The University of the Philippines University Council recently approved the conversion of Bachelor of Laws (LlB) degree to Juris Doctor (JD). The law school justified that the JD puts their graduates in line with other schools (like Ateneo) and with American practice. (Which leads me to ask. Why do we have to ape America all the time!) Juris Doctor means Teacher of the Law in Latin. The idea of a JD is that this is a professional qualification. However in title conscious Philippines I have heard some law students think that an LlB is lower qualification than a JD. Think again. In the Commonwealth, lawyers are still awarded the LlB. Getting that undergraduate qualification requires philosophical training which the JD doesn't require. The LlB is an academic degree. In other words an LlB gives a broader legal education than what a JD gives. But in countries where law studies is a postgraduate qualification, the coursework can overwhelm the once complacent undergrad. But with law as ...
"It is surely harmful to souls to make it a heresy to believe what is proved" - Galileo