A lawyer, or legal
practitioner, is a person certified to give legal advice who
advises clients in legal matters. Some lawyers represent clients
in courts of law and in other forms of dispute resolution.
Law is a theoretical and abstract
discipline, and working as a lawyer represents the practical
application of legal theory and knowledge to solve real problems
or to advance the interests of those who retain (i.e., hire)
lawyers for legal services.
The role of the lawyer varies significantly across legal jurisdictions,
and therefore can be treated here in only the most general
terms. |
| In some
countries, law is taught by a faculty of law, which is a department
of a university's general undergraduate college. Law students
in those countries pursue a Master or Bachelor of Laws degree.
In some countries it is common or even required for students
to earn another bachelor's degree at the same time. Nor is
the LL.B the sole obstacle; it is often followed by a series
of advanced examinations, apprenticeships, and additional
coursework at special government institutes.
In other countries, particularly
the United States, law is primarily taught at law schools.
In the United States and countries following the American
model, (such as Canada with the exception of the province
of Quebec) law schools are graduate/professional schools where
a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for admission. Most
law schools are part of universities but a few are independent
institutions. Law schools in the United States (and some in
Canada and elsewhere) award graduating students a J.D. (Juris
Doctor/Doctor of Jurisprudence) (as opposed to the Bachelor
of Laws) as the practitioner's law degree. However, like other
professional doctorates (including the M.D.), the J.D. is
not the exact equivalent of the Ph.D., since it does not require
the submission of a full dissertation based on original research.
Many schools also offer post-doctoral law degrees such as
the LL.M (Legum Magister/Master of Laws), or the S.J.D. (Scientiae
Juridicae Doctor/Doctor of the Science of Law) for students
interested in advancing their knowledge and credentials in
a specific area of law. |
