It’s a common human quirk to feel a little spark of triumph when we know something others don’t, especially when it involves correcting a frequently made error. There’s a certain satisfaction in possessing niche knowledge, a feeling that perhaps the world isn’t entirely lost if we at least know the right answer. And if you happen to have learned this piece of information later in life, that smugness can be amplified – a sort of compensatory glee. Admitting to this less-than-noble impulse, let’s address a surprisingly common mistake, particularly relevant in the world of legal education.
The degree awarded upon graduation from law school is a JD. Many assume this must stand for “Juris Doctorate.” However, that assumption is incorrect. The correct term is Juris Doctor. “Juris Doctorate” is simply not a recognized academic degree title.
This distinction might seem minor, a mere matter of semantics. Yet, the prevalence of this error is striking. Recently, I’ve been involved in several searches for administrative roles at the Law School. The sheer number of applicants who list “juris doctorate” as their degree is astonishing. Even more surprisingly, a quick online search for “juris doctorate” reveals numerous law school websites inadvertently using the incorrect terminology themselves.
This persistent misuse highlights a broader point about accuracy and attention to detail, especially within professional fields like law. While correcting someone’s minor slip-up might offer a fleeting moment of personal satisfaction – perhaps akin to the anecdote about Professor Black and the word schadenfreude – ensuring clarity and precision in professional qualifications is genuinely important.
Professor Black, in a story I often recount, once relished in correcting a colleague who was unfamiliar with the term schadenfreude. His almost theatrical delight in pointing out another’s незнание was, while humorous in retrospect, a stark reminder of the less appealing side of intellectual superiority. The story, relayed to me by Professor Schmiller (who, it turned out, had recently introduced Professor Black to the very word schadenfreude), only amplified the layers of academic one-upmanship.
While these anecdotes are amusing, the underlying point about the JD versus “juris doctorate” error is not about personal smugness. It’s about promoting accuracy and dispelling a common misconception. In a professional context, particularly in law, precision in language matters. Referring to your degree correctly is a fundamental aspect of professional presentation.
Therefore, consider this article a small act of public service. By clarifying the correct name of the law degree, Juris Doctor, and dispelling the myth of the “juris doctorate,” we can hopefully reduce the instances of this error. And who knows, perhaps by focusing on correcting minor inaccuracies in the world around us, we can all take a small step towards greater overall precision and clarity, even while acknowledging our own imperfect human tendencies.
