Why don't we call lawyers Dr.

not a doctor, play one on tv wrote:

Podunk U. wrote:

When was this? And where (what region, no need for specifics) was this? I do not pose these as rhetorical questions. I teach at a large public university on the West Coast and my students refer to me as "a teacher" or "the teacher" as often as "Dr." The grad students I work with just call me by my first name. When I work as an editor or moderator or invited speaker, no one refers to me as "Dr." unless it's in an introductory memo or some such. And why should they? I am not working in a hospital, nor could I do much more in that setting than smile and greet people.

West Coast culture is casual in general and to insist on an antiquated title derived from a degree is generally seen as putting on airs.

This was in the mid 90s at a large state university in the south. Pretty much all students referenced professors as Dr.- Last Name. When I had a teaching assistant without a doctorate, it was Mr./Ms.- Last Name.

Putting in airs? I just saw it as a sign of respect for an authority figure who was more accomplished in life than I was.

Podunk U. wrote:

not a doctor, play one on tv wrote:

This was in the mid 90s at a large state university in the south. Pretty much all students referenced professors as Dr.- Last Name. When I had a teaching assistant without a doctorate, it was Mr./Ms.- Last Name.

Putting in airs? I just saw it as a sign of respect for an authority figure who was more accomplished in life than I was.

I don't disagree. Please understand, I'm not passing any judgment. It seems that in California most people would think it putting on airs for a professor to insist on the "Dr." title. But then again, most people here can't tie a tie and riots would probably ensue if an establishment tried to enforce any dress code beyond shorts, flip-flops and tank top. I don't actually have an opinion on any of it, just noting the differences in custom in time and place.

The Rt. Rev. Gen. Smith, Ph.D. wrote:

In the US, lawyers used to get a LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws). This was changed to a J.D. because law schools began requiring a bachelor's degree before law school and a law degree was a post-bachelor's graduate degree. After they changed the name, if you had earned a LL.B you could pay your university a fee and they would reissue your LL.B. as a J.D. Because of that history and because a J.D. is a professional degree that isn't considered equivalent to a research doctorate or a medical degree you don't call a lawyer "doctor."

A lawyer with a doctorate who you might call "doctor" gets an S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science), which is a post-J.D. research degree that is the equivalent of a Ph.D., Ed.D. or other doctorate.

Unlike lawyers, Doctors of Physical Therapy and Doctors of Nursing Practice are now trying to call themselves "doctors," which the M.D.s don't like and consider misleading.

Never give up, never surrender wrote:

The Rt. Rev. Gen. Smith, Ph.D. wrote:

In the US, lawyers used to get a LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws). This was changed to a J.D. because law schools began requiring a bachelor's degree before law school and a law degree was a post-bachelor's graduate degree. After they changed the name, if you had earned a LL.B you could pay your university a fee and they would reissue your LL.B. as a J.D. Because of that history and because a J.D. is a professional degree that isn't considered equivalent to a research doctorate or a medical degree you don't call a lawyer "doctor."

A lawyer with a doctorate who you might call "doctor" gets an S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science), which is a post-J.D. research degree that is the equivalent of a Ph.D., Ed.D. or other doctorate.

Unlike lawyers, Doctors of Physical Therapy and Doctors of Nursing Practice are now trying to call themselves "doctors," which the M.D.s don't like and consider misleading.

However, if I pass the BAR I am a lawyer, with our without the JD.

doctor jd wrote:

Lawyers holding a JD can use the title "doctor" if they are in academia. I believe there is actually some ABA ethics opinion on this.

An attorney may not on letterheads, business cards, shingles, directives, in speech or in formal writing use any degree designation (ll.b., j.d., ph.d., etc.) or the term ‘doctor’ or other equivalent word, except (1) in reputable law lists; (2) on academic occasions and in academic circles and then only in accordance with the practice and customs of the degree-granting school; or (3) when dealing with lawyers and others from countries in which lawyers are referred to as ‘doctor,’ the appropriate academic term may be used.

...

The term ‘Doctor’ should not be used by lawyers generally in describing themselves in conversation, nor should they encourage others to so refer to them, whether in business or socially, except in the area of academia where the term may be appropriate for persons holding the J.D. degree and can be used by those persons academia thinks of as a doctor on academic occasions. Also, when a lawyer holding a J.D. degree is dealing with persons in countries where ‘Doctor’ is used by lawyers, it would not be inappropriate to use the term ‘Doctor’ in writing and in speech when referring to oneself.

ABA Comm. on Prof'l Ethics, Formal Op. 321 (1969).