Online doctorates in law include the Juris Doctorate (JD) and Executive Juris Doctorate (EJD) considered as the most advanced degree given to law students. This program usually trains students to become effective lawyers and jurors capable of high analytical thinking and reasoning. It teaches a deep understanding of legal procedures and laws and leads to a high profile career. Graduates from other fields of study can enroll in the doctoral program for law once they have accomplished the necessary academic requirements.
Essential topics in this program include legal terminology, law procedures, jurisdiction and legal ethics. Other relevant issues tackled are administrative law, bankruptcy law, business organizations, community property, corporate securities law, alternative dispute resolution, estate taxation and planning, international taxation, research techniques, health care law and IRS practice and procedure.
Apart from the Juris Doctor (JD), the Legum Doctor (LL.D.) is another doctorate degree in law. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, this degree is normally earned following a very insightful publication of original and important contributions to the study of law. The LL.D. in South Africa is the highest degree in law based on research and completion of a dissertation equivalent to a PH.D. However, some schools like the University of Oxford award a Doctor of Civil Law instead. In Canada, the LL.D. and Doctor of Civil Law degrees are given as a substitute of Ph.D. in law. The LL.D. may also be given as an honorary degree based on an individual’s contribution to society. In the U.S., the LL.D. is mostly given as an honorary degree. The Doctor of Jurisdical Science (S.J.D. or J.S.D.) is the degree granted for research, the same as a Ph.D. in law.
While the Juris Doctor is the professional degree needed to be able to practice law in the U.S., the SJD leads to a career as a law professor or other legal scholar. Many legal scholars who earned their degrees outside of the U.S. enroll in the doctoral program with the aim of being able to teach in the American soil. Most of the degrees they hold are considered equal only to the bachelor’s degree in the U.S. rather than a master’s or JD. Graduates of other doctorates in law, usually the so-called non-bar JD program, use their degree for personal fulfillment, consulting, authoring, speaking engagements and other endeavors that do not require the need to pass a bar examination.
The Department of Labor in the U.S. said job opportunities for lawyers and jurors are expected to increase by as much as 20% by 2010. Employment can either be in federal government, law firms as well as local and state government. Lawyers and jurors receive many benefits apart from their regular salaries which may differ according to specialization and location. They normally earn between $100,000 and $300,000 annually.
The Concord Law School is the most popular choice for an online doctorate in law. Established in 1998, the school is the first to offer a Juris Doctor (JD) degree totally online. It is one of the biggest law schools in the U.S. with more than 1,700 students. The school boasts of an affordable but high-quality instruction offering much flexibility to students who aim to pursue further studies in legal education.
