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Destination USA: Law schools offer different degrees

The first professional law degree in the US is the juris doctor

A |  Monika Setia  |  Published: 18th Jan 2021  12:04 amUpdated: 17th Jan 2021  10:31 pm

In the series on popular fields of study in the United States, we have so far discussed the fields of engineering, business, aeronautics & aviation, nursing, education, journalism & communication, and most recently public health. This week we continue the conversation and talk about the field of Law.

While pursuing a law degree in the United States, international students can observe the legal system of the country, including courts and government agencies. There are different types of degrees offered by law schools in the United States that international students may pursue.

The first professional law degree in the US is the juris doctor (JD). JD programmes are pursued after four years of undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) study in any major. JD programmes generally do not offer a specialisation, but students may choose coursework that emphasises a subject area. Once a student has completed the JD degree, they are eligible to take the bar exam in any State.

The other option for international students is to pursue the Master of Law (LLM) programme. This is an advanced law degree that requires students to have completed a primary law degree such as Bachelor of Law or JD degree at the time of admission. The LLM is a more advanced degree than JD. Students may opt for a specialisation during the LLM programme such as international law, taxation, intellectual property rights, etc. In some States, the LLM degree qualifies successful degree holders for bar eligibility along with some additional criteria.

For students who do not intend to practice law but are interested in working on legal issues, other master’s degrees are available. These include the Master of Science in Law (MSL), Master of Jurisprudence (MJ), Master of Comparative Law (MCL), or Master of Comparative Jurisprudence (MCJ). These degrees are not eligible for bar exams and do not require students to have a law degree at the time of admission.

Almost all LLM programs in law are one year long and may start in spring (around January) or fall (around August) depending on the offer of the program by the institution. The JD programmes are usually three years duration (with some accelerated two year options available) and generally admit students only for the fall semester. This programme is the most comprehensive of all law programs. The other master’s degrees are slightly longer than a year and may also start in spring or fall.

Next week we will discuss the application process for law programmes in the United States.