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.

Law

For most people, a career in law is a great achievement and a bachelor of law is the first step towards fulfilling this dream. It is very exciting to watch a lawyer arguing a case in a court room and the many high profile cases across the globe and gripping law court dramas you witness on various television channels makes a law career seem even more appealing. This is an undergraduate degree that students who wish to pursue a career in law undertake as their primary law degree. It gives you the legal skills and ethics that apply to law and an understanding of how law relates to the various aspects of human life.

The bachelor of law has its origin in England but has now spread to various countries across the globe. It started out as one of the degrees in liberal arts but over time, this degree has become more specialized professionally. Law students were expected to study both common law and civil law in the past but this has changed with time. There are still some institutions that offer their students alternatives of the common law in their bachelor of law courses.

Students generally join a bachelor of law after completing high school in majority of the common law countries apart from the United States and Canada. The degree is also offered as a second entry program in Britain for students who have done another undergraduate degree. The bachelor of law degree is appropriate for those who want to become solicitors or barristers and legal officers.

Once you have attained a law degree, it doe not mean that you are now qualified to be lawyer. Attaining of a law degree merely qualifies you to become a member of a law society. In most countries once you are a member of a law society, you are expected to undergo further training after which you will sit exams. Law students are also expected to work in legal fields either in the public or the private sector to acquire the necessary skills learnt in lectures.

It is important to note that the bachelor of law degree usually varies from one country to another. In Australia for example, students take the degree at an entry level if they have attained another bachelor’s degree and it takes three years to complete. If you decide to take it after high school, it will take four years. The bachelor of law can be taken with another degree like Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Science and will take 5 to 7 years.

In Canada there are two systems that are followed. One of them follows civil law while the other one follows common law. This means that in Canada there are two types of law degrees. The common law degree takes three years plus a year of articling to qualify as a lawyer. The civil law degree is an entry level one that requires you to have at least a diploma and will take three years.