<p>Ok, this might seem like a really stupid question...but is a getting J.D. equivalent to getting a doctorate. Are people who earn a J.D. called "doctor"?What does JD mean?</p>
<p>JD refers to the degree of juris doctorate. Having obtained my JD, and living with my wife while she obtained her PhD., I would say that the PhD. process was much more difficult.</p>
<p>No, they are not called "Doctor", though they have a Doctorate in Jurisprudence. They are Mr/Mrs and will be formally referred to as (by example) "John Doe, Esquire". The Esq. after their name is their formal designation and represents an English Law title of dignity - above a gentleman and just below a knight. Strangely, with Law, you obtain a doctorate before a masters. A post J.D. degree is a L.L.M (Master of Legal Letters)...which is what Law Professors are likely to hold.</p>
<p>hmm... I always wondered what in the word esquire meant. Danke, momsdream.</p>
<p>LL.M. actually stands for "Master of Laws". (According to my Black's Law Dictionary, LL is the "reduplicated form of the abreviation L," for law. LL.B. is Bachelor of Laws.)</p>
<p>J.D. stands for "Juris Doctor" at most schools (doctor of laws), and Doctor of Jurisprudence (doctor of the philosophy of laws) at others. The designation replaced LL.B. at most U.S. law schools in the 1960's, either to reflect the fact that a bachelor's degree was a prerequisite at U.S. law schools (or, according to others, to stop lawyers from whining about only having bachelors' degrees after seven years of study).</p>
<p>Few law professors who don't teach taxation hold the LL.M. Most tax professors seem to have received an LL.M. from NYU, which is without peer in this subject. J.D. is considered the "terminal degree" for lawyers.</p>
<p>Most LL.M. students have Ll.B's from non-U.S. universities. Some enroll in a J.D. program after completing the LL.M.</p>
<p>As it's a terminal degree, you get the traditional 4-foot hood upon graduation - which is what MDs and Ph.D.s get.</p>
<p>Is the L repeated because it's plural? In Spanish, US is abbreviated EE.UU. or something like that.</p>
<p>Yes, the reduplication shows it's plural.</p>
<p>You also get three stripes on your sleeve, like a sergeant.</p>
<p>Or an eye patch and a wooden leg, like a pirate. arggggg</p>
<p>As long as it's being discussed don't forget the S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) that ended up replacing the LLD (Doctor of Law), much as the JD has replaced the LLB
(Bachelor of Law). This is the ultimate degree for a law professor and in many schools must be preceeded by obtaining the LLM. Kind of a strange degree--it is really a doctorate for the attorney.</p>
<p>Juris Doctorate</p>
<p>Re: an eye patch and a wooden leg...</p>
<p>Reminds me of me younger days, when I was still known as Blackbeard.</p>
<p>Juris Doctor, as noted above. It's somewhere between a standard Masters and a true Doctorate, in my opinion. </p>
<p>Note: I believe that you're not technically an "attorney" or "lawyer" until you actually pass the bar. I'm not sure you can be properly addressed as "Esquire" until that point either.</p>
<p>Haha, greybeard.</p>