Juris Doctor

mega-megufan · 09-30-2007, 05:20 PM

How does the Juris Doctor stack up against other terminal degrees? More or less difficult and/or prestigious? I am especially interested in what lawyers or law students have to say.

In my opinion:

Hard Science PhD>Econ PhD>Eng. PhD>M.D.>J.D.>Social Science PhD>Humanities PhD>>>>>Unaccredited "Dr.s"

I could possibly swap J.D. w/ SS PhD.

joeschmoe1 · 09-30-2007, 05:43 PM

Not sure what you mean by "stack up", but some people are better than others at different tasks. Certainly hard science will be more difficult for some and easier for others. Each field has its own set of terms and frame of thought that you must internalize and communicate in to be competent and successful. Prestige is likewise in the eye of the beholder: some hate lawyers as ambulance chasers other hate scientists as reclusive introverts with no foot in the real world. It all depends on what YOU want to do, do what makes you happy and you are good at and don't worry about prestige or difficulty.

mega-megufan · 09-30-2007, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeschmoe1

Not sure what you mean by "stack up", but some people are better than others at different tasks. Certainly hard science will be more difficult for some and easier for others. Each field has its own set of terms and frame of thought that you must internalize and communicate in to be competent and successful. Prestige is likewise in the eye of the beholder: some hate lawyers as ambulance chasers other hate scientists as reclusive introverts with no foot in the real world. It all depends on what YOU want to do, do what makes you happy and you are good at and don't worry about prestige or difficulty.

No lawyer hate here; I have nothing but respect for the profession. I don't really have a motive for asking; it has just been something I have been thinking about for the last couple of days.

Also, I was less concerned with the profession and more about the degree (and law school) itself. Everyone who attended a university has at least some idea of what a PhD student does, but I really have no idea of what the life of a law student is like.

**GermanBJJ** · 09-30-2007, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mega-megufan

How does the Juris Doctor stack up against other terminal degrees? More or less difficult and/or prestigious? I am especially interested in what lawyers or law students have to say.

In my opinion:

Hard Science PhD>Econ PhD>Eng. PhD>M.D.>J.D.>Social Science PhD>Humanities PhD>>>>>Unaccredited "Dr.s"

I could possibly swap J.D. w/ SS PhD.

Advanced degrees don't "stack up" to each other. It's simply a matter of what your field of interest is. Harvard economists aren't any more intelligent than Harvard lawyers or Harvard medical doctors. Are you asking about workload? Or what?

SleepyBoy · 09-30-2007, 06:05 PM

JD is a great career path to take, im a recruiter for those types of positions here in the Washington DC area. Make sure you pick a type of law that will be very marketable in the future.

mega-megufan · 09-30-2007, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GermanBJJ

Advanced degrees don't "stack up" to each other. It's simply a matter of what your field of interest is. Harvard economists aren't any more intelligent than Harvard lawyers or Harvard medical doctors. Are you asking about workload? Or what?

I apologize for asking the question in an unclear and slightly accusatory way; it wasn't my intention to offend anyone. I was not referring to intelligence, more to the degree itself. For example, I think that it is common knowledge that an Electrical Engineering BS is more rigorous than a psychology BS. Certainly, an electrical engineer is not necessarily more intelligent than a psychology graduate, but his or her education was probably more rigorous.

joeschmoe1 · 09-30-2007, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mega-megufan

I apologize for asking the question in an unclear and slightly accusatory way; it wasn't my intention to offend anyone. I was not referring to intelligence, more to the degree itself. For example, I think that it is common knowledge that an Electrical Engineering BS is more rigorous than a psychology BS. Certainly, an electrical engineer is not necessarily more intelligent than a psychology graduate, but his or her education was probably more rigorous.

No offense taken, just remember that one person's bane is another's delight.