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Concept
Juris Doctor
Summary
A Juris Doctor, a Doctor of Jurisprudence, or a Doctor of Law (abbreviated JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree in law. The JD is the standard degree obtained to practice law in the United States, where there is no undergraduate professional law degree. Some jurisdictions, such as Australia, Canada and Hong Kong, offer both the JD and undergraduate qualifying law degrees.
It has the academic standing of a professional doctorate (in contrast to a research doctorate) in the United States, and is described as a "doctor's degree – professional practice" by the United States Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. In Australia and Hong Kong, it has the academic standing of a master's degree, and it is considered a second-entry bachelor's degree in Canada. Notwithstanding the use of the word "doctor" in the title, JD holders typically do not use the honorific "Dr".
The degree was first awarded in the United States in the early 20th-century as a modern version of the old European Doctor of Law degrees, such as the Dottore in Giurisprudenza in Italy, and the Juris Utriusque Doctor in Germany and central Europe. A century prior, the most common law degree awarded in the US was termed the LLB, but by the late 20th century, the LLB was phased out in favor of the JD. JD programs in the US are typically three years full time, although some law schools offer longer part-time as well as accelerated programs. ABA Rules do not allow an accredited JD to be obtained in less than 2 years.
To be fully authorized to practice law in the courts of a given state in the United States, the majority of individuals holding a JD degree must pass a bar examination, except from the state of Wisconsin. US patent courts also involve a specialized "Patent Bar" which require applicants to hold an additional degree in certain scientific fields alongside their JD.
In the United States, the professional doctorate in law may be conferred in Latin or in English as Juris Doctor (sometimes shown on Latin diplomas in the accusative form Juris Doctorem) and at some law schools Doctor of Law (JD), or Doctor of Jurisprudence (also abbreviated JD).
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