Juris Doctors and Esquires
EzineArticles only allows doctoral level designations author name for the by-line (Dr. / Ph.D / MD / DPM / etc. ), even though we do allow authors with any title to add their title after their name in the Resource Box below the article body.
We wrongly assumed that JD (Juris Doctor) was a doctorate level degree when in fact it means that the undergrad (or more) student has passed his or her bar exam… similar to an accounting major who passes his or her CPA exam.
After much deliberation this week, we’ve decided that it’s good to have more ‘lawyer’ friends as members and therefore we’ll allow JD or Esq (short for Esquire) in the author by-line; even though they may not be doctorate level. We will not allow “Attorney At Law” or “Lawyer” in the by-line, but we will allow it in the Resource Box.
Perhaps a JD or Esq. member could help us better understand this gray area about why sometimes a JD might be called a ‘doctor’ when in fact they do not have the same level of academic education as a doctorate level person might have (like Ph.d’s and MD’s)?
Most law schools require an undergraduate degree for admission – B.A. or B.S.. And in the top and second-tier universities the competition for admission is fierce! The J.D. is an additional 3-4 years of heavy course work. One difference between a Ph.D. and a J.D. is that law schools do not require that a thesis be written or defended. Believe me, the Bar exam is far worse! Having been enrolled in both a normal Ph.D. program and completing a J.D., I can assure you that law school is not easier or faster.
Where the confusion arises, not all universities call their final law degree a J.D. (old traditions). The crucial concern is whether it will be deemed acceptable to the states which administer their own Bar exams. Many graduates of borderline institutions (unaccredited, online, night) which claim to offer law degrees will find that they are not considered acceptable candidates for the Bar exam. And unlike other post-graduate degrees, the J.D. with passing the Bar exam doesn’t get you very far.
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