Juris Doctor
- J.D. redirects here; for alternate uses, see J.D. (disambiguation)
J.D. is an abbreviation for the
Latin "Juris Doctor", or
Doctor of Law, and is the "law degree" typically awarded by an accredited U.S
law school after successfully completing three years of post-graduate law study. Generally, a 4-year
undergraduate degree is required to be eligible for entry into a J.D. program. Prior to the practice of law, a J.D. holder is required to be member of the
bar association of the state in which he or she intends to practice. Most states require a J.D. to sit for the bar exam, but some states, including
California, do not. Admission to a state's bar requires that the applicant either sit for the bar exam in that state and submit to that state's procedures for verifying "character and fitness", or obtain admission administratively through reciprocity provisions providing that in some states, lawyers who have practiced in other states for a set period of time, may be admitted upon application.
The course of study usually takes 3 years but may take as little as 2 years at some schools.
Holders of a "Juris Doctor" who are admitted to the practice of law often append the suffix Esq to the end of their names, but are not commonly referred to as "Doctor". While the "Juris Doctor" is a Doctorate level professional degree, similar to the "Medicinę Doctor" earned by Doctors of Medicine, the reasons why those holding "Juris Doctor" degrees are not referred to as "Doctor" have been lost to history.
Courses required
The first year of a J.D. program is usually devoted to core courses on contracts, property law, torts and civil procedure. Later courses might include things such as:
See also
Other law degrees
