Juris Doctor

noun

Ju·​ris Doctor ˈju̇r-əs- 

: 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

Sassoon graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and obtained her Juris Doctor at Yale Law School. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025

Despite these obstacles, Molina Flynn excelled academically, graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. in accounting from Johnson & Wales University and earning a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. —John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025

Today, Forbes estimates Ogunlesi—who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford, a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, and an MBA from Harvard Business School—has a net worth of $1.7 billion. —Jabari Young, Forbes, 1 Sep. 2024

Anthony gained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida International University in 2002 and his Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University College of Law in 2005, having won multiple awards. —Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024

According to Washington Monthly, Cheney and Perry eventually met at a Colorado College alumni mixer in Washington, D.C. Cheney later enrolled in law school at the University of Chicago, and Perry received his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School. —Jessica Sager, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin, doctor of law

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Juris Doctor

• auctor
• proctor

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