Juris Doctor (abbreviated J.D. or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a professional degree in law offered by universities in a number of countries.

In the United States, Japan, and an increasing number of other countries, it is a professional degree usually earned after three years of full-time (four years of part-time) study after earning a bachelor's degree. One of the main purposes of the degree is to provide the professional training for those who wish to become lawyers. The J.D. is the degree required for admission to the bar in nearly all U.S. states and territorial jurisdictions.^[1]

Outside of the United States, the professional law degree in many nations with legal systems based on the common law is generally still the LL.B., or Bachelor of Laws degree, though some law schools in Canada, Hong Kong, and Australia offer both J.D. and LL.B.^[2][3] The LL.B., and the J.D. are equivalent degrees for the practice of law but graduates of a J.D. program usually hold an undergraduate degree in a different field.

Since 2004, the J.D. degree is also awarded in Japan, a civil law country, where it is known as Homu Hakushi (法務博士). The Japanese J.D. degree is not a necessary prerequisite to become an attorney at law in Japan.

History

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest use of the title "doctor" in written English appeared in 1303. The term applied to "doctors of the Church," meaning "learned men in the scriptures."

In the United States law was originally learned by apprenticeship. Someone seeking to join the profession would apprentice with a local lawyer. After several years, the lawyer would file a motion with a local court for admission of the apprentice to the bar and the court would enter an order admitting the apprentice as an attorney.

After the concept of law as an elite profession collapsed during the era of Andrew Jackson,^[4] a typical law student would usually attend a short undergraduate program — usually of two years or less in length — which culminated in a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree. Most lawyers then underwent a brief oral examination in the chambers of a local judge, and became members of the bar.

Following the arrival of the Ph.D. program in the United States (Yale, 1861), the creation of the modern J.D. program is largely credited to Christopher Columbus Langdell, who served as dean of Harvard Law School from 1870 to 1895. Langdell dedicated his life to reforming legal education in the United States; the historian Robert Stevens wrote that "it was Langdell's goal to turn the legal profession into a university educated one — and not at the undergraduate level, but through a three-year post baccalaureate degree."^[5] He was generally successful in remaking most American law schools in Harvard's mold, since they often drew their faculty from Harvard. First, Harvard extended its LL.B. program from 18 months to two years in 1871, and then to three years in 1899. Then, in 1896, Harvard was the first law school to officially require an undergraduate degree as a prerequisite to admission (although the rule was not strictly enforced until 1909). By 1921, the same rule had been adopted by the law schools at Columbia, Pennsylvania, Western Reserve, Stanford, and Yale. Still, although the entry-level law program was advanced to a graduate program, the degree conferred continued to be called an LL.B.

However, upon its opening in 1902, the University of Chicago chose to award the J.D. rather than the Bachelor of Laws. Some schools started conferring the J.D. as a Latin honor for students with high grades. Eventually, the disparate treatment prompted schools to abandon the distinction and call all degrees conferred a doctorate. Yale Law School was the last to rename the degree — it conferred the LL.B. until 1971. Today, the basic degree offered by all American law schools is the Juris Doctor.

The Paul M. Hebert Law Center on the campus of Louisiana State University in the U.S. confers on the graduates of its baccalaureate law program a combined J.D. / B.C.L. (Bachelor of Civil Law) in view of the Louisiana civil law components in the program and the additional (i.e., 7th) semester of study.

The J.D. in the United States

See also:

Prerequisites

In most programs, as a condition of admission to a J.D., applicants generally must have obtained a baccalaureate degree, which may generally be in any subject. One's undergraduate grades and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score are generally considered the primary determinates for admission. However, many law schools sometimes consider other factors such as life experiences, work history, undergraduate extracurricular activities, and writing ability in addition to grades and LSAT scores when determining whether to admit an applicant. No particular undergraduate major or course of study is required for admission, and many law schools prefer that students arrive as a tabula rasa as far as legal subjects and preconceptions are concerned. While actual standards are left to individual institutions, most law schools that wish to be professionally accredited by the American Bar Association require a bachelor's degree^[6] and an admission exam^[7] (the LSAT remains the de facto standard exam) as a condition of admission.

