Hi all:
 
As I recall from a conversation with a law librarian that did some
research, the change from LLB to JD occurred before the 1930's, but how
far before I am not sure.  I am sure that the ABA would have this
information.
 
The switch came as a result of the trend to change the entrance
requirements to law school.  In the late 1800's the ordinary entrance
requirement was a high school diploma and and the law school degree was an
earned Bachelor degree.  Partly as a result of an increase in the number
of Bachelor degree holders, and partly as a result of ABA efforts to
increase and to standardize law school education, and partly as a result
of ABA efforts to increase the prestige of lawyers, most law schools
switched to an entrance requirement of a Bachelor's degree.  Thus, it
would not make much sense to have an LLB, a second bachelors, and more
sense to have an earned doctorate, a JD.
 
A Ph.D. typically involves 90 credit hours:  at least 45 credit hours of
classes and the balance of hours for the dissertation.  Law school
typically is 96 credit hours.  Thus, a JD law degree IS AN EARNED
doctorate degree.
 
With respect to the "reissue" of degrees and a switch from LLB to JD, the
alumni complained that their "old" degrees were being diminished.  Since
alumni give bucks, the degrees were reissued:  only upon request at some
schools, but most schools did so automatically.  The state bar
associations encouraged the reissue/switch in order to minimize problems
in their record keeping for reciprocity applications.
 
With respect to a specific employer trying to decide if the JD is an
EARNED doctorate I would recommend obtaining a letter from the institution
that granted the JD in question.  Ask the granting institution:  "Is the
JD is an earned doctorate?"  If the granting institution considers the JD
an earned doctorate, along with its DBAs and Ph.D.s that institution
grants, then why would the employer consider the JD differently?  However,
if the degree is a reissued JD, then it is an earned bachelor degree, and
an honorary doctorate within the academic community.
 
I am sure the ABA would have a document on all of this.  The ABA has a web
page, so communication should not be a problem.
 
Michael
 
============================================================
=  Michael J. O'Hara, J.D., Ph.D.      [log in to unmask]  =
=  Law and Society Dept.,   Univ. Neb. at  Omaha  68182    =
============================================================