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Joined: Apr 2003
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Merriwether
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OP
Merriwether
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,656 |
Recently, the university where I went to law school decided to change the title of their law degree from a Bachelor of Laws to a Juris Doctor. And although it will effect my life not at all, I now apparently have a Juris Doctor degree. So... the only thing I want to know is if I can now be called Doctor Thompson. ML
She was in such a good mood she let all the pedestrians in the crosswalk get to safety before taking off again. - CC Aiken, The Late Great Lois Lane
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 8,948 Likes: 28 |
Huh, that's really strange. Of course, I've got no idea how things are done in Canada, but over here, the three levels of university degrees are distinct and separate and can't just be renamed like that. Aside from that, any change to a degree program after you have received a degree doesn't affect you. At least, that's how it's done over here Michael
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,656 |
Actually, Michael, the LL.B. I got was not an undergraduate degree even when I got it. You had to have at least one Bachelor degree to get into the program. As for it changing my degree... It does. I just got the paperwork in the mail this week. As for me caring, either way... Not really. Like I said, it won't effect my... Oh wait! Darn! It will effect my life. Now I have to buy new business cards. Well darn! Talk about a waste of money. I just bought a new box of business cards, too! ML
She was in such a good mood she let all the pedestrians in the crosswalk get to safety before taking off again. - CC Aiken, The Late Great Lois Lane
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 8,948 Likes: 28
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 8,948 Likes: 28 |
Huh, fascinating. Say, is the degree in Canada a part of your name, too? Because in that case would have to get a new driver's license, passport, etc. Plus update your signature. Hmm... starts to sound like you went to the Griffin University. Michael
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,656 |
starts to sound like you went to the Griffin University. How did you know? Oh, wait. No. I got my degree from one of those emails that says: Do you want a degree? Send money here. ML
She was in such a good mood she let all the pedestrians in the crosswalk get to safety before taking off again. - CC Aiken, The Late Great Lois Lane
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145 Likes: 3 |
I don't want a degree from a university which would accept me as a student.
Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.
- Stephen King, from On Writing
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,393 Likes: 1 |
Originally posted by Terry Leatherwood: I don't want a degree from a university which would accept me as a student. Sounds like you should go to G.U. -- Groucho University. Joy, Lynn
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,656 |
I think I finally figured out what's going on. Practicing where I do, it's hard to keep up with what's going on in the outside world. Anyway, finally found this article which seems to explain the change. Apparently, we want to be more like the Americans (but, hey, what's new about that? ) http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=article&articleid=952 ML
She was in such a good mood she let all the pedestrians in the crosswalk get to safety before taking off again. - CC Aiken, The Late Great Lois Lane
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,069 |
Fifteen years and one career change ago, my husband received his JD. While it probably will be fun to sign your name as ML Thompson, J.D., I believe that according to old British and American traditions (especially in the state of California), you may now also be known as ML Thompson, Esq. (for Esquire)
Go you!
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 279 |
Actually, I heard that while it's appropriate for other people to call you esquire, it's improper (manners wise) to use the term for yourself. Two important pieces of etiquette to know about the usage of Esq. are that one does not use it of oneself (that is, one should not use it on one's own business cards or stationery)--it should be used only in address to other people; and that it takes precedence over all other titles, so that you shouldn't say "Mr. Robert D. Ardizzi, Esq." or even "Dr. John Smith, Esq.," but only "Robert D. Ardizzi, Esq." (from here ) Which I found totally bizarre, but hey. {shrug} I personally am all for ditching esquire and putting a nice "Dr" in front of our names. :-) Bethy (the almost-esquire/dr -- passed the bar!!! Just waiting for the swearing in for it to be official!)
I don't suffer from insanity...I enjoy every minute of it.
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
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Interesting--I don't think I even had heard of "Juris Doctor" before (I didn't know how law degrees were called). I feel more educated now. And congratulations, Bethy!!!!
Don't point. You make holes in the air and the faeries escape.
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Columnist
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Columnist
Joined: May 2003
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I guess, as with many good legal questions, the answer is, "it depends." In the Middle East, you absolutely would use "Dr." because here, you would want to distinguish between the undergraduate law degree (which is what is required to practice law) and a graduate law degree. In Germany, about ten percent of lawyers hold a Doctor of Laws degree (requiring a thesis and oral exam beyond the master's level work it takes to become a lawyer). They use the title Dr.
In the US, JDs don't use the title Dr., but SJDs (Doctors of Juridical Science, the terminal degree for the study of law, after the JD and the LLM) do.
Rac
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,837 |
If you call yourself Doctor down here in the States, people are only going to talk to you about their aches, pains, gastric problems and headaches instead of any legal issues. Normally, medical doctors are the only ones who use the title in daily life. After reading the article, I see why the Canadian system was changed. LLB definitely sounds like a lower grade degree. My father had a Ph.D. in Education, but never used the term in his personal life, or much in his professional life because everyone around him had the same degree. Anyway, congrats on your J.D.! regards Artemis
History is easy once you've lived it. - Duncan MacLeod Writing history is easy once you've lived it. - Artemis
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