A few law schools have combined baccalaureate/J.D. programs that allow students to enter the J.D. program prior to completion of the bachelor's degree, thereby allowing the student to obtain the B.A. (or B.S.) and J.D. within a combined 6-year period during which the student must satisfy the usual credit hours for each degree. Others have combined J.D. programs with other graduate degrees, so that students earn the J.D. jointly with an M.B.A., for instance.

Length of study

The curriculum usually involves no fewer than six semesters or nine quarters (formerly measured as three academic years, excluding summers), and many programs place explicit limits on the minimum amount of time that a student must spend in the program. U.S. post-baccalaureate degree programs, including the J.D., have an informal "industry standard" of requiring that post-graduate programs be completed in no more than six calendar years (inclusive of summers, leaves of absence, etc).

The course of study usually takes three years for full-time students and four years for part-time students. The American Bar Association previously required at least 36 and no more than 84 months of study for a school to receive approval. In 2005, the ABA amended the rules to permit as few as 24 months of study; however the total amount of instruction required was unchanged.^[8] Interestingly, the ABA does not mandate a specific number of credit hours for graduation. Instead, it mandates the number of minutes of instruction each student must receive. Currently, schools with ABA accreditation must require that graduating students have completed 58,000 minutes of instruction time during their course of study. According to the ABA, this typically translates to 83 semester hours or 129 quarter hours.^[9]

The American Bar Association is one of the largest professional association of lawyers in the world. While the ABA is neither a university nor grants academic degrees, it does offer its accreditation to schools of law in the U.S. The ABA states the following regarding the acceptance of JD degrees for the purpose of teaching at the university level:

WHEREAS, the acquisition of a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree requires from 84 to 90 semester hours of post baccalaureate study and the Doctor of Philosophy degree usually requires 60 semester hours of post baccalaureate study along with the writing of a dissertation, the two degrees shall be considered as equivalent degrees for educational employment purposes; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that all appropriate persons be requested to eliminate any policy, or practice, existing within their jurisdiction which disparages legal education or promotes discriminatory employment practices against J.D. degree-holders who hold academic appointment in education institutions. [1]

Diversity in student population has become a common goal among law school admission boards, and recruiting non-traditional students with real world experience is often difficult as few professionals are willing to abandon careers for a full-time day program. Night school is an attractive option for such students, and the longer program duration (4–5 years for a part-time program, depending on summer coursework) reduces the annual cost outlay.

Course of study

The first year curriculum is highly standardized, with only minor variations. Generally, first year students take semester-length courses in Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Property, and Constitutional Law. There is also a pair of semester-length courses covering legal writing and research, which may be offered under various titles or as a single year-long course in Lawyering Skills. The first year schedule is simply handed to new students; they have no say or choice in their courses. In contrast, the selection of second and third year courses is largely up to students, although all ABA-accredited schools require Professional Responsibility and an upper division substantial writing project.

The first year experience

The first year of law school is widely understood to be a rigorous academic experience. Even those students who have excelled in rigorous undergraduate programs may find themselves overwhelmed. One contributing factor to this process is the enormous workload, which in the first semester usually translates to 25–30 pages of material per class session, as well as numerous research writing assignments throughout the semester.

American law schools are known for the use of the "Socratic method" in first year courses. From day one, students are expected to come to class with a thorough understanding of the case material they have been assigned for the given day of class. The professor will proceed to call on a student and ask him to recite the facts of a given case and the rule of that case (in some law schools, but not all, the student may be expected to stand). After the student has given a satisfactory summary, the professor will then proceed to ask the student questions based on the case reasoning. For instance, the professor might ask the student how certain differences in the fact of a case might have differently influenced the court's reasoning. Or, alternatively, the student might be asked to justify or argue against the court's holding. Still yet, the professor might decide to pose a hypothetical fact pattern and ask the student to apply the court's reasoning. Throughout, the professor will challenge the student's reasoning to the point where the student often feels at a loss for words or answers. The purpose of the Socratic method is to encourage students to develop a deep appreciation for legal analysis and acquire the ability to use legal reasoning by thinking for one's self.

However, not all professors have decided to use the Socratic method. While most professors do call on students randomly in class, some shy away from "drilling" their students as required by the Socratic method. Some professors instead prefer to stick to lecture-style teaching, incorporating a watered down version of the Socratic method as they see fit. The Socratic method remains widely used, however, at institutions such as Harvard University.

