Lawyer

:For information on the type of fish called Lawyer, see the article on Burbot.

Initial Education

Practicing law is often similar to operating a private business, but the practice of law is traditionally considered to be a learned honorable profession requiring, in most common law countries, a degree in law.

Related Topics:
Profession - Common law

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In addition, in the United States and Canada (other than Quebec), at least three years of undergraduate university education, in a subject other than law ("pre-law studies") is required as a prerequisite to entry into the law degree program.

Related Topics:
United States - Canada - Undergraduate - University - Education - Pre-law studies

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United States

: See main article at Education of Lawyers in the United States

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Before taking the bar exam, nearly all American lawyers must first attend law school for at least three years.

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The degree earned by lawyers in the United States is generally a Juris Doctor (J.D.). Louisiana State University in the U.S. now offers a joint J.D. (Juris Doctor) / B.C.L. (Bachelor of Civil Law) over 7 semesters (instead of its previous 6-semester program for the J.D. alone) in recognition of the increased Louisiana civil law component of the new program.

Related Topics:
United States - Juris Doctor - Louisiana State University - Bachelor of Civil Law

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Canada

Canada has similar requirements and systems to that of the United States. The one exception is Quebec, owing its legal system being based on Civil Law.

Related Topics:
Canada - Quebec - Civil Law

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The University of Toronto in Canada has recently changed the name of its Bachelor of Laws degree to that of Juris Doctor (J.D.). The University of Toronto is the only Canadian university to do so.

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Quebec

In Quebec, lawyers hold a LL.B. (Legum Baccalaureus), LL.L. (licence en droit), or B.C.L. (Bachelor of Civil Law), depending on the university where they received their civil law education.

Related Topics:
Quebec - Legum Baccalaureus - Bachelor of Civil Law

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In contrast to common law degree programs in Canada, civil law degree programs require entering students to hold only two years of junior college (called CEGEP in Quebec) after Quebec's 11th grade.

Related Topics:
Common law - Canada - Junior college (called CEGEP in Quebec) - Quebec

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United Kingdom

The equivalent degree for lawyers in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries such as Canada (excluding the province of Quebec) and Australia) is the LL.B. or Bachelor of Laws or the Oxford University or Cambridge University B.A. in Jurisprudence. A feature of the Oxford and Cambridge B.A. degrees is that B.A. recipients can upgrade their undergraduate B.A. to an undergraduate M.A. by the process of 'inception'. Inception can be applied for, generally 4 years after graduation,

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Commonwealth - Canada - Quebec - Australia - Bachelor of Laws - Oxford University - Cambridge University - Jurisprudence - The process of 'inception'

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by payment of a nominal fee (without the need for further academic work or qualifications).

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The LL.B. is ordinarily undertaken by undergraduates after secondary school; and it is rare for students to undertake this course after having already earned a bachelor's degree in a non-law subject. Those who already possess a bachelor's degree in a non-law subject will, instead of pursuing an LL.B., usually study for a postgraduate Diploma in Law (previously the Common Professional Exam). However, in Scotland an LL.B. is required of all students, irrespective of previous higher education.

Related Topics:
Undergraduate - Student - Postgraduate - Diploma in Law - Common Professional Exam - Scotland - Higher education

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