Online Law degrees

[sanantone]

JD = Juris Doctorate

How is that not a doctorate? It is NOT a master's degree. A master's in law is a LLM = Master of Law.

JD is 80+ credits.

All you need to do is google the question and you will see that there is no real consensus on this matter.  You are welcome to your opinion but you must acknowledge that there are those who disagree.

Actually I looked at several law schools. The credits ranged from 83 up to 105. All call it a Juris Doctorate. All also offer the LLM in some form. I'll stick with the professionals over a rando on a forum.

Of course the law schools want it to be a doctoral degree.  It's completely self-serving.  They're hardly objective. 
The J.D. stands for Juris Doctor. However, this is not a doctorate. It is a professional degree that is equivalent to an LLB degree in other countries. Essentially this is the entry level degree to practice law, provided of course if you pass the Bar exam. An advanced degree in law would be the LLM (Masters) and finally the PhD. Most PhD’s teach law at the University level.  If you ask a PhD whether a JD is a doctoral degree they will say no.  I know that doesn't change the fact that lawyers will say it's a doctoral degree but, like I said, there is not universal agreement on this issue.  And by the way, you too are just a rando on the internet.  Don't be condescending.

Or, the JSD, SJD, or DCL. The legal field shot itself in the foot by keeping the LLM, which is the equivalent of an EdS in the education field or ThM in the theology field, and creating the JSD and SJD degrees. This further sends the message that the JD is a master's degree with a fancy name. In comparison, medicine doesn't have a higher degree for physicians in the U.S. They can earn a PhD if they want more research training, but it won't specifically be in medicine

You can become a full professor in law with just a JD, but a research doctorate is expected for research-oriented fields of study if you're teaching grad-level courses. Attorneys, normally, do not call themselves doctors unless they are professors. Even then, some will go by Professor Jane Doe instead of Dr. Jane Doe.

[freeloader]

Interestingly, medicine in the United States typically doesn’t grant an actual degree for completing postgraduate (residency) training, but dentistry often does. My father was a dentist and spent time, after competing his DMD curriculum, working on a post-doctoral master’s degree in prosthodontics (dentures, partials, and similar).  Oral Surgery is perhaps the wildest post-graduate qualification that I know of. The model-standard is AFTER a person completes a dental degree (DMD or DDS), they do a six-year residency. Upon completion, they graduate with a medical degree (MD) and a post-graduate certificate or masters degree in oral surgery. There are a few programs that grant, with completion of a dissertation, a PhD as part of the residency program. So, there are oral surgeons out there who do basically what is required of them (and not a crazy amount extra), who hold DMD/DDSs, MDs, and PhDs.

[resistk]

I have a JD from Taft and I do not recommend any JD (online or otherwise) unless you actually want to practice badly or are trying to prove something to yourself or family.  I used the Taft JD to obtain several law licenses which I have used. But in retrospect just going to an ABA law school would have been a lot less wear and tear.

I also have a PhD from state U in another field. I  instructed online MS Legal Studies courses at former Kaplan University. So I know the curriculum well.

A JD is not a doctorate - simply because there is no thesis involved.  It is a professional degree.  Some universities do however hire JDs to instruct but  it is unlikely they would hire someone with solely a JD from an online school with no law license for full time work. 

A MSLS has no real advantage over a MBA. It would be in lieu of one for someone who needs a Masters with no math involved to rank up in the military or a government job. I sure would not hire anyone with a MSLS for any sort of legal work other than entry level which would require no degree in the first place.

Trust me, there is nothing useful from a Masters in Legal Studies or a JD unless you actually want to work in law.

As for the "prestige" lawyers rank down somewhere around used car salesman reputation wise.

[bjcheung77]

@resistk , congrats on the JD and PhD! Since you have a JD and a PhD, have you reached the final frontier in your educational journey? I don't know, sometimes people would want to "stop" at a certain point and say they're done with their studies, yet others would want to continue with something radically different.

[resistk]

@resistk , congrats on the JD and PhD!  Since you have a JD and a PhD, have you reached the final frontier in your educational journey?  I don't know, sometimes people would want to "stop" at a certain point and say they're done with their studies, yet others would want to continue with something radically different.

I tried at various times to get a LLM in Tax Law from Taft and LLD in International Law from UNISA but life intervened. If I had the time I might try to get a LLD by writing an article or book at Leiden. Now I just try for adjunct professor assignments and practice law which keeps me busy.

[evanmonast]

Wow, I’m very impressed with your educational background! Thank you for the insight, I have decided it’s definitely ABA or bust. Unfortunately for me I don’t see the return on investment for my local ABA schools being worth it as they are extremely expensive. I guess I’ll have to find another educational path


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[tpowell]

Right off the bat I want to say that I have zero intentions of ever practicing law, ever. My girlfriend is a college professor and recently I’ve been envying her career choice more and more. When I get out of the military I would like to follow her path and become a professor at the community college I started at. Ideally I would want to be a criminal justice professor.

I plan on having my undergrad done at UMPI by July and my MBA from WGU done by Feb 2023.

Of course this gives me a resume solid enough to be considered but just a Pre-Law minor doesn’t exactly show that I have enough knowledge in criminal justice to be selected over other candidates.

By the time I finish my MBA I will have about 4 years left on my military contract, just enough time to fit a JD in there.

My question is would a JD from Concord Law (Purdue Global) or Northwestern Cali. University or any other online law school grant me a legitimate JD? I know I can only sit for the bar in Cali. But again I have no intentions of actually practicing law, I just want to pad my resume and have a doctorate level degree should I ever get an opportunity to teach at a 4 year University.

I would not recommend the University of Dayton School of Law without the Military discount,  look to pay $40- $80K without
- I started my first course and had to quit due to a delay in my  Military savings.

[Old Guy]

So a JD is not a doctorate because it does not have a thesis. Is an MD not a doctorate because it does not require a thesis? My doctor had an MB, Bachelor of Medicine. Everyone called him doctor. In my jurisdiction, not England, he was even legally authorized to use the title MD because local medical degrees are MDs.

It's not a difficult concept. The word Doctor in the title JD from top universities is kind of a hint. It's a bleeping doctorate.

[ss20ts]

Today there are many doctorate programs that do not have a thesis or dissertation.

[bluebooger]

> Is an MD not a doctorate because it does not require a thesis?

an MD is not a doctorate because its not a doctorate
it has nothing to do with a thesis
they are called doctors but they do not have a doctorate

> Ideally I would want to be a criminal justice professor.
> but just a Pre-Law minor doesn’t exactly show that I have enough knowledge in criminal justice to be selected over other candidates.
> By the time I finish my MBA I will have ... just enough time to fit a JD in there.

isn't criminal justice basically a sociology degree that focuses on how society contributes to people becoming criminals and how society treats its criminals ?
I didn't think it has anything to do with law
in fact, I've read that criminal justice is one of the worst majors to take if you want to go to law school -- its basically too easy -- it doesn't prepare you for all the research and writing that is required in law school
I've read that a degree in philosophy or even english is better than a degree in criminal justice