Bachelor of Law degree

Law

Of all the popular degree courses, the law degree is definitely a thrill. With all the television drama depicting sharp witted lawyers in dark suits winning difficult cases by use of their rhetorical wit, this course is surely attractive. We now have lawyers earning top dollar per hour while seated in offices shuffling papers. However, it’s not all rosy as it may seem. In fact before a lawyer gets to the latter stage, it shall have taken him or her enough lobbying, learning and of course winning which are not all achievable options. Most of the lawyers who have made it may even have used not very pleasant ways to make partner and get all the glamour.

It is interesting to note that the first academic degrees to be issued the world over were law degrees and those degrees were all doctorates. This was at the University of Bologna which was the first European university founded in the 12th century by legal scholars. The doctorate was attainable after a five year course and it merited one to the noble practice of teaching law. The university was then used as a model for other law schools and the degree evolved with time to become what it is today.

It is also important to note that the conferment of a law degree does not provide one with a license to practice law. In most countries, for example the use, on e has to take a bar exam to get a practicing license. In the UK, one has to take what is known as a legal practice course to become a solicitor or admitted to the bar as a barrister. A solicitor is one who gives legal advice or legal services outside the law courts while a barrister is one who has license to conduct legal proceedings in the law courts also known as advocacy. However, these distinctions are not found in some countries e.g. Canada and New Zealand.

Law degrees vary from country to country. The undergraduate degree is known as a Bachelor of Laws or B.A in Law (B.L.) in the US while in the UK and various commonwealth countries; it is referred to as LLB (Hons). The Masters level degree varies widely

per jurisdiction. It may be, Laurea in Giurisprudenza or Magister iuris or a Diplom-Jurist or simply a masters in law (LLM). Juris Doctor in the US is the first professional doctorate while Doctor of laws known in the US as the SJD or Doctor of Juridical Science is the highest possible academic degree in law which is equivalent to the Ph. D.

However, as earlier stated, law degrees will vary according to jurisdiction. This may limit practice of law in some countries but in actual sense, the study of law is almost the same worldwide since it all emerged from Roman law. Studying law is a lifelong experience since law is dynamic and thus one must keep studying if he or she is to make an impact in the legal profession.