Law degree


A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license. A legal license is granted and exercised locally; while the law degree can have local, international, and world-wide aspects- e.g., in England and Wales the Legal Practice Course is required to become a solicitor or the Bar Professional Training Course to become a barrister.

History

The first academic degrees were all law degrees-and the first law degrees were doctorates. The foundations of the first universities in Europe were the glossators of the 11th century, which were schools of law. The first European university, that of Bologna, was founded as a school of law by four famous legal scholars in the 12th century who were students of the glossator school in that city. It is from this history that it is said that the first academic title of doctor applied to scholars of law. The degree and title were not applied to scholars of other disciplines until the 13th century. And at the University of Bologna from its founding in the 12th century until the end of the 20th century the only degree conferred was the doctorate, usually earned after five years of intensive study after secondary school. The rising of the doctor of philosophy to its present level is a modern novelty. At its origins, a doctorate was simply a qualification for a guild—that of teaching law.
The University of Bologna served as the model for other law schools of the medieval age. While it was common for students of law to visit and study at schools in other countries, such was not the case with England because of the English rejection of Roman law and although the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge did teach canon law until the English Reformation, its importance was always superior to civil law in those institutions.
In the medieval Islamic madrasahs, there was a doctorate in the Islamic law of the Sharia, called the ijazat attadris wa 'l-ifta'.

Types of degrees

The type of law degree conferred differs according to the jurisdiction. Some examples include;
in 2008.

Austria

Magister iuris in Austria. It is a master's level degree and the first academic title within both systems. After three years of practice you can take the "Anwaltsprüfung," an equivalent of the bar exam.

Brazil

Bacharel em Direito or Bacharel em Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais, in Brazil, is an undergraduate degree. To be a Lawyer and be admitted at the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil, the Bachelor must be approved at the Brazilian Bar Exam, if the Selection and Registration Committee accept the new member he/she will be consider an Advogado.

Canada

Canada's legal system is composed of both common law and civil law elements. As of 2019, the professional degree required to become a common law lawyer is a Juris Doctor. Formerly, this degree was called a Bachelor of Laws, but the name was phased out. LL.B. holders were often given the chance to convert their degrees to the new designation. Despite having the word "Doctor" in the name, the J.D. remains a second-entry undergraduate programme, requiring some years of undergraduate study before applicants are eligible. For Quebec, where provincial law is a hybrid of French-heritage civil law for civil matters and common law for public, criminal, and federal law matters, the professional degree is often called the Bachelor of Civil Law in English, and has other designations at various institutions in Quebec. Prior to getting called to the bar in one of Canada's provinces or territories, degree-holders must complete bar exams and articling terms or the equivalent thereof.
For graduate academic study in law, the master's level designation is the Master of Laws. Doctoral-level legal research degrees vary in title by institution, but the designations include the Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of Philosophy in Law, or Doctor of Laws for common law-based doctorates and the Doctor of Civil Law for civil law-based doctorates.
The degree of Doctor of Laws is reserved at some universities for honorary use.

Croatia

Magister iuris in Croatia. It is a master's level degree and the first academic title within the system. After three years of practice you can take the "Pravosudni ispit," an equivalent of the bar exam.

Finland

The Finnish title of varatuomari is the basic qualification for the legal profession. It is obtained by a one-year externship at a district court after completing a master's degree in law in a university.

Germany

Erstes Juristisches Staatsexamen is partially equivalent to the Bar exam, since the second part is the German equivalent to the Bar exam in the U.S. At some universities you either become a "Lizentiat des Rechts ", a Magister iuris or a Diplom-Jurist. It is a master's-level degree.

Italy

Laurea di Dottore in Giurisprudenza for graduates before the Bologna Process reforms, or Laurea Magistrale in Giurisprudenza after the Bologna Process reforms, in Italy. It is a masters level degree, however all graduates of Italian universities, even of the undergraduate degree, are authorized to use the title of "dottore".

Mexico

Licenciatura en Derecho in Mexico.

Russia

in law or Jurist in Russia. It is a graduate degree which allows doing a PhD research after admission to the PhD department, though formally it is not at the master's level.

Spain

In Spain it's called Bachelor's Degree in Law. We must differentiate two types of the bachelor's degree in Law: the previous one to the Bologna Process and the later one. The previous one to the Bologna Process was composed of 5 years, with specialization and without legal internship, that one was licenciate degree and has master's level. The current one consists of 4 years, with internship and to specialize and it has a graduate level.

Switzerland

Lizentiat der Rechtswissenschaften / Licence en droit until 2004 and Master of Law since 2004 in Switzerland. It is a masters level degree.

Ukraine

in law or Jurist in Ukraine. It is a graduate degree which allows doing a PhD research after admission to the PhD department, though formally it is not at the master's level.

United Kingdom

also referred to as a B.A. in Law or an LL.B. in the United Kingdom and various current or former Commonwealth countries. It is an undergraduate degree. A Bachelor of Civil Law degree is similar in nature, historically distinguished from canon law.
Master of Laws in the United Kingdom and various current or former Commonwealth countries. Also referred to as an LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. It is an advanced academic degree pursued by those holding a professional law degree or a degree in a relevant field.

Others

Juris Doctor in the United States and Japan. It is a professional degree.
Legum Doctor is in some jurisdictions the highest academic degree in law and is equivalent to a Ph.D., and in others is an honorary degree only.
Doctor of Juridical Science is a research doctorate in law awarded mostly in the United States and Canada.