‘LLB/JD Backgrounder’

Page

The Origins of ‘Common Law’ The foundations of ‘common law’ originated in the U.K. and were developed over a period of a thousand years. Law is made up of a set of principles that enable a legal professionals to analyze and solve legal problems. These set of principles are encompassed in the following group of legal education courses known as the core law school curriculum: 1) Torts 2) Real Property & Personal Property 3) Contract(s) 4) Commercial/Corporate Law 5) Evidence 6) Remedies 7) Trusts The above core law school curriculum is common / the same in every LLB/JD degree program in comparable Commonwealth countries such of Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, as well as the U.S. Core Canadian ‘Public Law’ Courses Although the core law school curriculum is the same, each comparable Commonwealth country has different legislative directives and interpretations in the application of ‘public law’. The entrenchment of the “Charter of Rights and Freedoms” in the Canadian Constitution in 1982 requires a Canadian-specific interpretation of ‘public law’ that is taught in the following five courses: Canadian Constitutional Law Canadian Administrative Law Canadian Criminal Law Foundations of Canadian Law Professional Responsibility/Ethics A number of the law schools in Canada Law From Abroad’s U.K. Law School Consortium offer a Canadian Constitutional Law course which is the foundation for the rest of the Canadian content ‘public law’ courses. The Difference Between the U.K. and Canadian Law School Admission Criteria The U.K. does not require an LSAT test score for admissions, unlike in Canada! The “B” in LLB (Bachelor of Legal Laws) stands for ‘baccalaureate’. The LLB is really an undergraduate professional degree. Comparable commonwealth common law countries (U.K., Australia and New Zealand) admit students to law school right after high school. No Canadian law school official web site lists an undergraduate degree as a mandatory academic criterion for admission. Check for yourself! However, Canadian law schools require either 2 years of university or college-equivalent university courses or a 2 year Quebec college CEGEP diploma to qualify for admission. The U.K. Law Degree Advantages The U.K. is the global leader in cutting-edge legal education.  It has done so by embracing flexibility and innovation in program design and delivery.  U.K. LLB PROGRAM FLEXIBiLITY AND INNOVATION: There are Three innovative LLB options in the U.K.! 1. Three (3) Year U.K. LLB Degree Two years of core law curriculum & one year of electives. U.K. Admission Requirements: No LSAT! High school diploma, or Two years of university or university-equivalent college courses or a college CEGEP diploma. 2. Two (2) Year U.K. ‘Senior status’ accelerated LLB Degree Two years of core law curriculum & no electives. This option is not offered in Canada. U.K. Admission Requirements: No LSAT! A four year university degree. The same GPA that is required for a Canadian university program, an academic reference and a personal statement. 3. ONE (1) YEAR U.K. GRADUATE LLM (masters of Legal Laws) One calendar year -12 months- of graduate level study with thesis to qualify as a legal expert for work as a consultant, or with a governmental organization or NGO. U.K. Admission Requirements: No LSAT. A four year university undergraduate degree in a related program area e.g. a political science B.A. meets academic criteria for an LLM in International RElations, etc. In the U.K., unlike in Canada, you do not need an LLB/JD to qualify for an LLM. 4. COMBINED 2 YEAR ‘ACCELERATED’ LLB AND 1 YEAR LLM DEGREE Most Canadian law schools now offer “Combined” 2 year LLB/JD degrees and 1 year Masters degrees (LLB/MBA). U.K. law schools offer “Combined” 2 year Accelerated LLB and 1 year LLM degrees. U.K. Admission Requirements: No LSAT. A four year university undergraduate degree in a related program area e.g. a political science B.A. meets academic criteria for an LLM in International Relations, etc. In the U.K., unlike in Canada, you do not need an LLB/JD to qualify for an LLM. U.K. LAW DEGREE ADVANTAGE INTERNATIONALLY: U.K. LLB graduates are: Eligible to qualify for articling and bar admission to the Law Society of England and Wales as either solicitors or barristers. Eligible to write the New York State Bar Examinations and qualify to practice in that state. “Wall Street” firms actively seek out graduates from top-tier law schools to demonstrate their capability as global legal services providers. The Difference Between an LLB and JD Degree An increasing number of Canadian law schools are changing the designation of their law degree from LLB to JD. This is a marketing initiative intended to make Canadian LLB degree seem like U.S. JD degree. The curriculum in a Canadian LLB and a Canadian JD in Canadian law schools is exactly the same - the change is in name only. Both are undergraduate degrees. However, the JD degree in the U.S. is a graduate degree. Therefore, the American state bar does not recognize the Canadian JD degree as a graduate degree in legal education. All Canadians intending to emigrate to the U.S. to practice law in a state, other than New York, require a graduate JD. Canadians will have to supplement their LLB/JD with a one year graduate LLM degree (Masters of Legal Laws). A number of U.K. law schools in the Canada Law From Abroad’s Preferred U.K. Law Schools will be offering the JD law degree designation option to those Canadians who have a B.A. and complete the 2 year U.K. accelerated law degree. This JD degree from the U.K. will be recognized as a “true graduate” JD degree, like in the U.S., unlike in Canada. John G. Kelly’s email: johng@canadalawfromabroad.com mailto:johng@canadalawfromabroad.comshapeimage_17_link_0