers and practitioners and to the existing legal literature. They discuss the novelty they bring as they present the problem; identify and probe into the conflicting claims, their claimants, perspectives and basis of power; analyze past trends in decision and their conditioning factors; identify and analyze future trends; appraise past decisions and recommend solutions in light of building a public order of human dignity – a society whose law, policy and practice has human flourishing as its goal.


The J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights aims at providing a premier opportunity for promising human rights scholars to make a lasting contribution to the dynamic and action-oriented field of human rights through researching, analyzing and offering solutions to cutting-edge issues both globally and domestically.