Juris Doctor

noun

Ju·​ris Doctor ˈju̇r-əs- How to pronounce Juris Doctor (audio)
: a degree conferred by a law school usually after three years of full-time study

Examples of Juris Doctor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After receiving his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School and completing a master’s degree in law at New York University, Girardi started his own law firm, Girardi Keese, in L.A. in 1965. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2023 Venisa graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration/management from Oklahoma State University in 1993, before going on to earn her Juris Doctor from Texas A&M University in 2003, according to her LinkedIn profile. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 3 Jan. 2023 Cross earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville School of Law in 1978. Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2022 Sharrieff received his bachelor's degree in political science in 1993, his master's degree in exercise and sports science in 1995 and his Juris Doctor in 2001 from the University of Utah. Tamara Palmer, PEOPLE.com, 13 July 2022 Alexander graduated in 1984 with a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin Law School, reports Linda Hasco of PennLive.com, and actually worked as a lawyer. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Juris Doctor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, doctor of law

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Juris Doctor was in 1904

Dictionary Entries Near Juris Doctor

Cite this Entry

“Juris Doctor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Juris%20Doctor. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

juris doctor

noun
ju·​ris doc·​tor
ˈju̇r-əs-ˌdäk-tər
often capitalized J&D
: the lowest degree conferred by a law school usually after three years of full-time study or its equivalent compare master of laws, doctor of laws, doctor of the science of law

Note: The juris doctor replaced the bachelor of laws as the first degree conferred by a law school in 1969. Not all states mention the J.D. or LL.B. specifically as a requirement for admission to the bar, but all states do require graduation from a law school.

Etymology

New Latin, doctor of law

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!