THE LEGAL Education Board (LEB) has directed law schools to “rename” their Bachelor of Laws (LI.B.) programs to Juris Doctor (J.D.) to avoid the misconception that the LI.B. degree is “inferior” to the J.D. degree.
In a memorandum last Dec. 2, the LEB explained that the J.D. and the Ll. B. are both graduate degrees since only graduates of a four-year undergraduate degree may take these programs.
“The use of these two academic degree titles (Ll.B. and J.D.) for the graduates of basic law course can mislead the general public to the wrong impression that lawyers who graduated with (an Ll. B.) degree are inferior those who graduated with (a J.D. degree),” the LEB stated in the memorandum signed by LEB Chairman Emerson Aquende.
The resolution will take effect this second semester of the Academic Year 2018 to 2019. Law schools with thesis requirements for their programs will be using “J.D. Thesis program.” Previous Ll. B. programs will now be named “J.D. Non-Thesis program.”
In addition, law schools, with the LEB’s permission, may reissue diplomas and transcript of records to their alumni, changing the granted degrees from Ll. B. to J.D.
UST Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina lauded the LEB’s decision as there should be a uniform academic title and recognition for graduates of law in the country.
“Whether Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor, law, after all, is still a four-year course which requires the same requisite level of knowledge, demands the same dedication and involves similar training,” Divina told the Varsitarian in an interview.
Divina noted that the LEB’s decision will have no impact on the University’s undergraduate law programs as UST’s curriculum mirrors the current model curriculum of the LEB.
“Presently, we are not inclined to include thesis preparation and writing in our curriculum and would rather let our graduating students devote more time to prepare for the Bar exams,” said Divina.
LI.B. and J.D. are the only two basic law degrees in the Philippines. Only holders of either degree are allowed to take the Philippine bar examinations.
