After graduating with a Juris Doctor a person is eligible for practicing law in the particular state where they pass their bar examination. A person may then go on to specialize in a specific area of the law and study for a Master of Laws degree. For those individuals that prefer to work in academia or in other types of work that has an emphasis in legal scholarship, the Doctor of Laws is the next step. A Doctor of Laws (…)
Master of Laws (LLM)
The Master of Laws degree is the second level law degree a person earns, after a Juris doctor. This degree is earned by completing a full time program for one year. Typically, a legal professional or law student will pursue the master of laws degree in order to gain expertise in a specific area of the law, for example in international law, business law, tax law or family law. The majority of law firms prefers candidates that have masters of law (…)
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
A Juris Doctor or doctor of Jurisprudence is commonly called a J.D. and is the degree that an individual earns when they successfully complete law school. The degree is required in every state except for California in order to practice law. California allows a person the option of a law office study degree as opposed to the Juris Doctor. Once completing law school and getting a law degree, the Juris Doctor a person can then sit for the bar examination and (…)
Types of Law Degrees
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), becoming a lawyer requires a minimum of two degrees over the course of 7 years of full-time study – 4 years for an undergraduate degree, followed by a 3 year law degree earned from a law school accredited by the ABA. If you are considering law school, generally there are three different types of law degrees a person can earn in the U.S.A. These degrees include a Juris Doctor, a Master of Laws, and a (…)