One contributing factor is the use of a 3.0 curve in grade distribution for first year courses. Most ABA accredited law schools require that the average grade in each first-year core course fall around 3.0 on a 4.0 scale..

Specialization

At some law schools it is now possible to take a series of courses as a second-year law student and third-year student in a specialization which is then mentioned on a graduate's diploma and transcript. Some law schools have introduced "integrated," "honors lawyering," and certification programs which include research components.^[10] Certificates in public interest law, environmental law, intellectual property law, international law, and employment law have become commonplace in U.S. law schools. These programs generally involve a specific curriculum and often a brief thesis, terminal project, or internship to qualify for certification.

Some programs also offer joint degree programs, such as Juris Doctor-Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA), a Juris Doctor-Master of Arts (JD/MA), and Juris Doctor/Master of Science (JD/MS), and Juris Doctor-Bachelor of Civil Law (JD/BCL).

Utility

In order to practice as a lawyer, one must be licensed and admitted to the bar of a state or territory, and/or the bar of the federal courts. Generally speaking, graduation from an ABA-accredited law school satisfies the academic educational prerequisite for taking a bar examination and for the admission to practice law, and is far and away the most common preparation for sitting for a state's bar exam.

Some U.S. states accept only a degree from an ABA-accredited school for this. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts allows non-ABA accredited law school graduates to sit for its bar exam, most notably, graduates of the Massachusetts School of Law. Other states will accept foreign legal education, with or without subsequent U.S. legal education, but typically require that the foreign degree be earned in a country where the basic law is the common law of England. A few states – California and New York among them – do not require a law degree for admission to practice as an attorney. California, for example, will allow students to sit for the bar exam from non-ABA-approved law schools, including correspondence and "on-line" law schools (such as Concord Law School) that are actually located within the state of California; however, those students are required to take an additional examination after their first year of law school in order to be eligible to take the bar exam after graduation. New York allows those who complete a certified clerkship under a lawyer, essentially a form of apprenticeship, to sit for the bar examination, but this route is almost never used today.

Titles

Persons licensed as attorneys in the United States may append a variety of titles to their names, most of which are intended to convey that the person is licensed to practice law in at least one jurisdiction. "Attorney," "attorney-at-law," "Esquire" ("Esq."), "lawyer," and "J.D." are all generally acceptable titles that an attorney may use. The designation "J.D." may be used by a person who has received the degree from a law school, regardless of whether or not licensed to practice law. A person who is not admitted to practice law but who represents or implies that he or she is an attorney may be subject to penalties for the unauthorized practice of law or impersonating a lawyer, both of which are criminal offenses in many jurisdictions.^[11]

Although neither the American Bar Association nor courts of law are degree-granting institutions, both have taken formal positions on the use of titles by lawyers.

American Bar Association Informal Opinion 1152 quotes William Shields:

:Today one must have 84 to 90 post-baccalaureate hours to receive a J.D. degree. A Master of Law degree calls for 110 to 120 post-baccalaureate hours. Comparing this to the 60 hours of academic instruction plus a written dissertation, required for a [Ph.D.], one must agree that the legal degrees are at least comparable.^[12]

Opinion number 550 (May 2004) of the Professional Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court of Texas states (in part):

:The Committee recognizes that other professions, such as educators, economists and social scientists, traditionally use title "Dr." in their professional names to denote a level of advanced education and not to imply formal medical training. There is no reason in these circumstances to prohibit lawyers with a Juris Doctor or Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from indicating the advanced level of their education.

:[ . . . ]

:The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct permit a lawyer who is a graduate of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor or Doctor of Jurisprudence degree to use the titles "Dr.," "Doctor," "Doctor of Jurisprudence," or "J.D." in social and professional communications so long as such use is not false or misleading in the specific circumstances.^[13]

Other law degrees

The LL.M. (Master of Laws) is offered by law schools after an additional period of study, usually of one year's duration. It focuses on a specialty area such as taxation law or international business law. In some cases in the United States, foreign-trained lawyers who lack a J.D. degree may earn a LL.M. degree and be admitted to the bar.

The J.S.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) is a research and terminal degree in law. The requirements for the J.S.D. include a dissertation. The J.S.D. is relatively rare, even among professors on law school faculties (fewer than 5% hold the degree). In 2005 about 60 such degrees were conferred, primarily to foreign-trained students.^[14]

The J.D. elsewhere

While the American and Japanese J.D. requires a post-secondary, undergraduate level degree, most LL.B. degrees are only one step beyond a secondary degree, or the high school level. This distinguishes the graduate-level J.D. degree from many LL.B. degrees that provide an undergraduate degree.

The Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B.) is the standard law degree in many common law countries (e.g., the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, etc.). In most commonwealth nations, the LL.B. is a three to four-year undergraduate degree.

In Australia, Canada, India and Pakistan, the LL.B. is offered as a second-entry bachelor's degree, rather than as a first-entry bachelor's degree. This degree path typically requires five years of undergraduate study to achieve both the first and second bachelor's degree. In Canada, however, it can take between six and seven years. Many of these same regions (e.g. Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and India) also offer the doctorate level J.D., which typically requires four years of undergraduate study and three years of graduate study to complete the bachelor and doctoral degrees.

Specific national examples within the Commonwealth include:

For entry into common law LL.B. programs, Canadian and Indian universities require either a first bachelor's degree or three (sometimes two) years of undergraduate studies towards the first bachelor's degree. The University of Toronto has renamed its LL.B. degree to J.D. For entry into bachelor's degree programs (LL.B., B.C.L., or LL.L.) in Quebec civil law, universities in Quebec and the University of Ottawa generally require a CEGEP diploma. In India a system of law schools has developed in which the schools offer a first-entry bachelor's degree in law which is an integration of the LL.B. with another bachelor's degree, typically one in the arts. Its duration is five years, and the pioneer in this regard is the National Law School of India University at Bangalore.

Australian universities offer three methods of entry to the LL.B. If a student has the required secondary school marks, they can undertake an LL.B as an undergraduate degree over four to five years or undertake a joint degree programme, where a B.A., B.Sc., or B.Com. and an LL.B. are taught concurrently over five and a half to six years. An Australian student may also transfer into a four year LL.B. programme after a minimum of one year's study of any other discipline. Finally, the LL.B. is taught as an American-style, three year postgraduate qualification. Bond University, University of Queensland, University of Melbourne and Monash University offer the J.D.^[15]

In the United Kingdom, students are admitted into a three or four year undergraduate law degree (LL.B.) after completing sixth form college and attaining three to five Advanced Level certificates ("A Levels"). Additionally, many universities now require a successful performance in the LNAT test. The completion of the LL.B. is then followed by a one year postgraduate professional course, being either the Legal Practice Course or Bar Vocational Course, depending on the choice of career. Following the postgraduate course, students wishing to qualify as solicitors must complete a further two years professional experience known as the 'training contract'; those wishing to qualify as barristers must complete a further one year as a pupil at Chambers. The process generally takes five to seven years. After LL.B studies, many students alternatively opt to study for a LL.M degree before pursuing a professional career. Overseas students must have equivalent degree for entry on a LL.M program, this is normally a J.D or LL.B.

In Japan the JD is now the principal route to the legal profession, as a result of an intensive study done at government initiative.^[16]

In Germany, there is the degree of Doctor iuris (Dr. iur.). This is not equivalent to a JD, but to a PhD. German students of law have to take two examinations not held by their law school or bar association, but by the state (Staatsexamen), separated by an apprenticeship of two years. Their examinations passed, they are not granted a formal degree, but are referred to as Volljuristen (roughly "completed jurist") and as Rechtsassessoren (lat.: assessor juris, "assessor of law").

Paraprofessional degrees

Some schools offer paraprofessional degrees at either the undergraduate or graduate level, such as a Bachelor of Legal Studies or a Master of Legal Studies. A Bachelor of Legal Studies degree is not equivalent to a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), and paraprofessional degrees are not considered to be law degrees. They do not satisfy the academic requirements for admission to practice law. Holders of these degrees often are employed as paralegals or in a law-related field such as insurance, trust companies, or banking. The ABA "approves" schools offering paralegal education in the form of 2-year associate degrees or 4-year bachelor degrees. See the list of approved schools.

See also

• Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L)
• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)
• Legal education
• Admission to the bar in the United States
• Call to the bar - other common law jurisdictions
• Admission to the bar (non-U.S.) - other common law jurisdictions

References

• Chapter I of Title 8 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York, Section 3.47. Requirements for Earned Degrees and Section 3.50. Registered Degrees

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