Apply for JD Designation

In June 2010, the college’s first law degree designation was changed from Bachelor of Laws (LLB) to Juris Doctor (JD) by approval of University Council at the U of S. This followed a thorough consultation process, which included a student vote, alumni survey and Faculty Council vote, leading to the recommendation by our College of Law Faculty Council “that the first-level professional degree in law be designated as a JD (Juris Doctor) instead of an LLB, and that all past recipients of the LLB be offered the opportunity to choose to switch their LLB to a JD.” 
 

Apply for Designation Change

As of Nov. 1, 2011, JD parchments for alumni will be issued twice annually only, at the end of January and the end of July each year (prior to Nov. 1, 2011, allow approximately 5-6 weeks for parchment production and mailing from the time your application is received). NOTE: Your application form must be submitted by December 15 for January parchment production and June 15 for July parchment production.  

The application form (PDF, 282 kB), for those wishing to make the designation change, can be printed, filled out and returned to the university with payment of $50. You will be issued a new parchment with the Juris Doctor (JD) designation. 

You may keep your original LLB parchment, but note that with receipt of the JD parchment, you have only one law degree designation - Juris Doctor, or JD - that you may use to indicate your law degree.
 

Majority Support

Support for the change in the law degree designation was substantial, with 90% of students and 81% of alumni surveyed in favour. Starting with 2010, students graduating from our college are awarded the JD designation. Additionally, more than 76% of alumni have indicated that they will take advantage of the opportunity to switch to the JD designation.
 

Why the Change?

The JD designation is felt by many to better represent the fact that law degrees in Canada are almost always second degrees. As well, for Canadian law graduates there is a competitive advantage to the JD title, seen more as a professional degree, over the LLB title, more likely to be perceived as an undergraduate degree.